Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-05-01
WILL DISCUSS THE
COMPENSATION ACT
important Meeting to Be Held in
the Office of the Governor
Next Tuesday
AMENDMENTS PROPOSED
Removal of Common Law De-
fenses Has Stirred Up Consider
able Objection Lately

Capitol Hill is awaiting with con-
siderable interest the conference to
be held next Tuesday between Gov
ernor Brumbaugh and twenty-six
senators on the compensation acts
now pending in the upper house. The
members of the lower house are
watching what the senator's do as the
action of the Senate must be approved
by the House
| One of the points said to be disturb
ing some OF the senators is the provi-
sion of the bill which deprives the
employer of his common law defense
in case he does not choose to "volun-
tarilys accept the provisions of the
workmen's compensation acts. The
common law defense includes the
"contributory negligence fellow SER
want and similar pleas. II appears
some apprehension has been mani
tested among manufacturers in regard
to this provision, and the senator's
have been hearing from employers in
their districts. A number of other
points will be brought up in the con-
| ference
1t is said the Senate may not under
take to act finally on the compensation
bills next week. Some amendments
are almost certain to be made follow
| ing the conference with the Governor,
and this would necessitate reprinting
one or more of the bills, which would
defer the possibility of action until
Wednesday or later. 1t is even re-
ported that a public hearing may be
held on the bill week after next, which
would accord with the report that the
Senate leaders are in favor of holding
off the final adjournment until after
May IS.
In regard to the conference the
Governor said: "The twenty-six sem
ators have asked for a conference on
the compensation bills to take up GER
tain provisions. They said they were
not in with the leaders of the Senate
and, therefore, were not familiar with
the situation regarding the compensa-
tion legislation. The Attorney General
will be present to explain any provi-
sions I the senators desire. If
the senators can show us that
amendments should be made. we will
be glad to grant the concessions. It is
to be a friendly discussion of the bills
with view of giving the senators
more light on the subject"
Anxiety of the teachers in the
Philadelphia schools that the Tomp-
kins teachers pension bill would wipe
out the pension system now in opera
ton in the school system there will be
relieved by the announcement made by
Governor Brumbaugh yesterday that
he would not sign the measure IL it
passes the Legislature unless school
districts of the first class, Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh, are exempted from its
provisions. A delegation from Pitts
burgh, made up of members of the
Board of Education or that city, called
upon the Governor. The measure has
passed the Senate and is now in the
! House committee.
The Hackett bill amending the
woman labor law OF last session, so as
to permit longer working hours for
women in hotels and restaurants, and
which passed the Senate sometime ago,
has been amended by the judiciary
| general committee of the House, so
that the age limit for night work. be-
tween p. m. and 6 a. m, shall be
twenty-one years instead of eighteen.
/ Otherwise the committee approves the
bill as it passed the Senate.
| Some Democratic machine men
have come into their own this week.
These Pennsylvania postmasters were
appointed Friday: John A. Miller, Ar
mold; Roscoe II. Brunstetter, Clarion
Levi A. Moore, East Downington; Pat
| rick Bernard Egan. Emporium
| Charles Fl. Lapsley, Glassport; John j
German. Houtzdale; j. P. Owens
Scottdale.