Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-11-06
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amount to be put up to the people
at the polls anywhere in Pennsyl-
vania. Chester is voting on q half
million dollar loan for the same pur-
pose and some of the boroughs in the
western part of the State which are
really cities in point of population
are to give their verdict on school
building loans varying from $4,000
to 100000. Indeed, there has not
been an election in years in which so
many school districts were submitting
to their voters the financial end of .
better schools. 1t appears to be a
part or q general move all over Penn
sylvania for improvement of existing
school conditions or, as in the case of
Harrisburg and it's sister shipbuilding
city on the Delaware, of taking care
OF those who can not, but who. are,
entitled to be accommodated Owing
to the hearings at the Capitol and
other matters affecting various parts
of the Commonwealth Harrisburg is
visited by men from every section and
there is, from the conversations of
these visitors, very general interest
In the outcome of the loan vote to-
morrow for two reasons. The first is
that Harrisburg has gone ahead SO
Iast IN the way of municipal improve
menus and made such excellent pro-
vision for extinguishing it's debt that
the state is waiting to see if the cap
ltal city will be as progressive in the
matter of education as in material
thlngs. The second is that previous
down without much consideration.
rms campaign has been better con-
Quoted and the rawlings which char
acter1zed previous school loan votes
nave been less violent than hereto
fore, while no one has injected parti-
san politics into the proposition. The
city has the reputation among edu-
Gators of almost as far behind in the
matter of educational establishments
as 1t is ahead in those improvements
which are classed as municipal.
Therefore. the outcome of the loan
which will make possible an ambitious
plan, In keeping with the standing of
the city, will be watched with in
terest from Lake Erie to the Della
ware. This is little realized by the
average voter, but it is fact that
Harrisburg has taken an advanced
position in the matter of civic affairs
and everything it does attracts at
tention.
Another thing about this election
To- o-morrow which Is out of the ordin-
airy and which will also attract State
wide, If not national, attention, is the
first real test of the initiative and
referendum feature of the 1913 third
class city commission government act.
Ihere have been numerous questions
" Tie VOTERS OIL PGnnSVI-
vania municipalities lately, but it is
said by students of city affairs that the
vote on the so-called jitney Ordinance
amendment will be the first test in a.
good-sized Pennsylvania city of this
proposltion. Hence, what is done
mere VIII be observed and studied in
other towns. The third class city act
is about due for some changes and.
owing to the growing size and multi
plicity of ballots the voter is called
upon to handle, what happens here
may have wide effect. Some months
ago attention was called in this col
umn to ballot containing ia promo
sitlons put before a voter in another
state, over one-half being matters or
moment. This year Harrisburg will
have two ballots.
Simplification of the ballot has been
urged upon Governor Brumbaugh hv
many students of elections and bv
some judges who were asked for their
opinions last Spring and with the
tendency toesubmit this and that to
the voters 1t must seem that some-V
Ihlng would be needed. There are
no county, city, ward or precinct ofo
ncers TO be voted for here to-morrovy
put there is list of names printed
IN the ballot which is appalling when
one thinks of 1t. The main ballot
wnIcn also contains the supreme court
/
subjects for study to say nothing of
consideration of the questions on the
other voting sheet. 1t will be inter
estlng TO compare the votes on the
nigh school loan and the ordinance
aInenofnent with the total of the votes
cast in Harrisburg for the nresidenc,t
Ihe truth is that while there is n
continual demand to ask the will Of
the voters on propositions the voters
are getting tired of having things put
up TO them. The method of obtaining
t tne Judgment is so complicated that
tne average man is growing disgusted.
AS mas been said, Harrisburg he
came famous because 1t secured ponn-
lar approval of loans for improve-
menus and the manner in which the
iscai aHalls In connection Herewith
mas attracted much favorable com
ment: But the questions have been
put berore voters every year or so,
1t is said to be the opinion in otber
places that the State laws should he b
SO changed that it should not he
neg iessessary TO go to all the expense
ure OF authority should be given, If
Is argued, to the men elected by the
same people who vote on loans and
tne like while provision should he
maze when there is pronounced popu-
na lal ulsapproval evidenced by a remon-
ers' Tor instance, to obtain voters,
Judgment. 1t is pretty certain that q
good bit is going to be heard in the
next TWO Legislatures about balloting
NOT only have voters shown a disno.
sltion TO ignore names when a ballot 10
oig, out TO pass up entirely promo
sltiohs When on separate ballots
Inen again frequent changes because
or refusal of election officers to serve
on boards which have to count two
or three sets of ballots do not mako
Tor that efficiency which we exnect
IN conduct of elections. In the last
nan dozen years many men of vain
aple experience on Harrisburg election
boards and possessing fine working
knowledge of election laws have de-
cnned to have anything to do with
electlons because of the doubling. and
IN some cases, trebling of the work
Taken all together II would seer,
that Governor Brumbaugh will have
fruitful field in which to make
recommendations for the next I,egis.
Iature IN regard to the ballot laws
lie has obtained the opinions of many
men and what has happened in Tho
way OF delays in official counts due
10 complicated balloting since he has
peen Governor is matter of record