Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-19
Pseittc4 i~
Pe~~oqe0a"ia
By the Ex-Committeeman

According to stories which are go
ing in political circles the hearing to
be accorded by the joint appropriations
committee next week to members of
the State Commission of Agriculture is
expected to start something in regard
to the appointive power in the Depart
ment of Agriculture. Some antiad-
ministration men have the idea that
there Is friction between the commits
sion and the Secretary OF Agriculture,
although Secretary Patton expressly
denied it at the recent hearing. The
claim is being made that the commits
sion is nothing more than a rubber
stamp body and that it should either
be abolished or be clothed with real
power to appoint or remove.
If the hopes of the men who have
the idea that there is a row under way
in the department are realized a bill
to give the commission wide powers
and to strip the secretary of some of
the authority which 1t is alleged he has
"usurped" will be presented. The in
teresting thing about it is that both
the commission and the secretary owe
their appointments to the Governor and
neither the commission nor the secre-
tary has been confirmed.
Members of the State Senate have
made up their minds that no appoint
ments will be sent to the Senate for
confirmation until after Senator
Charles A. Snyder becomes Auditor
General, and it is said that some of
them do not look for any statement of
the Governors position on recess ap-
pointments to be made until the night
before the Legislature is to take its
recess after acting on appropriation
bills.
Proposed amendments to the State
workmen's compensation system are
likely to figure considerably in the poll
itics of the present legislative ses-
sion. The labor leaders who came here
for the hearing before the House labor
and industry committee are making
strenuous efforts to get Governor
Brumbaugh to declare in favor of
some of the radical changes covered
by the woodward and Michel bills. but
the Governor has maintained the same
position as the Compensation Board
and declined to make any statement
one way or the other. 1t is said that
| the labor leaders will urge him to de-
| clare in favor of some of the provision;
next week when the House committee
is expected to- take action. Some ad
ministration men have been boosting
| the amendments, but ii is stated thai
/
| CATION of labor leaders called at tht
Governors office yesterday to ask hin
| to state his position.
| The visit of William Finn to Har
! risburg continues to be much talked
about and it is expected that some o
! the fruits of IL will turn up in ap
pointments that will be announced be
fore long. 1t was said about the Sen
| ate that Films visit was more to tr!
| and head off the Lynch bill to repea
the nonpartisan election part of tn
second class city act than anything
else. Finn has taken an advanced po
sition on nonpartisan elections and
was wagered to-day that If the Lyncl
bill got through the Governor woul,
veto II.
An interesting story was started Il
| Western Pennsylvania yesterday to tn
effect that Governor Brumbaugh di
not intend to accept the resignation o
Congressman o. ID. Bleakley, of We
mango. and would not call a specia
election. The Governors office state
that while the Bleakley resignation
was in hand nothing had been decide
about what to do with it.
1t is not generally known tina
Congressman are state officers and tn
certificates of their election are sen
from the State Department. The Gov
ernor signs their papers just as h
signs the commission OF the Audito
General.