Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-25


HHtHMlWEINgMHE may go close to
9gSSSSSN4 $2,000,000 in opin-
ion of men at the
Capitol. The re-
ports and first payments received are
declared by them to indicate an in
crease in the business in Pennsyl-
Vania last year, notably in fire in
surance. The war apparently had
the effect of stimulating certain
branches of insurance materially.
The state receipts from this source
| last year were close to $1,900,000,
while the year before they were
Si,Ss4,OOO, jump from $1,700,000.
The revenue from this source will
be payable before April 1 and a
snare of it will be distributed later
in the year to municipalities for fire.
mems relief associations.
Road Work Start - Increased
forces or men are to be put to work
| on state highways, notably those |
which are being used for army truck
traffic and tests, by March 1 if the |
| weather continues mild. The snow
is rapidly disappearing in the inter |
ior counties and repair work will !
be started as soon as conditions per-
nit under the plans outlined here |
last week by the conference of high |
way engineers and county road su- |
| perintendents. In several counties |
conferences will be held by state |
| highway officers with township su-
pervisors regarding cooperative |
work
To Consolidate-Steps for the |
consolidation of a number of reports |
| of the state government are being |
| considered as a means of reducing |
size of the publications and getting |
some of them up to date. The re- |
| ports of some of the departments |
have been materially cut down the
last year and more curtailing is |
probable.
Heavy Pneumonia Toll = Pneu-
| monia caused one eighth of the |
| deaths in Pennsylvania in November |
according to statistics for that month |
| just completed at the State Depart
deaths from pneumonia out of a total
of 9,599, tuberculosis causing 903 !
and Bright's disease S22. The births
that month numbered 1908, but
| $40 died in early infancy. Cancer !
caused 551 deaths and diphtheria |
| 239, while on the other hand there |
were but 79 deaths from typhoid, |
| Al from meningitis, 10 from infan-
tile paralysis, 6S from whooping
cough and two from smallpox, the
| latter being rare. Seventy-seven |
| persons committed suicide and 99I
: died from accidents in mines. One
| hundred and thirty died from rail-
way injuries and 615 from other
forms of violence.
More Farm Cars-People at the
| State Highway Department who have
been observing the licensing of au-
tomobiles and trucks are of the
opinion that in spite of war condi-
tions there will be an increase shown
in the number of motor vehicles
shown on the farm that will be sur
prising. Last year there were 5S,-
766 machines reported as owned on
FARMS gain of 10000. This year
number of farm wagons have been
already added to the list.
To Enforce Law-Failure on the
part of county commissioners or To-
cal authorities to enforce the state
dog license law is going to be fol-
lowed by appeals to the courts by
the State Department of Agriculture,
especially in regard to violations in
sheep and live stock raising coun-
ties for whose special benefit the law
was enacted. Numerous reports of
refusal to enforce the law are being
investigated with a view to starting
suits.
Increase Nccessary-Reasons for
approving the increase in rates of
the Philadelphia Electric Company,
which was recently authorized by
the Public Service Commission, are
given in detail in the majority report
of the Commission on the matter
made public here to-day. The in
crease asked was twenty per cent.
Ten per cent was granted and Com
missioner Killing filed a dissenting
opinion in which he objected to the
passing of the burden along to the
general public and to the right to
approve war surcharges.' In the
majority the commission reviews the
conditions, setting forth that in
creases of operating expenses have
been shown and that the company
faces considerable construction, as
we'll as changes in wages to main
tain an efficient force. The utility
should be so adjusted as to permit
that utility to secure from the in
vesting public capital which is rea-
sonably required to make extensions
and that the requirements are eX-
tensive, notably in the Delaware
county field. The fairest manner in
which increased expenses may be
borne is that adopted by the COM
pany, it is stated in the opinion.
To Stamp Out Rabies-Determin-
ed efforts are being made by State
Livestock Sanitary Board officers to
prevent spread of some reported
cases of rabies. The outbreaks have
occurred in Chester and other east
ern counties and rigid quarantines
have been established. They are
the first to be put into effect, since
the new dog code went into effect.
Blair County Case-The question
of rights of owners of land to water
supply from streams whose banks
they own will be threshed out be-
fore the Public Service Commission
at the hearing to be held on the
complain of Fred land of Ants
township. Blair county, against the
Upton Water Company. The water
company agreed with Bland for the
use of the water, but he claims that
1t is not furnishing him with
supply in spite of certain arrange
ments for pipe line. The company
supplies water to the Pennsylvania
Railroad.
First Dispensary-The State De-
partment of Health to-day opened
the first of it's chain of proposed
genito- urinary dispensaries at Read
ing. 1t is in charge of DIR. C. p.
Henry The dispensary system was
launched at Philadelphia two years
ago under charge of DIR. John L.
Laird, but owing to difficulty ini
securing certain important materials
81 1 4 II :. L.