12 GOVERNOR TENER'S FAREWELL MESSAGE TO LEGISLATURE IS PRACTICAL AND PROGRESSIVE deems With Suggestions For Betterment of State Govern r ment; Urges Workmen's Compensation and Woman's Suffrage; State Control and Development of Water Power Resources Recommended; Licenses For All Private Banks Governor Tener's message to the legislature, read this afternoon, is in full as follows: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Executive Chamber Harrisburg, Jan. 5, 1915. Gentlemen of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: "The government is a trust and the officers of the government are trus tees, and both the trust and the trus tees fire created for the benefit of the people." The duty of a Governor, I therefore, upon his retirement from; office, should be to furnish the Gen- ( eral Assembly and the people of the Commonwealth with a statement of \ his trusteeship, and he might, with 1 propriety, refrain from making many recommendations as to measures for legislative consideration, as they may •well be left to his successor. Finances of the Commonwealth (General Fundi Cash balance in the State Treasury, November 30. 1914, $7,427,208.58: less amount credited to the Sinking Fund, which under the law cannot be used for any purpose other than the pay ment of the public debt, and is there fore not available for appropriation, $811,733.40; less amount credited to the permanent State School Fund. — the income only may be expended. 530,804.77: less amount credited to the Motor Fund, which under the pro visions of the Act of July 7. 1913. is pet aside for specific purposes. $_S,- 973.00; amount in General Fund, No vember 30. 1914. $6,575,697.41; esti mated gross receipts for the fiscal year ending November 30. 1915, $29.- *380,861.45; less the following collec tions which merely pass through tho treasury, and are not subject to ap propriation: Receipts from various sources, devoted to the Permanent School Fund: receipts from Motor li censes. devoted to the uses of the State Highway Department: receipts from the Federal Government, for the use of the State College and the Sol diers' and Sailors' Home; the State Highway Construction Fund, received from municipalities for the use of the State Highway Department, and j one-half the premiums received from foreign fire insurance companies, pay- j able to municipalities without appro- ! priation, estimated in the aggregate | at the sum of $1,832,675.33; estimated gross receipts for the fiscal year end ing November 30. 1916. $30,849,- 904.52; less the following collections j which merely pass through the treas ury, and are not subject to appropria tion: Receipts from various sources, devoted to the Permanent School Fund; receipts from Motor Licenses, | devoted to the uses of the State High- j •way Department; receipts from the I Federal Government, for the use of State College and the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home; the State Highway Construction Fund, received from I municipalities for the use of the State; Highway Department, and one-half' the premiums received from foreign fire insurance companies, payable to j municipalities without appropriation, estimated in the aggregate at the sum of ?1,532,675.35; estimated receipts for the period from November 30. 1916, to May 31, 1917. $12,106,660.97; total amount available ami to become available. June 1, 1917. $i 5,24 733.65; less payments for obligations and current expenses to June 1. 1917, as indicated by the unexpended bal ances of existing appropriations. $-6,- 468,132.16; net amount available and to become available for appropriations for the two liscal years beginning June 1. 1913, and ending May 31, 1917 $48.779.641.19; Sinking Fund. November 30. 1914 —Sinking Fund assets,'cash, $811,733.40; total public debt. $651,110.02; net surplus in Sink ing Fund, $160,623.38. Tn estimating the probable revenues of the Commonwealth, the tax on an thracite coal imposed under the pro visions of the Act of the General As sembly of June 27, 1913. hns not been included, for the reason that practi cally all anthracite coal mining com panies have appealed from the settle ments made against them and have indicated their intention of carrying such appeals to the Supreme Court of the United States. In case of a deci sion favorable to the Commonwealth, the result will probably be that reve nue from this source will not be re ceived until after the period for ■which the above estimate is made. Appropriations Under the law the State Board of Public Charities has free access to the grounds, buildings and all books and papers relating to charitable, re formatory. and correctional institu tions; and all such institutions that may desire to receive State aid must >tive notice to the Board, on or before the first day of November in each year, of the amount of any applica tion for aid they may propose to make to the Legislature, and of the several purposes to which such aid, if granted, is to be applied; and in its report to the General Assembly the conclusions and recommendations of the Board thereon are given. In act ing uoon appropriations to these in stitutions I have found these conclu sions and recommendations to be ■carefully prepared and worthy of #verv consideration. The Legislature, therefore, in making appropriations to these institutions should endeavor to limit them