Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-10

sion to-day. Five
'ears ago the department started to
interest people in planting of trees as
conservation measure and offered
IIee trees suited to safeguarding of
water supply. In 1915 only one COM
| pany asked for trees and less than
I'zoo were planted and this year
more than 100000 trees were set out
py rs water companies.
Coal companies have taken an ac-
| 1--WE part in reforestation projects.
put the water companies have done
more In that line than any other.
Many or them have bought and
painted trees aside from what aid
has been extended by the State. one
company in the Scranton district has
painted 100000 trees in nine years,
lSV'oOO being its record for this
year alone, while one Luzerne county
company has planted $4,000.
FIVE members of the Public Serv-
Ice Commission have been assigned
TO hold hearings in Pittsburgh this
week owing to the unusual number of
| cases Chairman Ainey, Commits
Sloners Killing, Shelby, Clemena and
Benn will hold sittings. The Com
mission is also holding hearings in
harrisburg ard Lebanon TODAY.
The State Board of Pardons calen-
dar for the meeting on December IT
VIII be one of the largest for the
last month of the year in a long
tlme. Several OF the cases hove been
continued from previous months, in
cluding one first degree case.
The State Agricultural Department
to-day issued a summary OF reports
on farms of the State showing that
I64,22s are operated by owners and
51.1O5 by tenants. Twenty years ago
there were 1929 farms operated
by owners and 5S,266 by tenants,
3.7O3 being in the hands of man
ayers. The figures show Lancaster
with over 10000 farms, of which
$500 are operated by owners. In
Cumberland 1000 farms are con-
Quoted by owners and 1900 by ten
ants, while in Crawford over 5000
are run by owners and less than 900
oy tenants. Philadelphia shows 500
owners operating farms and 46S ten
ants.
More telephone companies have
filed notices of increases of rates
with the Public Service Commission.
In the number are Nittany, Centre
county; Burton, Butler county, and
Bald Eagle, Centre county. Other
increases filed include Palmer Water
Company, Palmerton; Spring Brook
Water Company, Luzerne county;
Dillsburg Water Company, York
county; Erie Lighting Company.
Erie and vicinity; Sergeant Gas
Company, Elk county, and the
Eaglesmere Light Company, operat-
ing in Sullivan county.
steps to secure for the State all
or the inheritance taxes to which it
Is entitled by the code of 1919 from
the estate of Henry c. Frick. of
Pittsburgh, were taken to-day by
Auditor General Charles A. Snyder
In conference with Register of Wills
William Conner, of Allegheny county.
Ihe State Will receive several mil
mons In taxes, there being a per
cent direct and per cent collateral
inheritance taxes. There is no doubt
in the minds of the officials here
that the State will get the money,
notwithstanding claims that may be
made in New York. as Mr.. Frick has
long been considered a resident of
Pittsburgh. The calculations made
here are that the Federal Govern
ment will receive about 22 per cent
of the whole estate in taxes.
Mortimer f. Elliott, of WelIsboro.
one of the survivors of the consti-
tutional convention of 1873. has sent
letter to the Attorney General re-
GREETING inability to attend the meet
ings of the Commission.
State tax cases will come up i'm the
Dauphin county court tomorrow.
The Public Service Commission
adjourned it's executive session last
night, acting upon a number of
minor cases.
Representative Hugh A. Dawson.
OF Scranton, was among visitors here
yesterday.
Complaint has been filed with the
Public Service Commission against
the proposed changes of zones by the
Ephrata and Lebanon Traction Com
pany in parts of Lancaster county
by NJ. B. Hacker, of Lincoln. He
contends that the company has
divided the village of Lincoln into
halves by shortening zones and re-
ducing fares, the effect being that
half the people of the town can ride
to Ephrata for one fare and the other
must pay two.
Many bidders are expected next
week when the State opens the last
bids for this year. Numerous sets
of plans are being requested.
The State Highway Department
during the last few days has freed
two toll roads at a cost to the Com
monwealth of SS,400. One of these
is the Hereford Turnpike in 3erks
county, extending from Clayton to
Hereford. a distance of two and one
half miles. The cost of this piece of
road was S1,S00, in which the State
Highway Department and Berks
County Commissioners joined in the
$3.50 plan. The other was that be-
tween Hilltown and Sellersville in
Bucks county, a distance of three
miles. 1t was acquired at a cost of
$4,000, half of which was paid by
the State and half by the county
commissioners.
Assistant State Highway Commits
sioner George II. Biles and Col. Will
liam d. Uhler, chief engineer for
the State Highway Department, are
in Louisville, KY, where they are
the annual meeting of the
A 1t frrl,