Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-15
EVENING CHAT

The practical operation of the local
option bill now pending before the
House committee on law and order.
the bill presented by Representative
george W. Williams. of Tioga county,
with the approval of Governor Brum-
bausht means that when voters ap-
proximating one-fourth of the total
number OF votes cast at the previous
general election petition for a special
election whether a county shall be
without license the courts must order
an election. The county unit means
that whole county must vote. not
Harrisburg, Steelton or WilIamstown
separately, but the whole county. If
one takes the vote of Dauphin county
Tor Governor at the last election as a
basis and assumes that the bill be-
comes law, this means that ii would
require one-fourth of the 25,725 per-
sons who voted for Governor in this
county 10 petition for an election on
the question of wet or dry" In
other words. should the law pass this
session. it would take 6,4S1 persons to
sign Tor an election in Dauphin county
and the job of getting so many signers
would indicate pretty concIusiveiy in
aaFanee what the result of the election
would be. Men who have had expert
ehce with petition circulation say that
theE can forecast popular opinion on
the hrst thousand names. II a thou
sahu comes easy il is not hard to get
the rest. In operating the law in
cumberland county. where 11,502
votes were cast for Governor, it would
.ake over $500 signers; in Perry over
1 hn
ata $50. 1t can thus be seen that in
the smaller counties many of which
are dry or nearly so. that a local
option election could be made a de-
cldedly interesting affair for the LIQUOR
people and the action of judges in
refusing to grant licenses wonld prob
abiy be ratified. The Williams bill
aiso carries provision that a local
option election may be held only once
In three years, a wise provision and
once calculated to save the public
treasury money as well. Sentiment in
| iaNor OF local option has grown by
leaps and bounds and the Williams
Dill, II enacted. would probably be in
Noked very quickly in this section of
the State and Dauphin county, an in
dustrial community. would afford
ground for mighty significant test.
\. Fisher Russell. of the United
States quartermasters department,
who was here visiting his mother. Mrs
a. L. Russell. has gone to Washington
TO report for duty after nine weeks
at Vera Cruz and some more weeks
returning To Galveston and attending
to details of troop movements Mr.
russell, who is son of the war time
adJutant general and who was born in
MonteNdeo where his father was min
istet' mas been entrusted with impor
tant work by the army officials. He
possesses q fluent knowledge of Span
isl and has been detailed for work not
only in cuba. but in the Philippines.
Panama. Porto Rico and other places
He was sent to Vera Cruz with the
transport Sumner and came away with
its troops
The numerous bills presented i'm the
legislature to regulate the use of auto
mobiles caused an amusing action by a
Harrisburg man on Saturday This
man keeps abreast of times and see
ing another, who does not own car
nut who often talks about those who
do, about TO pass across street he
stopped and adjusting his windshield
! SAID that he hoped the gentleman
would enjoy his trip across the street
You're unusually solicitous to-day"
commented the man on foot.
The new law requires us to he
careful of those liable to he harmed.
| children, the lame and the halt" fired
| back the auto owner.
! Senator Henry \. Clark. of Erie.
| sponsor of the third class city act
last session. spends the whole session
here and has been putting in his time
discussing the law with visitors to the
city and studying the situation. The
senator has some amendments to the
Law. but believes that it should be
given a good try-out. He has been
closely observing the workings in Har-
risburg. no doubt obtaining much in
terestins information as we'll as
amusement out of them
One of the interesting effects of the
war has been that people are thinking
a lot about next summers crops and
| judging from the way questions have
been asked there are a good many who
intend to plant wheat this Spring and
to push their orchards. They are of
! the opinion that the war is going to
make it worth while TO raise wheat
and that there will be great demand
for fruits for canning for export.