PENNSYLVANIA. 



705 



done in the State by all companies, home and 

 foreign, stock and mutual, in the year 1889 was 

 $10,122,327.72. 



Flood-Relief Commission. This commis- 

 sion, appointed by the Governor in 1889 to sup- 

 erintend the disbursement of moneys received for 

 the Johnstown sufferers, made a detailed report 

 of its doings in July. The contributions received 

 and turned over to the commission were as fol- 

 low: By Gov. Beaver, $1,236,146.45; from the 

 Philadelphia Relief Committee, $600,000 ; from 

 the Pittsburg Relief Committee, $560,000 ; from 

 the New York Relief Committee, $516,199.85 ; a 

 total of $2,912,346.30. The expenditures of the 

 commission in the Conemaugh valley were $2,- 

 592.936.68 ; in the State outside of the Conemaugh 

 valley, $246,475,26 ; general and office expenses, 

 $5,728.89; a total of $2,845,140.83. The sum of 

 $67,205.57 remained in the hands of the commis- 

 sion. The most careful investigation places the, 

 number of victims by the flood in the Conemaugh 

 valley at 2,142. Of these, 1,115 were found and 

 identified, 636 were found and not identified, and 

 391 were missing. Ninety-nine whole families 

 were lost. One hundred and twenty-four women 

 were made widows arid 965 children orphans or 

 half-orphans. The sum of $183,281 was distrib- 

 uted among the widows, giving them about $1,- 

 500 apiece, and there has been set aside for their 

 children a sum which, when paid, will amount to 

 $108,500. Each orphan will receive about $50, 

 annually until the age of sixteen. 



The amount of loss in the Conemaugh valle v, 

 as given in the sworn statements of claimants, 

 reached the sum of $9,674,105. The local district 

 committees estimate the loss at about one fourth 

 less than this. 



The operation of tr 

 in the cities of the 



ing the year was generally satisfactory. In April 

 the license court of Philadelphia granted 1,173 

 retail licenses for that city, a decrease of 31 from 

 the number of licenses in 1889. Wholesale li- 

 censes were granted to the number of 919, an in- 

 crease of 279. In the case of the latter class of 

 licenses, the court has not the same discretion to 

 restrict their number as in case of retail licenses. 

 This defect in the law will probably be cured by 

 the next Legislature. 



Coal. The production of anthracite coal in 

 Pennsylvania during the calendar year 1889 was 

 40.665J52 tons of 2,240 pounds (equal to 45,- 

 544,970 tons of 2,000 pounds), valued at the 

 mines at $65,718.165, or an average of $1.61-,% 

 per long ton. The quantity actually carried to 

 market was 35,407,710 tons during the year 1889 ; 

 1,329,580 were used by employes and sold to local 

 trade near the mines, and 3,518,696 tons were 

 consumed in and about the mines. 



The average number of days worked during 

 the year 1889 by all collieries was 194. The sus- 

 pension of mining during periods aggregating 

 about one third of the year was caused mainly 

 by the inability of the market to absorb a larger 

 product. The number of persons employed dur- 

 ing the year was 125.229. 



Political. The Republican State Convention 

 was called to meet at Harrisburg on June 25. 

 In the preliminary caucuses there was an earnest, 

 contest between the supporters of George W. 

 Delamater and D. II. Hastings for the guber- 

 VOL. xxx. 45 A 



natorial nomination. The first ballot in the 

 convention resulted as follows: Delamater 84 

 votes ; Hastings, 64 ; E. A. Motitooth, 30 ; ( 'harles 

 W. Stone, 15; E. S. Osborn,8;and II. r. M <.(,- 

 mick 3. On the second ballot Delamater re- 

 ceived 105 votes and was nominated. For Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor the nominee was Lniii- A 

 Watres, and for Secretary of Internal Affairs 

 Thomas J. Stewart. The platform contains a 

 strong approval of Senator Quay, favors a per 

 diem service pension for every soldier and sailor 

 in the civil war, legislation to insure fair elec- 

 tions everywhere, and laws forbidding contract 

 labor and pauper immigration. The following 

 resolutions also appear: 



Ballot reform is, and will remain, the watchword of 

 our party in every State. We charge the members of 

 the next General Assembly with the duty to pass such 

 laws, and if necessity should arise, to provide for 

 such changes in the Constitution of our State as will 

 insure to every voter perfect secrecy and freedom in 

 exercising his right of suffrage. 



We recommend that the surplus revenue derived 

 from State taxation be used to lessen the taxation now 

 laid upon real estate for local purposes by applying it, 

 so far as it will in legislative wisdom avail, to the in- 

 crease of the appropriation for the support of the com- 

 mon schools, and to making appropriation for the care 

 of the indigent insane, for the expenses of the jury 

 system, and of holding the general elections. 



We recommend that the local system of taxation be 

 so reformed as to permit the taxation of money capi- 

 tal for local purposes to such an extent as to enable 

 the local authorities to reduce the rate of taxation on 

 real estate to an equitable basis. 



The State convention of the Democratic party 

 met at Scranton on July 2. Ex-Gov. Robert E. 

 Pattison was nominated for Governor, Chauncey 

 F. Black for Lieutenant-Governor, and William 

 H. Barclay, for Secretary of Internal Affairs. 



The platform condemns Senator Quay, and 

 contains the following declarations : 



That ballot reform is necessary, and to this end we 

 recommend the adoption of such a system as the 

 Australian ballot law. 



That State and local reform is necessary in order 

 that the taxation for county, municipal, and township 

 purposes may be equally adjusted and the unjust dis- 

 crimination against land remedied. 



That the law requiring that the surplus in the State 

 treasury shall be invested in State or United States 

 bonds must be observed and executed. 



On Aug. 20 a State convention of the Prohi- 

 bition party met at Harrisburg and nominated 

 Charles Miller for Governor. Charles E. Hyatt 

 for Lieutenant-Governor, and William T. Dunn 

 for Secretary of Internal Affairs. The platform, 

 in addition to the usual declarations against the 

 liquor traffic, demands the enforcement of the 

 Sunday laws, favors the Australian ballot system, 

 an educational qualification for suffrage, and 

 equal taxation on all classes of property. 



The Prohibition nominee for Governor de- 

 clined the nomination, and on Sept. 24 the State 

 committee nominated John D. Gill in his place. 

 On the same date the executive committee of 

 the Union Labor party met at Philadelphia and 

 nominated a State ticket and adopted a platform, 

 but their principles failed to attract more than 

 a scattering support. 



The canvass was marked by the formation of 

 independent Republican organizations in Phila- 

 delphia and other cities and towns, which were 



