Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-24
EVENING Chat

Pennsylvania is the only State In
the Union with a State highway sys-
tenn fixed by law, and its mileage is
far and away in excess of that of any
other system of State highways, ac-
cording to men connected with the
State Highway Department who have
been looking up the facts about high
ways in other commonwealths. In
practically every State the roads
known as State highways do not be-
come such until they are taken over
by the State authorities and recon-
structed. There is nothing in any
other State that compares with the
system of main highways in Pennsyl-
Vania. In Massachusetts, Connecticut,
New Jersey. Maryland and other
states certain authorities are vested
with the duty of selecting highways
to be improved, and when rebuilding
has been completed at public expense
they are opened as State highways.
In this State $500 miles of highway
were listed and called State highways,
being given to the Commonwealth to
maintain and to reconstruct when 1t
could get the funds. In addition the
State is responsible for the mainte-
nance of thousand miles of State aid
highways, or roads which have been
rebuilt by State aid, the counties,
townships and boroughs bearing part
of the cost. In Massachusetts, the
whole system of State highways Is said
not to be much over 1000 miles and
the State had as much this year for
maintenance of that thousand miles
as wealthy Pennsylvania had to main
tain its whole system of State roads,
according to one authority, while the
figures at the Capitol are said to show
that Pennsylvania has built, rebuilt
or constructed as many miles in the
n.l s..se
In the whole system of State highways
in the Bay State. None of these States
permit heavy trucks on State high
ways in rural districts, according to
regulations which have been received
here. 1t is expected that next year a
large mileage of highways will be
added to the Pennsylvania system
through operation of the act of 1913.
and that there will be steps taken to
carry out plans for more substantial
legislative appropriation for aid of
township highways. The appropria-
tions for construction will be based
upon what is needed to reconstruct
and properly care for the $500 miles
connecting county seats and cities.
Before commission form of govern
ment was adopted in Pennsylvania
representatives of other municipalities
frequently asked Harrisburg at the
Third Class City League conventions
how this or that section of the 1883
act was construed by this city, or
how it applied this or that portion
of the law. Since the adoption of the
Clark act Harrisburg is still looked
to to enlighten its third-class city
neighbors on the proper way to follow
out the new legislation. That was
proven again at the recent session of
the special league committee on the
revision of the Clark act.
One point in particular upon which
the delegates, mayors and city solici-
tors seemed at sea was the question
of whether 1t was necessary to call
for an AYE" and nay vote on all
parliamentary actions. And after the
subject had been discussed pro. and
con, f. p. Schoonmaker, city solicitor
of Bradford, decided to get a real
straight-hand tip on how to do it. In
the room he spied Charles A. Miller,
Harrisburg's veteran city clerk.
Gentlemen, we don't seem to be
very sure of our ground in this re-
spect,' said Mr.. Shoemaker smil-
ingly. Now I'd like to ask Mr.. Miller
how Harrisburg does it,"
And, of course, Mr.. Miller told the
committee just how to do 1.-THE
Harrisburg way"
White grubs that eat the grass of
lawns and chestnut worms are COM
mencing to divide honors with the
peach tree "borers' for the attention
of the States official exterminators of
pests, and letters by the basketful are
being received at the Office of Dr. H.
A. Surface, the State Zoologist, asking
his advice on how to get rid of the
crawling nuisances. The correspond
ence on the subject is not as great as
1t was in the days when the army
worm descended on Pennsylvania, but
it is running a close second. The
white grub worms resemble the white
fellows that can be found in old wood
when people want to go fishing, but
are a different species. They are the
larvae of the June bug and are among
the most voracious of insects. They
have been reported as destroying hun
dreds of lawns. The only way to kill
them is to use carbon bisulphide. This
also kills chestnut worms if used in q
room where the chestnuts are stored,
but is apt to knock out anyone in
haling it. The 'borers' are so bad that
DR.. Surface has given all of his or
chard demonstrators special instruc-
tion on how to get rid of them. These
worms threaten orchards which were
very productive this year.
Deer are going to be as abundant
as last year in the central and south
mountain districts of Pennsylvania,
Judging from reports which have
reached the State Game Commission.
In some districts the deer have been
reported as raiding farmers fields, and
near the State sanatorium at South
Mountain herds of from six to eleven
have been seen. Deer have been seen
walking along roads in some parts of
the Juniata valley and have been seen
within three miles of the State Capt.
tol. Wild turkeys, which have been
protected by law for two years, have
become a nuisance in farming districts
in some of the central counties, and
have been observed in localities to
which they had been strangers for
twenty years.