Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-10
LITERACY TEST FOR
VOTERS is URGED
[Continucd from First Pagc.l


equitable method of raising The nee
essary revenue that the experience
or this and other states can suggest.
Desire to afford the cities and bor-
oughs of Pennsylvania a measure of
self-government that will permit
them to administer their affairs
without necessity of coming to the
Legislature for authority to under
take various activities and removal
OF some of the manifold prohibitions
that were written into the consti
tuition of 1873 as a result of the
careers of some of the General AS
semblies that met annually follow
ing the Civil War is being strongly
manifested by members of the Con-
stitutional Revision Commission
which began its sessions here yes
terday. incidentally, the Commits
sion has taken a most unusual stand
as far as State bodies go by formally
expressing its intention to give the
widest publicity to its proceedings.
In the latter matter the Commits
sion has set a precedent. The press
mas been accorded privileges in the
Legislatures of Pennsylvania for
more than hundred years. but vari-
Gus State meetings have been held
mere without paying much attention
10 the newspapers. The action of
the Commission in formally arrang-
ing for its committees to furnish
statements as to proceedings is only
the start of its program. Many of
the members favor making public
the suggestions that come in and as
Tar as possible they will be discussed
In general sessions.
The home rule feature for the
cities is assuming an even greater
importance than qualifications of
voters and State government Two
or the committees have turned over
10 the committee dealing with mu-
niclpal affairs sections of the consti-
luton assigned to them so that inter-
related matters may be harmoniously
considered. The indications are that
the Supreme Court division of the
cities into three classes will be ex-
tended and that the legislative divi-
sion of years ago which the court
declined to accept will be recon-
mended. The same may be done
with boroughs. There may be half a
dozen classes of each, although now
no one can say how many. For each
OF these the Legislature would be
authorized to enact a general scheme
or government leaving the cities to
arrange the details to suit themselves
within well defined limits. State con-
troll OF bonded debt would be re-
talned beyond q doubt, but taxation
in which the local authorities would
be sensitive to local sentiment will
likely be broadened. is.
The example of second class cities
which have had to come here for
regulation of the number of magis
trates and other details of govern
ment and of third-class cities which
had to ask law to give band concerts
has not been lost on members Of the
Commission, judging from what was
heard to-day.
Members of the Commission agree
that the sessions of the body will be
prolonged, but they do not predict
much regarding the extent of recon-
mendations. Many of them are op-.
posed to a constitutional convention.
Considerable interest has been at
tracted to the recomm endation of q
committee for the State to do it's own
printing. The printing is now in a
snarl; reports are away behind time
and the legislative handbook for 1919
will not appear until we'll in 1920.
One of the suggestions was that
the cities have q graded borrowing
capacity. This came from Mr.. Con-
nelly. Now Philadelphia has 10 per
cent and the rest as the limit. one
suggestion he made was IL per cent
for Philadelphia and for the sec
ond-class cities with other figures for
such other classes as might be made.
There is sentiment for creating a
series of classes instead of adhering
to the present three fixed by the
Supreme Court. Extension of power
of taxation and changes in sinking
funds so that they could operate with
some new features of the serial bond
plan also came up. Another sugges-
ton was that a system be devised
for assessment of benefits so that
the cost would be met as the locali-
ties developed, which would operate
so that an outlying section would
bear share, proportinate to the
good it derived instead >of the whole
city paying for the improvement.
None of these matters advanced be-
yond the suggestion stage, although
some of the committee members
were impressed by the ideas
The committee in charge of suf-
frage favors bringing the constitu-
ton into accord with that of the
United States in regard to woman
suffrage and broadening the power
would require some sort of test of
fitness to vote, the literacy test for
instance.
The committee in charge of sub
iects of taxation, finance, railroads
and canals and corporations decided
not to make may final decisions on
any sections until after thorough de-
liberations, holding that their sub
jectS were of such Importance as to
demand the greatest care. 1t was
even suggested that any action might
be tentative until finally passed upon
by the whole Commission.
Owing to the INTERVIEWING of tax
alton and municipal affairs the COM
mittee turned over that branch to
the committee in charge of cities
and charters which will give it pri-
mary consideration.
The committee arranged to have
Secretary Lewis prepare indexed de-
cisions of this and other states so
that it may have complete infor-
nation as to present conditions and
it's study with knowledge
of what other states have done.
During the discussion it was
brought out that members consid-
cred that a budget system was a
legislative and administrative matter
rather than a constitutional one, but
no decision will be taken on this
topic for some time to come. Such
matters as graded taxes, taxes on
coal and other resources were not
taken up, the discussion being more
on lines of procedure than any
specific subject