Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-16
HABGOOD WINS IN
ADVERTISEMENT WAR
House Accepts His Amendments
by a Decisive Majority Against
Powell Plan

Representative Robert p. Habgood,
fighting for the newspapers whose ad-
vertising bills have been held up by
Auditor General Powell, won notable
victory in the House of Representa-
tives last night and defeated we'll
planned campaign to enable the
Auditor General to continue his tao
tics. The House was with him and
after a prolonged debate accepted his
amendments by the decisive vote of
146 to As. These amendments were
to the McCaig bill, carrying SAG, ,040.S0
to meet the deficiency in the funds for
payment of cost of advertising consti-
tutional amendments in 1912, 1913
and 1914, which establish procedure
in making settlements. The amend
ments. which were offered by Mr..
Habgood, Mexican, provided that the
Auditor General shall pay the bills on
the same rate he has paid for other
State advertising sent from other de-
partments since June /. 1913, or in the
case of newspapers not having State
advertisements from other State de-
partments under his administration,
then at the rate that was paid in 1903,
1910 or 1911. The Auditor General
and State Treasurer are directed to
pay within twenty days after approval
OF the act
Mr. Habgood followed up his victory
by presenting a bill which requires
newspapers to file their prices at the
Capitol before any State advertising
of any kind is given to them and pro-
hibits State officials from giving ad-
vertisements to those who do not
Boiled down, the speeches of Mr..
Habgood in the debate were that Mr..
Powell had not been fair and that he
had paid the Philadelphia North
American in full and had held up
other papers and that the North
American in denouncing other papers
and giving list of bills had not in
cluded its own as one which had been
cut. He said that the Auditor General
had paid papers for advertising other
than that for constitutional amend
ments at the same rate which he has
refused to pay for amendment adver-
tising and that the State was refusing
to pay 100 cents on the dollar. Mr..
Wilson, Philadelphia, tried to stem
the tide against Powell's methods and
got from Mr.. Habgood the retort that
the newspapers were not asking any
thing unfair, but a square deal. Mr..
Wilson declared it an outrage and an
effort to tie the hands of the Auditor
General. Mr.. Baldwin, Delaware,
backed up Mr.. Habgood saying the
amendment was not unfair at all and
remarking that the Auditor General
had been in controversy with depart
ment chiefs and citizens about bills
and had been told by the courts what
he must do and what he could not do
He called attention to the payment for
other advertising and said that bills
should be paid if fair. He advocated
passing the amendment so that all
could read it. Mr.. Wilson, he said
was unduly alarmed.
Mr.. Williams asked why newspapers
had not appealed to court or asked
right to sue. to which Mr.. Habgood
reioined that it would mean 800 suits
and that Mr.. Powell had not been fail
because he had not followed the prece.
dents of Messrs. Young and Sisson, his
predecessors in the office. The news.
papers, he said, were not trying tc
mulct anyone.
The last House got a bill from the
Secretary of the Commonwealth tC
limit this advertising to two papers
in county, but ii never got out OF
committee" said he. "The last l., gis-
lature had chance to say what il
wanted done and that is what il did.
Mr.. Habgood charged that the North
American was paid 81. $50 and its bill
not cut a dollar, but that other papers
were held up. This made a big i'm
preston in the House. Mr. Habgood
said members were either under a mis-.
biAhti vi ODtI INSPIRATION
Replying to Mr.. Spangler. York
who butted in for moment, Mr.. Hab.
good said that the purposes of the
Auditor General were beyond him anC
that he had lain awake nights trying
to fathom Powell's ideas. but gave il
up. Once he. said he had no money
but he personally understood $1S,O0C
was available.
II. 7, Wilson deplored absence OF
contracts and the general mixup, tC
which Mr.. Habgood replied there wa.
no miXuD, but gave the idea that there
had been holdup. Mr.. Wilson ther
tried to have the matter recommittet
and Chairman Woodward, of the ap
preparations committee replied tha
there was no occasion to recommit a
all. The bill, he said, provided funds
and it is up to the Auditor General
The House refused to recommit ant
after colloquY between Baldwin anC
W. III. Wilson. in which the Delawar,
man answered in his own way to tn,
amusement of the members and thu
galleries. Finally Wilson laughed him
self and gave it up.
Mr.. Baldwin called attention to tn,
procedure in preceding administra
i tions in the Auditor Generals offic
and the House adopted Habgood'
amendments and passed the bill ol
second reading.
CL D I'll