to the amounts recom mended by this Board. The chief problem in the lives of; individuals, families, and business en terprises is the adjustment of expen ditures to the receipts, the outgo to the income. In the management of the State's .fiscal affairs there should , lie established principles. It is wrong for each session of the . General Assembly to make appropria- ] tions far in excess of the revenue, im- , posing upon the Governor the re-1 Bponsibility of reducing the amounts j to reasonable limits. There is no ex cuse for such a practice, especially when one considers that the executive and fiscal officers furnish, at the be ginning of each session of the Legis lature. a statement as to what revenue will be available for appropriation purposes. I, therefore, urge the Genera! As sembly to discontinue this method of appropriation, and thereby lighten in no little measure the duties of the executive. Inventory of Real and Personal Property In order that an inventory might be made of the tangible assets of the < 'nmmonwealth. I appointed an Inven tory commission, consisting of the Executive Controller. the Deputy Auditor General, and the Superinten dent of Public Grounds and Buildings, to prepare an inventory of all the tangible assets of the Commonwealth, , -.. ,l«ja • ■ ' " , •, i r ' ' • ' ' TUESDAY EVENING, UARRISBURG TELEGRAPH TANUARY 5, 1915. !both real and personal. an of May 31, ;1914. This work has been performed ; with diligence and ability, with the result that for the first time the Com monwealth is in position to determine the value of these assets. The totals in this inventory aggregate $62,743. 876.35. divided as follows: Real Es tate, $49,356,392.84: Personal Prop erty, $5,625,766.35: General Fund and Sinking Fund in the Stale Treasury, $7,761,717.15. This inventory has been prepared in detail and has been deposited in the office of the Executive Controller, and should prove of much value for comparative purposes in all future in ventories. Health The Department of Health has ren dered invaluable services to the peo ple of the Commonwealth—in fact, it enjoys an enviable international repu tation. The work performed at Aus ; tin. after that municipality was washed away, and at Gettysburg in I looking after the sanitary and hos . pital conditions at the time of the Re union of the Blues and the Grays, is j especially worthy of notice. In its tuberculosis work the de partment makes its biological prod ucts after its own formula: its satia | toria buildings have been planned so .as to furnish the greatest possible ! amount of air and sunlight; .ind from I its 115 dispensaries have not only j come the patients for these Sanatoria, | the capacity of which has been trebled in the last four years, but their nurses enter the homes of our people and help them to protect themselves against the spread of dis ease. Thousands of patients have been discharged from the Sanatoria \ apparently cured, or with their dis ease arrested. By establishing and maintaining quarantine in rural districts: super vising and assisting in the suppression of epidemics at the request of local authorities: cleaning up the premises and purifying the water supplies, the danger to the people from epidemics of contagious disease has been greatly reduced. Trained inspectors have policed watersheds and diverted many thousands of pollutions from streams. Sewage disposal plants have been constructed to care for municipal sew age. Filtration plants are now fur nishing filtered water to more than one-half of the population of the State. The records of the Bureau of Vital Statistics show a decrease of almost 70 per cent, in the death rate from typhoid fever since the establishing of the Department of Health, and a decrease in the general death rate of nearly 14 per cent. l*nder the provisions of the Board of Health Act of June 1". 1913, hoards of health have been secured or reorganized in nearly every borough and first class township. These boards are constantly advised and assisted by the department. By constant use of sane and prnc t?*al methods, though at very consid erable expense, owing *to the lack of compulsory vaccination law, epidemics of smallpox have been prevented dur ing a period when infection was per sistently being carried into our State from outside sources. Diphtheria Antitoxin furnished free to the poor has saved more than 10,- 000 lives that would have been lost if this wonderful remedy could not have been readily obtained. School inspection in fourth class districts, under the provisions of the School Code, has been a success. In 1911 two-thirds of the districts re jected this inspection. During the present year it has been accepted by I 90 per cent, of the same districts. Fol- , low-up work for three years shows! 