Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-09-18
EVENING Chat

4 EVENING CHAT
The recent fire at Penbrook has
drawn attention to a matter which is
commencing to agitate the minds of
many of the people living in the bor-
oughs and countryside that ring about
Harrisburg and which are a part of
the greater city. although differently
| administered. This subject is fire
protection. Steelton and some of the
West Shore boroughs have fire COM
panieS and apparatus which can
check bad fire until help can be
sent from Harrisburg, but there are
others which are dependent on bucket
brigades or what assistance can be
summoned from the city. And the
way to get help is involved in much
red tape, although never has a re-
quest been refused or service stinted
in any way. In fact, Harrisburg fire.
men have striVen to reach scenes of
distress quickly and have given ad-
mirable aid. But the fact remains
that fires near the city can sometimes
get headway while the necessary pre-
liminaries are being worked out. The
authorities of the boroughs and town
ships ought to have either their own
fire protection or else have an ar
rangement with the city whereby a
part of the expense is borne, with
understanding that aid is to be given
as promptly as is extended when a
call is rung in from Third and Market
If there is any book in the Harris
burg Public Library on Germany and
Austria that has not been looked over
score of times this month 1t Is not
known. The war in Europe has caused
no end of demand for books on Eu-
rope and some of the inquirers have
been school children and aged men.
answered questions all the way from
the armed strength of Russia to the
national debt of Servia.
Girard, in the Philadelphia Ledger,
pays this tribute to a man well known
here: Everybody seems to be happy,
but nobody is doing much replied
Senator William S. Sproul when
asked him how things were in Ches-
ter. The Senator himself always ap-
pears to be one of the happiest men
know, and yet-well. you can now
Judge for yourself. Newspaper pro-
prietor, political leader and successful
business man. the Senator has always
been a stout and trusted Republican.
But here comes his best chum, A.
Mitchell Palmer, classmate at Swarth
more, fraternity brother. best man at
the wedding and all that, and runs for
United States senator. How Senator
Sproul can keep up that amiable
smile and say everybody in Chester
seems happy puzzles me. ! don't see
how he can, under these difficult cir
cumstances remain cheerful Party
loyalty, party beliefs, and all that on
the one side; deep personal friend
ship and old college associations on
the other side-can't you see what
this keen-witted, jovial gentleman is
up against?'
c. Tyson Kratz, the man who put
the pep" into the meeting of the
anti-liquor people yesterday and made
it such an entertaining event, is we'll
known to many Harrisburgers. For
years he has been a fighter for tenn
perance and has been in the forefront
of every reform movement. He is the
man who upset the reduction of the
school appropriation ten or twelve
years ago and filed a series of suits
in court which everyone laughed at
but which resulted in victories. Mr..
Kratz has been bucking the powers in
Montgomery county so long that yes
terday's battle was just amusement
for him.
Ex-senator John a. Fisher. presi-
dent of the Pennsylvania Good Roads
Association, was here yesterday at
tending to matters on the "Hill" and
looking over politics. He gave up
politics for business some time ago
and the state lost the services of a
valuable legislator. This coming ses-
sion the former senator will take an
active part in behalf of better high
ways.
Third class city officials who are
discussing proposed changes to the
Clark act are going very slow about
the matter and some of them have
told City Solicitor d. S. Seitz that they
are watching the way Harrisburg
works under the new act. The truth
is that this city was such conspic-
uous success under the old act and
has buckled down to business after
fighting the present that everyone is
disposed to stop and watch. This city
has always been noted for the COM
mon sense in which 1t has admins
tered the third class city laws and
other cities have been following its
example and not bucking against
statutes unless they are we'll tried out.
Speaker George f. Alter, who was
here yesterday on business at the
Capitol, was tied up all day with
cases and remarked last night that he
was as tired as though he had been
threshing.
"Treshing? What do YOU know
about threshing?" was asked.
''I was raised on a farm and l can
farm yet was the reply.
The Speaker is noted as a lawyer
and legislator, but this was the first
time that he developed a reputation
as a farmer.