Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-04
PetH;c4 ;n
Pe~~eqeSo~io
BY the Ex- committeeman

Governor William c. Sprouts alb
sence from the city on a vacation
enforced by his doctors, will not
interfere with the progress of legis-
lation. The Governor plans to leave
Harrisburg tonight for Virginia Hot
Springs and before leaving, will clean
up all the, bills in his hands which
must be acted upon next week.
Any important bills which may be
! passed early next week, or upon
which the time may be getting short,
VIII be taken to him late next week
by Harry S. McDevitt, his private
secretary. The doctors have ordered
the Governor to refrain from think
ing about State governmental mat
ters and he will have a week OF
quiet. All engagements for the re-
mainder of this month are can
celled or very tentative. as far as
the Governor is concerned.
1t is the plan to have all admins
| tration legislation advanced during
the Governors absence, but to hold
as many bills as possible on the final
stages in the two houses, so that
there will be no danger of time
allowances for executive action lap
sing before he is able to resume
work. Three or four administration
measures will appear next week. The
others are all through the Senate or
| in committee awaiting proper time
| to send them out
The plan to stop introduction of
| bills the middle of this month, is
finding favor among members of the
House who are in the city, who say
| ic 81 ~
| Legislature busy.
Considerable interest is being
manifested in the series of hearings
planned for next week. which will
include the banking code. as far as
it affects building and loan associa-
tions, which will be before a Senate
committee; the liquor bills before
the House Law and Order commit
tee; the Conservation department
bill before a Senate committee and
the educational bills.
The Jennings bill. re-establish-
ing the State Board of Agriculture,
comes from State board sources and
will be opposed by administration
forces.
The problem of providing funds
for the State government to meet
the teachers salary increase. has
suddenly assumed big proportions
in the Legislature. and it now looks
as though the State would offer to
go half and half with the school
districts in providing the s6.000.000
or $7,000.000, which it is calculated
would he necessary. This matter
will be thrashed out next Tuesday.
The original hope of the legislators,
backing teachers salary increases,
was that the State would finance it,
but this is said to be impossible after
a study of the preliminary estimate
of the revenue in sight. The belief
is that the State will have something
like sS5, 100000 to appropriate for
two years and this would mean that
the total educational appropriation
would he $23,00O,0O0, three millions
to be "ear-marked" for teachers IL
the districts agree to raise the rest.
The plan is to take the Woodruff
bill, endorsed by Senator Penrose,
and others, as the bill on which to
work and provision that districts
which do not meet the State, would
not share in the allowance.
AT the. opening of this Legisla-
ture. the hope was expressed by the
administration, that it would not be
found necessary to lay n tax on man
ufacturing corporations. The view
point is beginning to change and 1t
is possible that legislation levying a
tax of one mill on every dollar of
capital invested in manufacturing
operations will find support from
the administration. This capital is
now exempt from taxation. A bill
has been presented fixing the rate at
five mills, but this levy is considered
excessive. In order to make it pos
sble for the Pittsburgh and Phila-
delphia school boards to aid in the
salary increase movement. it will be
necessary to pass the Scott bill, now
on the Senate calendar. This meas
ure increases the maximum levy
which can be made in these districts
from six to eight mills. The legis-
lation has passed the House and is
on the second reading calendar of
the Senate.
Here is another illustration of
the sentiment in regard to the much
discussed law. 1t is taken from the
Pittsburgh Gazette-Times: Action
by the Chamber of Commerce of
Pittsburgh against repeal of the nom
partisan election laws doubtless re-
fleets the majority sentiment of the
civic and political question. The
Friday night meeting of the Cham
ber was we'll attended and represen-
tative of the whole membership.
Full notice of the meeting and of
the business to be considered had
been given. The committee which
had been assigned to examine and
report on the proposed election law
changes was composed of able and
public spirited men. It's judgment
had been published in advance of
the meeting. But the assemblage,
by a decisive majority, rejected the
report and adopted a substitute mo-
ton approving the existing nom
partisan election laws. The subject
was ably debated and argued from
both of the opposing viewpoints by
representative citizens. As the
Chambers as a whole is representa-
tive of the community the decision
which the vote records must be ac-
cepted as Pittsburgh's judgment. It
is warning TO the Legislature that
tampering with the election laws is
not desired by the people here. The
bills for the repeal of the nonparti-
san acts should be killed"