73,000 cases where defects found by, Inspectors have been remedied by' the parents after notice received from the Department of Health. Through its educational features, — exhibits, lectures and publications,- the department has given the general public a' better understanding of health laws and the value of fresh aitf, of sunlight and sanitary sur roundings, and has greatly improved housing conditions. Private and pub lic corporations have instituted im proved methods recommended by the , department. Great industrial Inter ' ests realize that money and effort ex i pended for keeping their employes ' well is a good business investment. Liberal appropriations should be continued for this laudable work. The department's general fund should be sufficiently increased to provide for the Bureau of Housing, and increased appropriations should be made for medical inspections of schools. Pure Food Pennsylvania's pure food laws are probably the best in this country. They are enforced vigorously and ef ficiently. It is the duty of a State to see to it that measurt-s are enacted for securing and maintaining a pure and wholesome food supply, to facili tate its distribution, to safeguard its quality, and to prohibit absolutely any and every adulteration in food and drink. During this administration many pure food laws have been enacted. The lav.- fixing standards of composi tion of milk and cream has resulted in a marked improvement in the qual ity of these important foods; the law requiring the denaturing of spoiled eggs has protected the consumer from the use In bakers' wares of these dele terious ingredients; and the cold stor age law, which was intended to cor rect a serious abuse, has proven bene ficial. Public Schools Since the passage of the School Code in 1911 the State Board of Edu cation and the Bureau of Vocational Education have been organized. The former has special charge of the erec tion of school buildings and the dis semination of educational informa | tlon. It employs an architect to criti -1 else plans of new school buildings, to l suggest necessary changes and to har i monize new buildings with the re t quirements of the law. It Is charged j with t*ie duty of acquiring by pur j chase the property of the State Xor j mal Schools. The schools at West ' Chester. Edinboro, California, and . Lock Haven have thus far been ! bought and are now entirelv under the control of the State. The Act of i 1913 makes the Board respensible ! also for the care and education of i blind babies, and a beginning ha* been ■ made along this line of beneficence. The Bureau of Vocational Educa- I tion has in twenty-eight counties or ganized and established schools with 'agricultural and vocational depart | ments. introduced courses in domes- I tic science and the household arts in j many of the school districts, and su- ■nw jIDH|h ----- •' HH ■ ... - r; . f \": _ . % _ : ;'U _■■■'■ _ - 7 * * 1 * . * *•; "" f". -• f• ' HS , pervised the establishment of schools for the education of miners, many of; whom are not conversant with the; English language. As soon as the workmen learn to read, write and un- , del-stand English, and acquire some' knowledge of ventilation arid other mining problems, the number of ac- ; cldents is diminished. Worthy of mention are several pri vate belief ictions to school districts, on Octol; :r 13. 1914, Mr. M. S. j Hefshey presented to Derry Town-; ship. Dauphin Count, a school build ing costing $120,000. The rooms are j supplied with all'the modern improve-! ments. Mr. Charles Lytle Lamberton,; born and educated in Carlisle, though a resident of Xew York at the time J of his death, bequeathed over $200,000] for the establishment and mainte-' nance in Carlisle of a public school for the. education of pupils in "the in-! dustrial. mechanical, technical and! scientific arts." William Harris Royer, j also of Xew York City, gave $30,000 for the purchase of grounds and the , erection of a school building in the i borough of Halifax, i In the grqwing centers of popula tion the directors have difficulty In erecting school buildings rapidly | enough to accommodate the school i children. The system of public in- I struction is growing in efficiency and ■is attaining colossal proportions. ■ School buildings with a valuation of I more than $100,000,000, with 39,590 I teachers in active service, and with 1 1,401.325 pupils enrolled, constitute ;an organization the magnitude of which it is difficult for the imagina tion to conceive. Its influence upon ! the future of our people makes it ; worthy of the most liberal support ■ and the most vigilant care and super j vision. Labor and Industry The comprehensive law creating the Department of Labor and Industry enacted at the last session of the General Assembly, has been enforced fearlessly and honestly. It is the duty of this department to endeavor ; in every way to establish friendly re j lations between capital and labor, in | order that industrial disturbances may j be prevented. .The educational cam : paign for the dissemination of knowl- I edge concerning "safety first" meth ; ods has been vigorously conducted, as | probably 60 per cent, of industrial ac ! cldents are Caused through lack of ! knowledge of safety appliances. Xu ; inerous industrial conferences have I been held over the State, including 1 two State-wide conferences in Har risburg, which have already resulted in materially reducing the number of such accidents. Mines Pennsylvania is the greatest coal producing territory in the world; pro ducing in 1913, 264,592,623 tons. The State has enacted comprehensive leg islation for the protection of those employed in this great Industry. These laws are rigidly enforced and violat ors of their provisions aro promptly punished. The bituminous mining code, enacted at the session of 1911, has already proved its worth in con serving the health of employes and by | reducing the number of accidents in i and