Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-19
REVENUE NOW
GREAT PROBLEM
Rural Members Want Ques-
ton Settled and a Date Set
For Final Adjournment

Settlement of the problem of how
the Legislature this year will prob
ably be made this week when prom
inent employers, manufacturers and
others come here for the hearings
on the compensation and other bills
which are to be the center Of inter-
est. In spite of statements that there
will be a tax on capital invested in
manufacturing, it is declared to-
night about the Capitol that it is
not decided upon and Auditor Cen
cral Charles A. Snyder holds 10 the
opinion that If he is given additional
authority, he can so increase rev.
enues by means of collections that
new taxes would be unnecessary.
Final estimates on the revenue in
sight with and without the authority
sought by the Auditor General. will
be submitted this week and Cover
nor William C. Sproul is expected
to make some announcement. All
preparations have been made to re-
wise the appropriation list and to
reduce the bill carrying funds to
conduct the State government, the
college appropriations and the list
of charities and other objects.
Another question which will be
determined will be what sum to
allot to the State Welfare Commits
sion. the teachers retirement fund
and the extension of forest reserves.
State government items will also
have to be pruned. Some of the
rural members arc commencing to
be insstent about their appropria-
tions and what sums are going to
be given for various public PROPOSE
items. whose continuance depends
in a great measure upon what can
be spared.
Upstate members are also show
ing signs of restiveness at the pros.
poets of the session being prolonged
until deep in June and there Is q
plan to have the Legislative League,
which meets Tuesday, issue a state
ment' to the effect that the date of
final adjournment should be set. 1t
is probable that new resolution to
fix date will appear tonight. The
one, calling for May %. was
canned" in the rules committee
The situation is growing much like
what it was in the latter part of
the session of 1918, when resolutions
to adjourn finally appeared in the
House once a week and leaders were
finally forced to fix a date the last
week in June.
What will probably be the final
big hearings of the Legislative ses-
sion of 1919 VIII take place on
Tuesday when the Philadelphia
charter revision bills will be dis
cussed before the House committee
on municipal corporations aud The
proposed changes to the State com
oensation code Will be submitted
for comment by inc Senate commit
tee on judiciary special.
The philadelphia charter hearings
will be attended by many prominent
Philadelphians and Governor Will
liam c. Sproul and Attorney General
William l. Schaffer will probably be
present. Amendments TO the bills
will be proposed. 1t is probable
that the bills will be reported to the
House not many days after the hear
ing.
Objections will be made to the
compensation changes by employers
from various sections of the State.
Both branches of the Legislature
will meet at 8 o'clock tonight
The bulk of the Senate calendar is
third reading bills and includes the
Nickerman mothers pension meas
uro. Cox bill increasing penalties
for removing manufacturers num-
bers and other distinguishing marks
from automobile and regulating
sales of secondhand cars and sew
era1 proposed constitutional amend
ments. The resolution offering $4,000
reward for arrest and conviction OF
persons sending Internal machines
or threatening letters through the
mails, is on second reading, having
passed the House.
Three liquor bills form a special
order for the House commencing at
10 o'clock tonight. They are the
Vfckerman and Fox prohibition en-
forcement and Ramsey alcoholic
content bills. The bills increasing
salaries of legislators which would
affect those elected in 1920 is on
the postponed calendar, having been
amended. There are sixty three
bills en- second reading and many
bills on postponed calendars. The
bread by weight bill is among those
on third reading