Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-03-11

lieve that the people of the State,
irrespective of party, feel that we owed
this matter to them, namely, that our
! legislative body. when it came to Har-
risburg. would get right down to busi-
ness, get the business of this body
carefully considered and disposed of
and adjourn sine die and save the
State every dollar that we could.
L want to say to the members OF
this House who have not taken the
trouble to examine into the PROPOSE
ton, that ii costs about forty thousand
dollars a month-and / am speaking
conservatiVely, too--every month that
this legislative body is in session. Now
that is the expense of running this
Legislature. II we can save one week
for the State in performing those du-
ties We VIII save ten thousand dollars.
We have now been in session over
two months. l don't believe 1 can say
that-at least within my memory
any legislative body has given as few
days and as few hours to the consider
alton of the business that has been
presented to US. If this condition con-
tinues we will have failed to keep one
OF the pledges TO the people that
every one of us knows we should keep
and can keep. After an experience of
several years here 1 can say to the
members of the House that ;the busi-
ness atmosphere of this House will
III suCH Il HldTheu Nnen
you have decided on a day for adjourn
ment sine die that you will be sur
prised that some member of this House
of experience had not taken this action
earlier in the session.
May 6 Affords Ample Time
Now it. in my opinion, offers ample
time to consider and dispose of the
business that is in front of us l want
to say TO the members that if this
House were to stay in session for
twelve months bills will be continual
ly coming in the most of them on tri-
vial matters; so that there is no nee
essity, in my estimation, for additional |
time over the sixth of May to give
consideration to the legislation that
we will have to consider if we will only
work as we used to work twenty years
ago. every day, and never adjourn
until Friday. When / came to this
House twenty years ago there was no
thought of adjourning this House un-
til Friday: and if YOU will examine
the rules of this House you will find
in the rules a provision for the rule
of order on Friday and there is nobody
here vet found any necessity for that
rule for Thursday until this week; so
that l do hope that the House will pass
this resolution and save the State
and from this on say we are willing
to work five days in the week 1t is an
outrage and a shame that men in this
State will have to come from two to
three hundred miles and have to stay
here five days out of every seven and
wait to work two days.
Now /, perhaps. imagine that
through the minds of some of the
members may be going this thought:
That we have kept the calendar clear
Yes; but when has there been any
time to hold committee meetings il
fsrI,F
Wednesday morning? Why, there is
absolutely no time to bring the legis-
lation out of the committees and put
it on the calendar so that we can pro-
ceed with our business as we should
do.
Now, if this House don't want TO
pass the resolution there is one mem
Der at least who can say that it is not
his fault. and those who do not think
we ought to can carry that responsi-
bility."
Long Debate
Mr.. Whitaker. Chester. moved ref
erence of the resolution 10 the rules
committee giving assurance of prompt
action. He called attention to the
fact that number Of members were
absent and that consideration now
would be premature. Adoption of the
resolution in his opinion would not
correct conditions as big legislation was
yet to come and it had to be carefully
considered.
H. I. Wilson. Jefferson. said the
House should pass the resolution and
put it up to the Senate.
Mr.. Baldwin replying TO Mr. Whit
aker. said that he did not deem it fair
70 hold up the resolution for men who
are not here and who have not been
around much. The House applauded
him.
Mr.. Whitaker said the most impor-
tant bills were yet TO come in and
committee on rules could fix a date
and that although the chairman was
not here he could assure the House
of prompt action.
Mr.. Cromer. Allegheny. said he
would like to fix the date a week ear
lier and that the Commonwealth would
be relieved if the session did not pass
too much legislation.
Mr.. Walter. Franklin. said the alb
sentees should be considered and that
the chairmen of the rules and law and
order committees in charge of big leg
islation were not present.
Mr.. Lanius. York, said that the
home folks were getting tired of see
ing legislators at home in the middle
of the week and that he was ashamed
to go home Wednesdays. THE people
think we are running away from
work." said he.
Mr.. Sones. Schuylkill. remarked that
the remark most freqeuntly heard
when he went home was Back al
ready"
Mr.. Milliron. Armstrong. referring
TO the fact that there were lao new
members in the House, declared that
old members could hide behind them.
"If they call us a kindergarten legisla-
ture," said he. Lets work diligently
for even seven days week and ad-
vance to a higher grade and then hold
a teachers institute"
Mr. Kits. Erie. denounced runaway
legislators and said they deserved no
courtesy. while Mr.. Dunn. PhiIadei-
phia. declared he wanted to stay here
and work. as at home he was impor-
tuned by people on legislation.
Mr.. Forster. Philadelphia. started
to plead for delay, but the sentiment
of the House led to some demonstra-
tions and he said las YOU seem to have
your mind made mp I'll not take up
any more time.
The motion to send the resolution
to the rules committee was lost, 13S
noes TO 2 ayes.
Mr.. Whitaker then moved to defer
the vote until 10 p. III. Monday, but
it-vas laid on the table.
The roll cell was forced on the ques-
tion of adoption by Mr. Cox, Philadel-
phia. and the Baldwin resolution went
through by 137. to 19.
When Governor Brumbaugh was
al q 10 ITnt1Ga ree1fntinn