about such mines. The number of inspectors in the bituminous re -1 gion has been increased to 28 and In | the anthracite region to 21. In order that the greatest possible I safety may be thrown about mining i operations, the department has rec ommended the establishment of First Aid '""orps and lleacue Corps at the j various mines. The primary object.of ith First Aid and Tlescue Work is to render quick service in times of emer gency, and the effectiveness of the work has frequently been demon strated. In the anthracite region there are now approximately f.o<! First Aid teams, comprising 3,000 men, and thu number Instructed in GOVERNOR JOHN K. TENER. the work up to the present time is about 6,000. The number of Rescue Corps is over 100, comprising more than TOO 'men. and in this work about 3,000 men have received instructions. In ihe bituminous region there are more than 400 First Aid teams, com prising 2,000 men, una the number instructed in the work .at the present time is about 3,000. The number of Rescue Corps is about 00. comprising 300 men. and in this work about TOO men h;\ve received instruction. all the mining districts encour agement is given to the various meth ods of education, such as night schools, mining institutes and voca tional schools. Workmen's Compensation In my last message to the General Assembly, concerning the subject of a workmen's compensation law, refer red to in the report of the Industrial Accidents Commission, I said: "It is important iii every civilized community, but is of peculiar impor tance iu Pennsylvania, because of the . pie-eminent position of our State in the industrial work of the world. The • report deserves special attention be | cause of the fact that it comes from a commission made up of men who represent diverse interests, who have ! all siven the subject thought and study before their appointment, and ; who. after many months of work, are unanimous in their conclusions. This i unanimity in men of their character \ and standing speaks eloquently for I the sincerity of their efforts and the ! fairness of their work. Furthermore, the constant publicity which the com mission gave to its work, and the fre j quent hearings which it gave to all in ' terests, show that it has been in close i touch with the general sentiment of the people of the State. "In the appointment of the com ' missloners I did not consider, and in ; some cases did not know, the political views of the men appointed. It is my i earnest hope that the matter will be i dealt with by the Legislature in the same nonpartisan spirit. "I strongly urge the enactment of I the Workmen's Compensation Bill, | tmd the other related bills included jin the report of the commission, I and without delay, espe cially the bill regulating the > empioy ; inent of women and children." j I most emphatically reiterate what was then said and urge the prompt j enactment of this legislation. One half of the States of the Union now i have laws of this kind upon their 1 statute books: and in my opinion ' Penr.sylvania, th*> greatest industrial i State of them all, should no longer ! hesitate, more particularly as every I State surrounding and contiguous to i Pennsylvania, with the exception of Delaware, has acted favorably upon tilts important subject. The General Assembly, having the experience of twenty-four States.to draw from, is in a position to pass a bill that would be acceptable to employer and employe I alike. Charities During the past few years there has been throughout the country a marked awakening along all lines per taining to the care and welfare of the dependent. defective, and penal classes. To this call Pennsylvania has responded in a manner that should arouse the pride of every citi zen. During tiie past four years she has placed upon her statute books legisla tion looking to the betterment of un desirable conditions. Proposed drafts of statutes are being considered for submission to the General Assembly, covcrlne practically every phase of the eare. detention, and reformation of the weak, defective, unfortunate, and erring. During this period increased ac commodations for the. insane have been provided at Farview and Kit tersville; and additional buildings i have been erected at Polk and Spring 1 City for the care of the weak-minded. : In addition to the erection of build- ' ings to care for the constantly in- i creasing number of these tv.'o classes i of unfortunates, large sums of money I have been appropriated for the pur- j pose of making them comfortable. ■ The last session of the General As- j sembjv provided for the erection of a Home for Inebriates, u Women's Reformatory, and a Home for Feeble minded Women. The Juvenile Court Act has been extended, in order to make this al ready useful legislation more effec i tive: and the powers of the Board of Public Charities have been so in ! creased us to enable it to give better and closer direction and supervision over the important matters coming und -r its jurisdiction. Many of the laws governing the care of the dependent, delinquent, and penal classes were passed years ago, when conditions were entirely differ ent from those existing to-day. Amendments were made from time to time as necessity seemed to require, until now, taking them together, ihere are hundreds of statutes relating to I these different subjects. In my Ales | sago to the Oeneral Assembly of 1913 i it was recommended that, in order to ! correct this condition, a cortimission I be created to examine into these »üb | jects and to report a comprehensive 1 plan for their improvement. Accord- J ingly, the commission was appointed, land will report the results of its de i liberations and conclusions at an early i date. i "Shall the helpless be cared for?" j is no longer a debatable question—it l must be done. Pennsylvania never I hesitated a moment in answering this 1 question, and she has answered it ' with a liberality which no other State lean rival. During the past four years Pennsylvania has given $11,000,000 for the sick, indigent and heirless in private hospitals and homes: $1,169,- 000 ro those in semislate institutions, which includes the blind and deaf; and $1.".,600,000 to State hospitals for the eare and maintenance of the indi i gent, insane, weak-minded, and sick. I This does not include over 85,000.000 given to the Department of Health for the care of those suffering from tuberculosis, and $5,500,000 for build ings to shelter them. Agriculture The great mining and manufactur ing interests of this State have brought to the door of the Pennsyl vania farmer a market unsurpassed for everything produced upon the | farm. I Pennsylvania's Department of Agri | culture' compares favorably with like departments in other States. This de partment exercises close supervision ; over the agricultural interests, —by I extending agricultural knowledge by I educational work, ami by protecting I farmers and other citizens of the t Commonwealth from possible fraud lon the part of manufacturers and I dealers in commercial fertilizers, com mercial feeding stuffs, linseed oil and ! farm seeds. The Division of Farm i ers' Institutes carries its work into I every county of the State, by holding . Movable Schools of Agriculture and Farmers' Institutes, delivering lec j tures and giving object lessons and ' systematic instruction upon all sub jects relating to successful farming, domestic science, and the improve ment of rural conditions generally. The number of persons receivlps In struction in these Movable Schools and Farmers' Institutes has been In creasing. reaching last year more than 1 208.000, the largest attendance In any i year since the beginning of the work, j Special instructors and demonstra ' tors have gone through the State giv ing practical demonstrations in soil Rehabilitation of Abandoned Canals and Construction of New Ones Problem of Future; Amendments to State Constitution May Be Necessary to That End; Capitol * Park Extension Is Remembered improvement, dairy and animal in dustry, poultry production, drainage, water supply, vegetable and fruit growing, home sanitation, household economics, etc. Livestock Notwithstanding the fact that the livestock of the State is valued at SIBO,OOO, we are compelled to depend upon the markets of other States for horses to do'our work, and for cattle, sheep, swine and poultry for our food supply. Pennsylvania should furnish a surplus in this line and be able to export rather than import animals and their valuable and necessary prod ucts; and. to that end. its institutions of learning and the various branches of the State Government are encour aging greater efforts in breeding and raising animals. The wisdom of providing hygienic measures for controlling the transmis sible diseases of animals has been demonstrated. Practically, without warning, aphthous fever, one of tho most dreaded animal plagues of the old world, has been forced upon us. From the Chicago Stockyards, this disease was spread to sixteen States within a period of two weeks. The disease was introduced in its incuba tion stage to practically .">OO herds in 25 counties in Pennsylvania. In many cases the herds were located and quarantined by State agents before the first symptoms of the disease had 'appeared. Our livestock interests have been disturbed extensively. Regulations, restrictions, and losses have fallen heavily on many. For the public, good it has appeared necessary to destroy many valuable animals and much personal property. The Fed eral and State officers have promised to reimburse those that have been unfortunate in this respect, in so far as the laws and finances will permit. The expenses have necessarily been heavy and the funds provided by the last Legislature have been exhausted. I therefore recommend that the General Assembly make prompt pro vision for the payment of bills already contracted and for the payment of ex penses necessary to continue the work of exterminating the disease. Economic Zoology The Division of Economic Zoology, to which has been assigned all special work concerning fruit production, is well organized, and the gratifying re sults accomplished by it have more than demonstrated its usefulness. Original investigations are made for the purpose of discovering successful means for suppressing diseases and destroying insect pests to which fruit trees and fruit-producting plants are subject. Some of the results obtained by reason of these studies are now be ing used, not only in this State, but by zoologists in other States and coun tries. Demonstration orchards have been established in every county in the State, making it possible for any citi zen who is interested in fruit growing to reach a model demonstration or chard in less than one-half day's travel from his hoi"". Good Roads | Tour attention is called to the fact j that on June 1, 1912. the State took ( I over from the counties and townships i ! of the Cotfimon wealth certain exlst j ing public roads connecting county I 'seats, principal cities and towns, re- J I lieved the said townships and counties | of authority over said roads and as | sumed to improve, maintain and re ' pair the same as State highway routes, j solely at the expense of the Common ■ wealth. These routes approximated | 9.000 miles in length. 