Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-05

six requests were received last year
from district attorneys. sheriffs,
judges, chiefs of police. etc. Less
than 20 per cent. of these requests
could be complied with, owing to the
limited number OF men on the force.
Among the arrests made from Janu-
airy. 1906, to January, 1914, were S6s /
for murder, 102 for highway robbery. 1
AL for gambling, 371 for burglary, b1
for horse stealing. IA for violations
of fish and game laws, 121 for keep
ing bawdy-houses, 145 for rape, 22T
for robbery, 40 for violation OF the
liquor laws, 125 for receiving stolen !
goods.
But a small percentage of these ar
rests could have been made by the |
local authorities, as practically all OF
them were for crimes committed In
small towns or in rural districts where
they have no adequate police protec- |
ton.
Substations, of three men each, are |
established each year in thirty or forty /
different counties. giving protection |
to localities that have no local police; |
but owing to the limited amount of
money appropriated for this purpose, !
these substations can only be main |
tanned for two or three months. |
whereas they should be permanent so |
that these isolated localities could
have the much needed protection all
the year.
The necessity for an increase in the
number of men and an adequate ap-
preparation to distribute them to the
best advantage throughout the State,
is proved by the thousands or re-
quests for assistance that are received
yearly from State and county officials,
with the majority of which the de-
partment is unable to comply.
Fiftieth Anniversary of the Battle
of Gettysburg
The act of May IS, 1909, provided
for the appointment of n commission
of nine persons to arrange for the
proper observance at Gettysburg OF
the fiftieth anniversary of the battle
at that place, and to invite the CO.
operation of other States and of the
United States and made an appropria-
tion of $4,000. The act of June Il,
1911, increased this appropriation to
! $4,000.
| The act of April II, 1913, provided
| for the transportation to and from
Gettysburg of every surviving Penn
! sylvania soldier who participated In
. the battle, and set apart S165, 900 for
| this object. The Congress of the
/ United States directed the Secretary
! of War to create and maintain a great
| camp of visiting veterans during the
celebration, on condition that Penn
sylvania should bear half the expense.
and by act of April II. 1918, the State
appropriated S195,000 for the pur-
pose.
! The event proved to be a great sue
cess and in every way worthy of the
/ Commonwealth. For the first time
since the close of the Civil War there
was a general reunion of the veterans
| of the Union and Confederate armies,
| both of which were represented by
large numbers, and the celebration did
much to create good feeling all over
the country. The President of the
United States and the Secretary of
! War made addresses. The Governors
of many of the States and other dis
| tinguished guests participated.
The members of this commission
| are entitled to the thanks of all the
| people of Pennsylvania.
Transfer OF Flags
The commission created under the
| provisions of a joint resolution of the
| General Assembly approved June 8,
! 1918, authorized to arrange and su-
| pervise the transfer. from the Lii
| brary and Museum Building to the
cases in the rotunda of the Capitol,
| of the flags of Pennsylvania com
mands of the War for the Suppression
of the Rebellion and the Spanish
| American War, and other flags of
/ historical value, on June 10. 1914,
| transferred these flags with patriotic
| and most impressive ceremonies, par
! ticipated in by a portion of the Ma
tional Guard, Grand Army of the Re-
1 public, and patriotic societies. These
! flags, the most precious jewels of the
Commonwealth, representing as they
| do the valor of Pennsylvania sons,
are now cared for in a better and
more appropriate manner than ever
| before.
Public Printing and Binding
Under legislation enacted at the
| last session of the General Assembly
! the distribution of public documents
| is now performed in a businesslike
way. The creation of the Division for
the Distribution of Public Documents
will result in a discontinuance of the
wasteful method that existed prior
to its establishment. The editions of
! certain reports can be greatly re-
! duced, and it is suggested that legis-
] lation be enacted with that end in
view, in order that ii may be in force
when the next contract for printing is
awarded in 1917.
Attention is called to the expense of
! printing pink bills used by the Legis-
/ lature. The cost of printing these
bills for the session of 1913 was S42.-
| S4S.S5. Unless this printing be essen
| tial to the proper administration of
( the business of the General Assembly,
they should be discontinued; at any
event, the number of these bills should
I bt very iuuCH ItOuCtu DIS IL IdIEt DuE-
tion of the waste paper sold by the
Superintendent of Public Grounds and
Buildings represents surplus of these
| bills.
Acts of Assembly authorizing spe-
| cial publications should contain an
! item appropriating the money neces-
sary to cover the cost of printing,
binding. etc, thus enabling the legis-
lators to arrive at some reasonable
estimate of the cost of such publica-
| tions.
Capitol Park
The Capitol Park Commission. Gre
ated by the act of June 16. 1911. has
conducted its affairs in a thoroughly
| businesslike way, and its members are
entitled to the highest praise. . The
| number of properties in the proposed
park area aggregate 537, of which 4I5
have already been purchased by the
commission, and negotiations are now
under way for the purchase of the
remaining 1872. The transaction of
the rapidly increasing business of the
various departments of the State Gov
ernment makes necessary the acquisi-
tion of this area.
Pan-American Exposition
Tho Panama-Paciiic Exposition
Commission, appointed under the pro-
Of ipf, Of