Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-12
gurvey Shows Sup
porters of Bill Made
No Gain in Legisla-
ture Last Week.
Exact Strength Behind Meas
ure Cannot Be Estimated and
Varies With Respective Moves
IN Submarine Battle-Mar-
gin Will Be Close.
trnon 4 STAFF conREsroNDENr1

uApRtsBURG, April i2.-The local OPP
a.n;s,s gained nothing for their cause
!. the Legislature last week, If, indeed,
N. aid not actually lose ground. The
,s,.,.up', of support for the Governors
.rram remains in the Senate just as it
week ago. In the House the out
y, 10 less encouraging than 1t was at
that time.
rhs exact strength that is behind the
,col option bill in the Legislature cannot
..ss,hIv be known until the measure
ss,res up for vote. but tho apparent
s,rsnpth of both the local optionsts and
,hA liauor men can he estimated. It
hsrges from day TO day, however. al the
s.yious moves are made in the sub
"a arine" political battle that Is now being
fought out in the Legislature.
The public hearing and the demonstra-
zion did not lose n single vote for either
slde Since the demonstration and hear
s,g the sentiment in favor of local option
tss been steadily growing to overwhelm-
irg nroportions in the districts of ma
iority of the members and this week
many of the Representa- tivcs who have
maintained their position ION the fence"
arc expected to announce definitely their
alignment as the result of this tide.
A BAD MOVE
A move that temporarily lost ground
for the local optionists was the forma-
lion of the Republican Local Option Com
nittee of Pennsylvania and the an
noincement that was Immediately made
nv that committee last Wednesday that
tho committee intended to start at once
4 campaign for prohibition in every
county in the State. Many of the Rep
resentatives who were ION the fence"
Interpreted this announcement to mean
that II the local option bill was passed.
prohbiton would soon follow They had
s been told by the local optionists that
local option meant only home rule on
the LIQUOR question and the taking of
the liquor license responsibility from the
judiciary. The result of the committees
announcement was that four members
who had been undecided are now counted
among the opposition votes.
f6 AN IMPORTANT ADMISSION.
The liquor ring today asserts that only
rs members of the House will answer
10 the roll call when the local option
bill comes up in the House for vote.
They assert that 10 members will vote
against the bill, and 50 for it.
Their claim of ITO, however, shows the
progress that Governor Brumbaugh has
made during the past three weeks. Three
weeks ago the liquor interests said they
had 13S votes pledged against the bill.
Their claim of today Is a frank admis-
sion that the margin will be close If the
bill is defeated.
The local option bill is scheduled to
! kh ~ nf nd
Order Committee this week. This will
probably occur tomorrow, when a meet
Ing OF the committee will be held. The
measure. then. should come up for
hnal vote in the House on Monday night
on Tuesday afternoon of next week.
DEPENDS ON BRUMBAUGH.
The fate of local option depends upon
the moves that Governor Brumbaugh
makes during the present week and the
result Of the growing sentiment in the
various legislative districts in favor of
The bill.
The Governors veto of the Gransback
toothless' housing bill has made the
situation all the more involved. The veto
was direct slap at not only Senator
AcNchol who IS openly opposing local
option. but to Senator Ware as well. The
TWO Philadelphia leaders were united in
support OF the 'toothless" housing bill.
hany persons believe that the veto will
cause Senator Ware, who has not yet
oehned his attitude on the local option
question, to cause several of the Ware
members from Philadelphia, whose votes
ne local optionists have been hoping to
get, TO vote against the bill.
me administration workmen's COM
psuSauon bills Will go to the Senate to-
g,shl' When they will be passed by the
mouse on third reading. They have been
night.
the child labor bill is now in the SEN
s' y VIII repose peacefully in Senator
snyaers Judiciary Special Committee, the
eAlhg committee of the Senate until
nl n week' when another public hearing
vail be arranged.