'j That such a tusk WHS stupendous is : | apparent. Many of these roads were : not much more than wason paths, | having no drainage system, lnit marked i i by "water-breakers" and encroached • j upon by grass and shrubs. ■! In order that money might he pro* i vided in sufficient amount for the early ■' completion of this comprehensive road • j improvement an amendment to the i; Constitution of the Commonwealth f I was proposed, and the question of authorizing the State to issue bonds to > the amount of $30,000,000 for the Im -1 I provenient and rebuilding of the liigh , | ways of Pennsylvania was submitted - 1 to the electors and approval. . I The work done has been limited to j j appropriations and funds totally in , j adequate to properly repair and keep sj up the extensive highway system j i adopted by the Commonwealth. Broad, . | well-crowned, smooth dirt roads have, 3 however, been substituted, as far as , I possible, for the old-time, ill-kept ; | paths of travel, and smoth, water* . i bound macadam roads have taken the e I place of some of the old, rough, stony _ | turnpikes. At the close of the season of 1914 I there had been shaped ami rebuilt ap r proximately 6,300 miles of dirt roads, | and there were reconstructed approxi 't I mately r.OO miles of macadam. Also, jlut the close of the current season's r : work, there were approximately 481 H ! miles of new State highway construc (Jtlon work finished: divided into three e j classes: State highway routes, State-* a ! aid roads and national roads. This j j mileage, in addition to the mileage of ! stone roads reconstructed by the _ I Highway Department, shows p. com " j pleted mileage equal to the entire .' j State highway system of Massa • j ehnsetts. ■ There Is not a contracted piece of new State road that has been finally accepted and the bond released there* 1* on which is not in first-class condition. and for which the cost of all overhead 1 expenses, including engineering, in spection, administration and the audit ing of accounts has exceeded " per cent, of the cost of the work. Con - siderlng the area of the territory cov u ered, the wide range of activities and . Attendant expenses, this overhead cost 1 compares favorably with similar work a elsewhere. In fact .the unit cost of any tyne of work performed by the . State Highway Department, either by B contract or bv force account, will ap pear to the advantage of Pennsylvania when compared with almost any mu nicipal or other State government work. r The distinguishing feature of the e department's work during the past four years has been its comprehensive survey of the State highways. On June 1. 1911. when the department was re organized, there was fonud a complete absence of maps and surveys adequate for its purpose. The Commissioner was required, by law. to cause to be made a survey of all the roads «n Pennsyl vania: to compile statistics and collect information relative to the mileage, character and condition of the roads; to make and keep for the denartment a general hizhway plan of the State; and to publish and keep on sale. a\ cost, complete road surveys of each county In Pennsylvania. By June 1. 1912. the surveys and the nlnns show j |r" cross»-er>''«. to"*"" v "I«Bes, turn | nlkei". toll road® an-' ' grades, culvert* and other ' "••tant points, and iiata t» compl'-tn t K o record of ex isting conditions, for practically everv mile of all the State highway routes, ' i aggregating 9,000 miles, had been This was. without doubt, one of the most extensive continuous surveys ever undertaken and performed in a short time. -The plans have been kept up to date, and, together with the other sta tistics collected and made by tho de partment. comprise a store of in formation necessary and adequate for future operations. No following ad ministration need be handicapped for lack of this fundamental data. Inventory of Water Resources Subsequent to my message of two years ago. calling attention to the expediency of taking' an inventory of the water resources of the Common wealth, in order that legislation might bo enacted to provide for their con servation and utilization under proper State control in a manner which will best promote tho interests of ail tho people of the State, the General As sembly directed the Water Supply Commission of Pennsylvania to make a complete inventory of all the water resources of the Commonwealth: to collect all pertinent information in connection therewith, and to classify, tubulate, record and preserve the same; and, upon the basis thereof, to determine the points at which reser voirs may be constructed for the pur pose of minimizing lioods, of storing and conserving water for povser, and other utilization and distribution of water and water power, of increasing the low water