Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-02
EVENING CHAT

People IN this city, which is one or
the greatest centers of building and
loan association activity next to Phila-
delphia and Reading. are displaying
marked interest in the war tax bill
now pending in Congress because of
reports that if 1t goes through as
planned there will be taxes laid on
building and loan association mort
cages. Efforts are being made to find
out the exact effect of the new act in
this respect and if it is retained by
the Senate there will be much protest
ing. This city has thirteen building
and loan associations, some of them
engaged in business throughout the
state, and the aggregate of the capital
runs into the millions. The reports
of operations of associations here
cover many years of usefulness during
which people were aided in acquiring
homes. In fact. some of the sub
stantial business men of the city point
to the assistance they received from
such organizations in getting q start
The protest against the tax on build
ing and loan association mortgages
would come not only from the share
holders, but from the people who
have been helped by the associations.
IT tell you those squirrels up in
Capitol Park are a canny lot" said a
man who watches the States pets. 81
saw one get a nut the other day and
drag it off and bury it. He not only
buried it, but he covered over the
place with leaves so that some other
squirrel would not raid his place. APP
parently they need squirrel police
force on the Hill"
One of the surprising things about
the war has been the boom in the
purchase of money orders at the Post
ONCE. The foreigners who have
money cannot send it abroad and so
they are buying money orders and
giving them to men to keep for them.
Hundreds of dollars are thus given
into the custody of Uncle Sam in this
city and Steelton every pay day. 1t
is noticed that foreigners lose no time
in putting their paper money in the
hands of the postal authorities, but
they are slow in turning over coins.
Up at the Capitol they run across
funny things every now and then. For
instance, one of the clerks was look
ing through some appointments and
found the names of the men to act as
commissioners to arrange for the CEN
tennial of the peace of Client.
"Ghent?" he asked. rs not that
the place where a fight has been un-
der way this summer? Nice place to
commemorate peace of 100 years."
AS a matter of fact the celebration
planned for this year appears to have
hit the wrong time.
"Why don't you fellows go back and
fight for the Fatherland that you talk
so much about and play about?' was
asked of the leader of one of the bands
| that is discoursing die Wacht Am
Rhine" and soulful music about the
| streets.
1--WE go back. if we can. Get taken
| if we sail. We be back if any way to
1 IL ~ =
army" was the patriotic reply.
| The river front improvements which
are under way at both ends and in the
center OF the city are attracting much
attention from the clerical visitors in
Harrisburg this we ek. Some of them
| have walked the whole length of the
city to see what is being done and
| there is general and favorable COM
ment about the manner in which they
| are being handled. SO few cities of
/ the state have taken pains to preserve
river fronts that the work of the State
| Capital is notable.
The manner in which Harrisburg
| streets are decorated for the State
| firemen'S convention recalls the man.
ner in which the city fixed up for Old
! Home Week. That was in 1905 and
was the greatest ever known in Har-
| IlSDulS' apparently people are Try
| ing to overcome even that, judging
| from the way the streets are being
ornamented. The decorations in some
respects recall those of the Dauphin
| county centennial in 1885, which was
the great awakening of Harrisburg.
| The news of the death of Max Lind
ner. the French comedian, in the war
| recalls the fact that he was a great
personal friend of DR.. Walter Hoke,
of Bordeaux, former Franklin coun-
| tian. DR.. Hoke is a brother of How
ard NJ. Holle. the short story writer,
| and Senator John w. Hoke.
| When 1t is stated that Father Penn
! has nearly six millions of dollars in
| his strong box it does not mean that
| such a large sum of money is avail
able for immediate payment. 1t is
the actual balance. but in it are over
| SS00,00 of the sinking fund, which
| cannot be touched, and amounts be-
| longing to the school fund awaiting
| investment. The automobile regis
tration fees also constitute a separate
! fund of over half a million that can
! be applied to only one purpose, repair
| of roads. Thus over a million and a
! third of the balances is tied up and q
good part of the rest has to remain
available for the payment of October
| and November expenses. When it
comes down to dots Father Penn has
not as much money as he used to