Poor. 1. Additional corporate powers of cities of the third class. Cities authorized to create poor department. Department to be subject to control of councils. Annual tax 1. P. L. 192. Additional cor of cities of the third class. to be levied. Necessary offices may be created. 2. Act not to repeal local laws. 3. Overseers to furnish relief in certain cases. 13 May 1889. 1. Cities of the third class, and other cities containing less than ten thousand inhabitants coming within the provisions porate powers of an act of assembly, entitled "An act dividing the cities of this state into three classes, regulating the passage of ordinances, providing for contracts for supplies and work for said cities, authorizing the increase of indebtedness and the creation of a sinking fund to redeem the same, defining and punishing certain offenses in all of said cities, and providing for the incorporation and government of cities of the third class," approved the twenty-third day of May, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in addition to the other powers conferred in said act, are authorized and empowered to enact ordinances for the following purposes: Cities authorized to create ment. First. To create a department for the purpose of adminispoor depart tering charity and for the support of the poor, and such department shall have the care, management, administration be subject to and supervision of the charities, almshouses, poorhouses and the relief of the poor of said city, subject, however, to the control of the councils. Department to .control of councils. Annual tax to be levied. Necessary offices may be created. Id. § 2. Second. To levy a tax annually, not exceeding ten mills on the dollar, on all persons and property taxable by each of said cities for city purposes, for the support of said department. Third. To create any office which may be deemed necessary by any such city for the proper government, support and management of said department, to regulate and prescribe the powers, duties and compensation of all such officers, and to require of each of them bonds, with sufficient security, conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties. 2. This act shall not repeal any special or local law relatAct not to re- ing to public charities in the poor affairs in any of the cities. peal local laws. 14 June 1901. Overseers to furnish relief in certain cases. aforesaid.1 3. The overseers of the poor, director or directors of the § 1. P. L. 561. poor, and all other officers or boards having the charge or control of the poor, in the several cities of the third class of this commonwealth, are hereby authorized to furnish relief to all such persons as are needing the same, in all cases where any such officer or authorities are satisfied, upon investigation, that such relief is necessary. The authority hereby given shall not prevent the taking out of orders of relief in cases where the proper poor authorities have refused to act.2 By the Act of May 25, 1897, P. L. S3, counties and municipalities which now have or may hereafter erect institutions for the care and treatment of their indigent insane, with the approval of the board of public charities, are to be entitled to receive from the state one dollar and fifty cents per week for each person maintained therein. The act in the text does not seem to contemplate provision by cities for their insane population, which, together with the care and support of the poor is, in general, wisely committed, by existing laws, to the jurisdiction of the county governments. 2 The recent Act of April 6, 1905, P. L. 112, regulates the matters of settlements in poor districts and orders for removal, and authorizes the courts of quarter sessions to compel certain relatives of indigent persons to contribute to their support. Posters. 1. Defacing walls, fences, etc., by posting bills, etc., prohibited. Penalty. 2. Mutilation or destruction of show bills, posters, etc., prohibited. Penalty. When provisions of act not to apply. 3. Defacing public property by posters, prohibited. Legal notices, etc., excepted. 4. Placing posters, etc., on private property, prohibited. Legal notices, etc., excepted. 5. Penalty. Removal of poster. 8 June 1881. by posting prohibited. 1. If any person or persons shall, without the consent of § 1. P. L. 85. the owner or owners thereof, wilfully daub, paint advertise- Defacing walls, ments or post placards upon, or otherwise deface the walls of fences, etc., any building or buildings, house or houses, or the fences bills, etc., around the yard or yards connected therewith, or any fences surrounding or inclosing any vacant lot or lots, farm or farms, or shall cause the same to be done by others; or if any person or persons shall, without the consent of the owner or owners thereof, daub, paint advertisements or post placards upon, or otherwise deface any tree or trees, or shall cause the same to be done by others, such offender or offenders shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay Penalty. a fine not exceeding twenty-five dollars, and undergo an imprisonment not exceeding thirty days, or both, or either, at the discretion of the court. § 1. P. L. 87. show bills, 2. Any person found guilty of wilfully and maliciously 6 May 1887. mutilating, destroying, tearing down or removing any show Mutilation or bill, placard, programme, poster or other advertisement post-destruction of ed upon any rail, fence, bill board or other structure in or posters, etc., located upon any public highway in this commonwealth, shall prohibited. be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall Penalty. be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than one hundred dollars; Provided, The penalties of this act shall when provi not apply to those tearing down or removing show bills, play not to apply. bills, posters, programmes, after the performance therein advertised, or to the owner or tenant of any building, fence or other structure when the same has been posted or put up without his or their consent, except such owner or tenant be the bill poster putting up or employed to put up the same. sions of act § 1. P. L. 20. posters, pro 3. No person shall paste, paint, brand or stamp, or in any 10 March 1903. manner whatsoever place upon or attach to any building, Defacing pubfence, bridge, gate, outbuilding or other object, upon the lic property by grounds of any charitable, educational or penal institutions hibited. of the state of Pennsylvania, or upon any property belonging to the state of Pennsylvania, or to any county, township, borough or city therein, any written, printed, painted or other advertisement, bill, notice, sign or poster; Provided, That nothing herein shall be so construed as to prevent the posting Legal notices, of any notice required by law or order of court to be posted, nor to prevent the posting or placing of any notice particularly concerning or pertaining to the grounds or premises upon which the same is so posted or placed. etc., excepted. Id. § 2. ers, etc., on 4. No person shall paste, paint, brand, stamp, or in any Placing postmanner whatsoever place upon or attach to any building, private prop fence, bridge, gate, outbuilding, or property of another, hibited. erty, pro 10 March 1903 whether within or without the limits of a highway, any written, printed, painted, or other advertisement, bill, notice, sign, card or poster, without first having obtained the written consent of the owner, or tenant lawfully in possession or occupancy thereof; Provided, That nothing herein shall be so construed as to prevent the posting of any notice required by Legal notices, law or order of court to be posted, nor to prevent the posting or placing of any notice particularly concerning or pertaining to the grounds or premises upon which the same is so posted or placed. etc., excepted. Id. § 3. Penalty. Removal of poster. 5. Every person violating the provisions of this act shall be liable to a penalty of not less than five dollars nor more than twenty dollars, to be recovered before any magistrate or justice of the peace, as fines and penalties are by law recoverable; and such written, printed, painted, or other advertisement, bill, notice, sign, card, or poster is hereby declared to be a public nuisance, and may be removed and abated as such. Professional Thieves. 1. Arrest and summary conviction of professional thieves. Commitment. Security 1. P. L. 492. Arrest and viction of professional thieves. for good behavior. Appeal to court of quarter sessions. 7 June 1901. 1. If any person shall be charged, on oath or affirmation, before a magistrate, justice of the peace, alderman, mayor or summary con- burgess in this commonwealth, with being a professional thief, burglar or pickpocket; and who shall have been arrested by any police officer, detective, constable, sworn peace officer, or watchman at any steamboat landing, railroad depot or station, ferryhouse, on the platform or inside of any street passenger railway car, in any church or the vestibule or corridor thereof, in any building occupied as a banking institution, trust company, saving fund or broker's office, elevators used to carry passengers, in any park or place of public amusement or recreation, or the approaches thereto, auction stores or crowded thoroughfares, public or private, in this commonwealth; and if it shall be proven to the satisfaction of the said magistrate, justice of the peace, alderman, mayor or burgess, by sufficient testimony, that he or she was frequenting or attending such place or places for an unlawful purpose, he or she shall be committed to the county jail or prison for a term not exceeding ninety days, at labor, or, in the discretion of said mayor, magistrate, justice of the peace, alderman or burgess, be required to enter security for his or her good behavior good behavior. for a period not exceeding one year; Provided, however, That the defendant or defendants may, within five days after such conviction, appeal to the court of quarter sessions of the county in which such justice of the peace, alderman, mayor, or burgess shall reside, upon allowance of said court of quarter sessions or any judge thereof, upon cause shown. Commitment. Security for Appeal to court of quarter sessions. Public Libraries. [The Erie Public Library is operated under paragraphs 11 to 16, inclusive.] 1. Cities may take grants and donations to establish free libraries, and make appropriations therefor. 2. Establishment of libraries to be submitted to popular vote, on petition. Rate of library tax. 3. Levy of library tax. 4. Creation of bonded indebtedness. 5. Appointment of board of library directors. Terms. Organization. 6. Library to be free to public. Rules and regulations. Extension of library privileges. 7. Annual report of directors. Contents of report. 8. Councils to impose penalties for injury to library, etc. 9. Donations may be accepted. 10. Application of act. 11. School directors may establish free public libraries. 12. School-houses may be used for depositories of public libraries, or buildings may be purchased or erected. Cost thereof to be first fully provided for. 13. Levy of tax for purchase and maintenance of library. 14. Powers and duties of trustees of library. Composition of board of trustees. Terms of members of board. Vacancies, how filled. Trustees to report to school board. 15. Libraries to be under supervision of state librarian. 16. School boards may receive gifts of lands, etc., for endowment of libraries, and sue for recovery thereof. Application of act. 17. School boards may extend aid to free public libraries already established, and taxes for such purpose. 18. Library managers to make annual report to board. Annual account to be audited. 19. Free public libraries in cities of third class. Appropriations therefor. 20. Dedication of real estate by city. 21. Maintenance of library. 22. Corporate management. corporation. Salaries of officers. Powers of 23. Annual report of managers. Audit of accounts. 24. Validation of prior agreements, etc. 1. P. L. 179. and donations 1. It shall be competent for any incorporated city within 23 May 1887this commonwealth, and the same is hereby empowered to Cities may take and hold any grant or donation of money, books and man- take grants uscripts, or property, real or personal, for the purpose of es- to establish tablishing a free library within the limits of such corporation, and make apand to make provision, by annual appropriation, for the main-propriations tenance of such free library. free libraries, § 1. P. L. 569. be submitted vote, on peti 2. Councils may submit to the qualified voters of the cities 17 June 1901. of the second and third class and boroughs, at the election to. Establishment be held on the third Tuesday of February in each year, the of libraries to question of the establishment and maintenance of a public to popular library in such municipality, and must submit the question, in if petitioned for by at least three per centum of the voters registered at the last annual election. At said first mentioned election the question of establishing said public library and the rate of the annual tax, not exceeding two mills on the dol- Rate of li lar on all the taxable property in the municipality, shall be submitted and voted upon. A majority of the votes cast on the question shall decide. brary tax. 3. The rate of tax so voted shall be an annual tax rate un- Id. § 2. til another popular vote is taken changing the same. The Levy of li tax shall be levied and collected in like manner with the other brary tax. taxes in the municipality, and shall be in addition to all other taxes, and shall be used for no other purpose than that of establishing and maintaining a public library. The money so raised shall be under the exclusive control of a board of library directors appointed as heneinafter provided. Id. § 3. bonded in 4. If five per centum of the registered voters of any municipality shall petition councils to submit the question of Creation of creating a bonded indebtedness, for purchasing ground and debtedness. erecting buildings for public library purposes, councils must 17 June 1901. submit the question to be voted upon at the next annual election in the same manner as herein before provided. Id. § 4. 5. The affairs of a public library shall be under the direcAppointment tion and control of a board of directors, of not less than five or brary directors. more than nine, as determined by councils. They shall be ap of board of li Terms. Organization. pointed from the citizens at large by the mayor or burgess and confirmed by councils. The first appointees shall be appointed, one-third for one year, one-third for two years, and onethird for three years. The mayor and superintendent of schools of the municipality shall be ex-officio members of the board. The terms of office of the members of the board appointed by the mayor or burgess shall be for three years. The board shall be organized by the election of a president and treasurer from its membership, and such other officers and agents as the board may deem necessary. The treasurer shall be required to give bonds. Id. § 5. 6. Every library or reading room established under this Library to be act shall be forever free to the use of the inhabitants of said Rules and regulations. free to public. municipality or borough where located, always subject to such reasonable rules and regulations as the board, having the library in charge, may adopt in order to render the use of said library and reading room of the greatest benefit to the greatest number, and said board may exclude from the use of said library and reading room any and all persons who shall wilExtension of fully violate such rules. And said board may extend the privileges and use of such library and reading room to persons residing outside of such municipality or borough, upon such terms and conditions as said board may, from time to time, by its regulations prescribe. library privi. leges. Id. § 6. of directors. Contents of report. 7. Said board shall make an annual report to the councils Annual report of such municipality or borough, covering the fiscal year of such municipality or borough; stating the condition of the library and of the branch or branches, if any; the various sums of money received from the library tax and from other sources; and how such moneys have been expended, and for what purposes; the number of books and periodicals on hand; the number added by purchase, gift or otherwise during the year; the number of registered readers, the number of books loaned out, and the general character and kind of such books; with such other statistics, information and suggestions as they may deem of general interest. Id. § 7. Councils to imfor injury to pose penalties library, etc. Id. § 8. 8. The councils of said municipality and boroughs have power to pass ordinances imposing suitable penalties for the punishment of persons committing injury to such library, or to the grounds or other property thereof, or for injuring or failing to return, at the time and in the manner specified in the rules of said library, any books belonging to the same. 9. Any person desiring to make donations of books, Donations may money, personal property or real estate for the benefit of such library, shall have the right to vest the title to such books, be accepted. |