The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-04-04
GOVERNOR TENER SIGNS BILL
FOR JUDGES

| VIII serve IN county OF fnlldue1puld
Lawyers Believe Measure I'm
Observation-Disclosures to Legis-
lature.
Harrisburg, March Ex-Governor
John X. Tener, Saturday night sign
ed the Ware bill, which gives Phila-
delphia county five additional law
judges The bill was strongly op-
posed by many Philadelphians, both
lawyers and laymen. Many lawyers
believe it is unconstitutional and will
make legal fight on it.
Interest centers to-day on the ques-
ton of whom the governor will ap-
point to these five $1,000 judicial
posts, and at least score of MEM
bers of the Philadelphia bar were
suggested for the newly created
places on the common pleas bench of
that county.
The five appointees of Governor
Tener will serve until January, 1914,
and will be compelled to come before
the people for nomination at the pri-
mary election September 27, and
for election in November. Political
influence, it was declared to-day, will
determine the selection, and there
will be named four Republicans and
a Democrat to fill the places.
State Senator Francis S. McIlhen-
ny, who led the fight in the senate for
the Municipal Court measure, an
nounced that in view of the signing
of the five judges measure by the
governor he would abandon the
present movement to effect recon-
sideration of the Municipal Court
bill.
Won't Discuss Matter.
Governor Tener refused to discuss
his reasons for signing the judges
bill. 1t is the consensus of opinion
about the capitol that he had intend
ed to veto the bill before he made
his visit to Philadelphia last Friday,
and that, after he shifted and real
lied the universal opposition that
would follow the announcement of
his act, he came to the conclusion
that anything he might say would
make no difference anyway.
Friends of the governor give as
an excuse for his action the belief
that he has been advised that the law
will be declared unconstitutional. 1t
is said that Attorney General Bell
holds this opinion. At any rate the
placing of his signature to the bill
placates the Wares and will probably
win their support in the house for
the $50,000,000 highway bond issue
and other measures which the gov
ernor wants to see passed
The governor when seen by news
paper men refused to discuss the ac-
ton.
al have nothing to say on any
phase of the matter" he said.
To Prepare Message.
Governor Tener expects this week
to prepare his message to the legis-
lature on the subject of vice inves-
tigation, and it will probably be
transmitted to the senate and house
before they adjourn for the week.
The governor expects to recommend
the creation of a commission to
study the white slave evil in Penn
sylvania and draft legislation for
the suppression of the traffic. He
takes the position that all men agree
as to the righteousness of this busi-
ness and that the most effective
means should be employed to stamp
it out.
The governor is not likely to ad-
vocate a sweeping vice probe with
it's attendant sensationalism and in
justifiable reflections on the moral
standard of the women of Pennsyl-
vania, especially the working girls.
Would Hamper Health Men.
Four bills, which it is claimed
would cripple the work of the state
department of health in its campaign
for the publication of the streams of
Pennsylvania, have been discovered
among the hundreds of measures
that came in during the final rush
just before the house of representa-
tives shut off the introduction of new
bills.
These measures were introduced
by Representative ]. H. Young, of
Allegheny Mr.. Young's district in
cludes the borough of Tarentum,
which is now being prosecuted by the
commonwealth for refusing to COM
ply with the requirements for a sew
age disposal plant
The health department records
state that since 1906, when the cru
sade for the supposition of pollution
of streams by sewage was begun un-
der the act of 1905, the death rate
from typhoid has decreased from
53.8 to 1876 per one hundred thous-
and of population.
The number of deaths has fallen
from 3,917 to 1928 per year during
the, same period.
Money for Lawyers.
The bills designed to make the law
business more surely remunerative
are attracting attention in the house
of representatives.
Both are simple little bills. One
amends the act of 1907, which pro-
vides that the court may appoint one
or two lawyers to defend INDECENT
persons accused of murder, who shall
receive 5000 each for their work.
The amendment not only raises the
fees to be paid to each lawyer to
$500, but provides that the court
may appoint lawyers to defend, at
that rate, any person accused of
felony for which the maximum pun
ishment exceeds five years imprison-
ment The limit includes almost all
felonies. Members of the house are