How of rivers and streams for the purpose of navigation", and, generally, to devise all possible Ways and means to conserve and de velop the water supply and water resources of tho Commonwealth for the use of the people thereof. To this end the said commission was directed to study and determine upon a public policy with regard to the marketing and equitable distribution of the water of the State; to the restoration, de velopment and improvement of trans portation by water; to the supply of water for domestic and industrial use, and to the conservation of water re sources by the aid of forestation. The sum of $150,000 was appro priated for tho purpose, but boeause of insufficient State revenue I was compelled to reduce the sum to $50,000. In consequence the commis sion will submit n partial report to the General Assembly of 1915. It will contain data concerning the condition and utilization of the streams. Tho inventory deals with water supplies, water power, lakes and ponds, de scriptions of all named streams, floods, navigation, culm in the streams of the anthracite coal field, a study of tho methods of Hood relief in Turtle Creek Valley, purity, forestation and fish. The State would suffer if this work were to be abandoned. Better, by for, continue the work until a definite and comprehensive plan of State Control and development of this remaining great resource is worked out. Pymatuning Reservoir The Pymatuning reservoir should be completed at an early date. It is a conspicuous example of the highest % form of conservation and utilization of stream flow. Thero was appropri ated to the Water Supply Commission the sum of $400,000, for the purchase of land and to build an extensive stor age reservoir in Crawford county, on the headwaters of the Slienango river, to prevent Hood damage and to afford ample water supply for municipal and Industrial use in communities where shortage of water retards develop ment. I was compelled to reduce the appropriation to SIOO,OOO. State Policy of Conservation and Development Considerations of public welfare dic tate that tho State shall assume more direct control of the economic devel opment of its resources. Industrial development is intimately connected with the abundance of fuel and cheap power; and while steam power used by manufacturing estab lishments lias increased by leaps and bounds, yet the use of water power has declined. Of all states in the Union, Pennsyl vania ranks first in the production of coal, coke, iron and steel, cement, glass and leather, railroad cars and some manufactured articles. It holds second place in various products, in cluding textiles and electrical machin ery, and in tobacco manufacturing. To long maintain supremacy in these lines our natural resources must be con served. In no way is the waste of natural resources better illustrated than by 1 coke manufacture in beehive ovens. Pennsylvania, in the year 19X2, had 43.317 active beehive ovens, which produced but 587 short tons of coko per oven. For every 100 tons of bitu minous coal used these ovens produced only 6i! tons of coke. They destroyed 34 tons of every 100 tons. On the other hand, byproduct ovens yield 73.S tons of coke from 100 tons of coal, and they do more. They produce gas, 1 tar and ammonia as byproducts. In the year 1912 the 1,442 byproduct ovens in Pennsylvania produced 1,369 tons of coke per oven. Moreover, and this is the point of the matter, these 1.442 ovens produced approximately $2,300,000 worth of byproducts in ad dition to 1,974,619 short tons of coke. The value of byproducts was about four-tenths of the value of the by product coke. If the coke made in beehive ovens in the year 1912 had been made in byproduct ovens. 4,077.765 tons of coal and about $57,- 500,000 worth of byproducts would have been saved. Th eeftect of forest depletion upon the lumber industry is well known. Fortunately, timber is different from coal. Knough timber can be grown to meet the State's needs; but coal once burned Is gone forever. Pennsyl vania's investments in forest lands total a large sum of money. Inasmuch as the total value of iron and steel produced annually In Penn sylvania is enormous, the State jfov ernment and all persons concerned with economic development should be Interested in the delivery of iron ore to the great steel centers at the lowest possible cost. The railroad systems - are excellent, but must expand to keep* pace with the State's progress. The most Important point where the trans portation system needs strengthening is that between Lake Krie and the Ohio river, where approximately i 50.000,000 tons of iron ore, coal and 1 coke move annually between the Lako ' and the Pittsburgh and Mahoning Val -1 ley districts. Pittsburgh's supremacy in the iron and steel trade IS to be maintained only by cheap ore. The act approved June 27, 1913, provides for the construction, op eration and maintenance by the Com monwealth of a canal or waterway be tween l.ake Krie and the Ohio river. The sum of $150,000 was appropriated to defray the expenses of the Canal Board in making the surveys and plans and preparing for construction. The 3 mills per ton mile rates, Including tolls, as estimated for this proposed waterway, looks attractive as com pared with an existing rate of about [Continued on Page 13J
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers