SAME DAY-Afternoon.

The hour of three o'clock having arrived and the Senate being in session,

Messrs. Huhn and McWhinney, a committee of the House of Representatives, being introduced, informed the Senate that the House was organized and ready to proceed with business.

Mr. Cumings, on behalf of the committee appointed to notify the House of Representatives that the Senate was organized and ready to proceed with business, reported that the committee had performed the duty assigned it.

Mr. Woods (Westmoreland), on behalf of the Senate committee appointed to act with a similar committee on the part of the House of Representatives to inform His Excellency, the Governor, that the Senate and House were organized and ready to receive any communication he desired to make, reported that the committee had performed the duty assigned it, and that the Governor would communicate to the General Assembly in writing.

The Clerk of the House, being introduced, presented the following extract from the Journal of the House, which was read as follows, viz:

In the House of Representatives, January 3, 1905.

Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to act in conjunction with a similar committee on the part of the Senate (if the Senate shall appoint such committee), to wait on His Excellency, the Governor, and inform him that the General Assembly is organized and ready to receive any communication he may be pleased to make.

Ordered, That Messrs. Riebel, Hays and Flynn be said committee on the part of the House, and that the Clerk inform the Senate accordingly.

On motion of Mr. Stineman,

The following resolution was twice read, considered and agreed to, viz:

Resolved (if the House of Representatives concur), That the General Assembly adjourn sine die on Thursday, April 13th, one thousand nine hundred and five, at twelve o'clock noon.

Ordered, That the Clerk present the same to the House of Representatives for concurrence.

On motion of Mr. Sisson,

The following resolution was twice read, considered and agreed to, viz:

Resolved (if the House of Representatives concur), That five thousand (5,000) copies of the Governor's message be printed; two thousand for the use of the Senate, and three thousand for the use of the House of Representatives.

On motion of Mr. Stineman,

The following resolution was twice read, considered and agreed to, viz:

Resolved, That the Senate do now proceed to appoint a teller and make nominations of persons to fill the office of Senator to represent this State in the Senate of the United States to fill the vacancy arising by reason of the expiration of the time for which Honorable Philander C. Knox was appointed to said office, and that the name of the teller so appointed and of the persons so nominated be communicated to the House of Representatives, in accordance with the provisions of section one of the act of Assembly approved January 11, A. D. 1867, in such case made and provided, and that Honorable J. A. Stober be named as teller on the part of the Senate.

Whereupon,

Mr. Stineman nominated Hon. Philander C. Knox.

Mr. Grim nominated Hon. James K. P. Hall.

Ordered, That the Clerk inform the House of Representatives accordingly.

On motion of Mr. Stineman,

The following resolution was twice read, considered and agreed to, viz:

Resolved, That the Senate do now proceed to appoint a teller and make nominations of persons to fill the office of Senator to represent this State in the Senate of the United States for six years from the 4th of March next, and that the name of the teller so appointed and of the persons so nominated be communicated to the House of Representatives, in accordance with the provisions of section one of the act of Assembly approved January 11, A. D. 1867, in such case made and provided, and that Honorable Algernon B. Roberts be named as teller on the part of the Senate.

Whereupon,

Mr. Stineman nominated Hon. Philander C. Knox.

Mr. Grim nominated Hon. James K. P. Hall.

Ordered, That the Clerk inform the House of Representatives accordingly.

The Private Secretary of the Governor, being introduced, presented the following communication from the Governor, which was read, as follows, viz:

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA,

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, HARRISBURG, January 3, 1905.

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

Gentlemen: In his message to the Assembly, December 9, 1803, the Honorable Thomas McKean, then Governor of this State, said that Pennsylvania commanded "general admiration and respect for the melioration of her penal code, for the good faith and punctuality of her fiscal transactions, for her benevolent and literary institutions, for her encouragement of public improvements in roads and inland navigation, and for the ardor and discipline of her militia," and he added, "the geographical position and the political rank which we hold in the Union seem to assign to us the patriotic task of setting an example of virtue and industry, of public spirit and social harmony." Much of this depiction of then existing conditions may after the lapse of a century be repeated with propriety.

The reports of the various departments, which are herewith submitted, show a state of affairs which ought to be very gratify. ing to the good people of the Commonwealth. For the fiscal year ending June 1, 1904, the receipts of the Treasury amounted to the sum of $21,789,940.75. During the same period, the payments for the expenses of the government were $19,266,369.11, leaving a balance of receipts over expenditures of $2,523,571.64. The moneys in the Treasury on the first of June, 1904, were $16,801,067.38. The debt over and above the value of bonds and cash in the Sinking Fund was on June first, 1903, $335,507.21, and on June first, 1904, $232,858.76, so that substantially the Commonwealth is free from debt. During the same fiscal year, there were expended for the support of the schools $6,013,725.58, in aid of the various hospitals and other charities of the State $2,913,367.10, in relief of the counties in the rebuilding of bridges which had been carried away by floods $504,551.55, and for the erection of the new State Capitol $1,000,000.00. It is creditable that the Capitol, which approaches completion and

promises to be in every way suitable for the purposes intended and worthy of the Commonwealth, is being built for the reasonable sum of $4,550,000.00 and paid for out of revenues. When we reflect that the Capitol of Massachusetts cost $6,980,531.59, paid for with moneys raised upon bonds, and that the Capitol of New York cost $24,265,082.67, these figures ought to be very satisfactory. The Capitol would be much improved if there could be secured an extension. of the present somewhat limited grounds surrounding it. The ideal plan in my view would be to connect with the city park by opening from the front, say between South and State streets, to the river. A suggestion which would perhaps lead to less expense would be to secure the properties in the rear on which for the most part are erected a poorer class of buildings. The question is very much one which will have to be considered from the point of view of the resources of the State.

With respect to the rebuilding of county bridges, I recommend that the amount to be expended each year for this purpose be fixed at such a figure as may seem to the Legislature to be wise. Under the law, as it exists at present, there is no limitation to the sum which the Board of Public Grounds and Buildings may be required to expend in this way, and at a time of the coincidence of great floods and diminished revenues, the situation might lead to serious embarrassment. If a certain proportion of the cost of construction of these bridges were left to the counties instead of the whole burden being imposed upon the State, they would have a substantial interest, not only in making effort to save the bridges from destruction, but also in the preservation of such of the material as could be utilized.

The subject of the charities aided by the State is one which ought to receive your serious consideration. The number of hospitals, most of them doing much to benefit suffering humanity in their respective localities and worthy of support, is continually increas ing and the sums appropriated to them already reach what in some other states would be regarded as an enormous expenditure. If the Commonwealth is to continue its present policy of assistance, there ought to be some systematic and business like method provided, both for securing information as to the needs of the institutions and for supervising the expenditure of the moneys contributed by the State, so that it may be known that these funds are actually required and are applied without extravagance to the purposes for which they are intended. It is unfair that the burden of investigation should be imposed upon the Committees upon Appropriations of the Senate and House to be completed during the brief periods of the sessions. No matter how long and late they labor at the

task, the results in the nature of things must be imperfect. The time is insufficient and only interested parties appear before them. The efforts of members to secure these appropriations for institutions in the districts they represent are a hindrance to and interference with general legislation. A plan could be adopted which would not in any way interfere with the visitatorial powers of the Board of Charities, and perhaps the most effective way would be to increase their powers and agencies.

An earnest effort has been made, in which all the heads of departments have participated, to reduce the bulk of the departmental reports which had gradually grown to unwieldy proportions, and thus to reduce the expense of printing. The report of the Factory Inspector, which in 1903 covered twelve hundred and six pages, in 1904 was reduced to one hundred and ninety pages and gave practically as much information. The volume of laws for the session of 1903 covered six hundred and sixty-one pages, as compared with ten hundred and thirteen pages of laws for the preceding session. During the last year the expenses for printing have been reduced to the extent of $107,168.44 from those of the year before, and to the lowest figure, with one exception, in nine years, notwithstanding a great increase in publication owing to the increase of departments and the growth of public work. The statute, which regulates our public printing and established the existing schedules, was passed in 1876. Since that time there have been many changes in type-setting and the arts of typography and bookbinding. The schedules are inadequate and obsolete. Much of the work necessarily done is not provided for in them, and, therefore, is paid for at special rates. The last contract awarded four years ago was let at a rate eighty-eight and one-hundredth per cent. below the schedules, which is an absurdity. It is hoped the legislation on this subject will be revised.

The Department of State Highways, provided for by the act of April 15, 1903, has been organized in compliance with the terms of the act, and is making satisfactory progress. There are at present completed, under construction, and approaching construction in forty-five counties of the State, one hundred and twenty-seven and forty-two one-hundredths miles of roads. Beside the work done by the State, a number of townships, under the incentive of the example set before them, have themselves raised moneys and proceeded to improve their highways. Thus in Bensalem township in the county of Bucks, where the State constructed three miles of the road, the township has added ten miles more constructed in accordance with the regulations of the Department and under the supervision of the Commissioner of Highways. No such important work