Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-02
LEGISLATURE HAS
PROGRAM Big WITH
IMPORT TO STATE
Statutes to Which Governor
elect Brumbaugh Pledged
Himself Will Be ressed
to Enactment.

ine l2lst Legislature, which convenes in
harrisburg at noon next Tuesday, will
enact virtually all OF DR.. Martin q. Brum-
oaughs campaign pledges into law, said
politicians today. Political leaders ex-
peet the session to be harmonious, but
see danger of night with the new Gov
ernor on the local option question.
The first sklrmish In the local option
lsht VIII occur In the Republican caucus
III harrisburg Monday night. The Gov
ernor-elect during his campaign frequent
~ pledged himself to the enactment of
local option law. The liquor interests
Oh course Will bitterly oppose the pas
SAGE of any such measure.
The stlrmish will centre around the
selection OF the Republican nominee for
speaker. The legislature is overwhelm-
lngly Republican, so the election OF the
speaker will really be held the night be-
tore the Legislature convenes and the ac-
ton of the House itself will be merely n
Tauncauon OF the action taken by the
Republicans in their caucus
SPEAKERsHIP CANDIDATES.
Charles a. Amber, of MONTGOMERY
County, the local option candidate, who
has the support of the Governor elect is
leading In the fight He was brought
forward by Doctor Brumbaugh and SEN
ator Ware two weeks ago, on the day
Senators Penrose, McNichol and Ware had
announced they would hold conference
to select the Speaker. The conference
was never held. Senators Penrose and
McNlchol have since then maintained
silence regarding their choice, thus duiet-
ly assisting in promoting Ambler's can
didacy
Richard ]. Baldwin, Of Delaware, who
len1inrv in tha haT a..
trance of Amber, Is still fighting hard
Tor the honor. He has opened headduar-
ters in Harrisburg, and asserts that a
majority OF the Republican members of
the House have pledged MIN their support
Henry /. Wilson. OF Jefferson. is the
only other candidate who Is expected to
como before tho caucus He entered the
race at about the same time as Amber
and is looked upon by many politicians
as the dark horse who will be brought
forward in the improbable event OF n
deadlock between Amber and Baldwin
OLD RULES IN FORCE.
The next Legislature will return to the
old rules. and under these rules the
Speaker of the House names all of the
House committees. The Speaker, there
fore, will name the Law and Order Com
mittee, to which any local option meas
ure introduced In the House will be re-
ferred. The moral strength of having as
Speaker a man who favors local option is
also causing friends of the Governor
elect to make hard fight to have Amber
selected.
The silent agreement OF Senators PEN
rose and McNichol to the selection OF
Amber is accounted for by politicians by
the fact that the liquor interests have de-
termined to kill local option bill in the
Senate. They point out that Penrose and
McNichol control the next Senate and
that they can agree to almost anything
so far AS the House is concerned, and
then knife it in the Senate
Another point that they have brought
out is that the personnel Of the Law
and Order Committee Of the House does
not materially affect the fight, since the
local option question Is of SO much popu-
lar Importance that any committee would
not dare to bury It and would have to
report it out Of committee to prevent a
storm of protest.
The Legislature will convene and or
Eanize at noon on Tuesday. and then ad-
journ for two weeks. to reconvene after
Doctor Brumbaugh is inaugurated as
Governor at noon on january 10.