Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-09-04
Suggests Reforms
To the Editor of the Telegraph:

v f'N %-S''Sf " P'e tfebiufNH
AS a friend of yours and your
paper I send you some notes and
talks on timely subjects and things
that you do we'll to comment on.
These matters are not idle vapor-
ings, but the information is gained
from personal knowledge and expert
ence and from talks with others; on
the streets. in cigar and other stores
and shops, not bar-rooms. however,
and in social clubs and lodge rooms.
The Coal Situation: Coal ought
to be cheaper than it is in this city.
Coal firms make too much money
and profit on ton of coal. Did you
ever hear of q coal dealer failing
in business? Their statement that
they must have $1.75 q ton for de-
livering is preposterous. L know the
time when coal firms paid but $3.50
per day for a man ana his team and
the latter had to haul out ten loads
for a days work, thus making the
average about 25 cents a ton. OF
course it costs more now, but they
can make money at charge of 75
cents per ton for hauling. With my
knowledge of the situation. allowing
a safe profit for the dealers, the
prices of coal here should be as fol-
lows: 5000 for pea; egg, $3.50; nut,
$3.50.
Girls High School: 1t is agreed
by most all voters that this should
be at Boas and Front streets, but
that no such price as 100000 should
be paid the McCormicks for the
ground. This plot is assessed at $780,
500 and was offered the Messiah Lu-
therans about year ago for $780,
600 and no more than this amount
should be paid by the School Board.
To place THIS new building ut North
and Cowden and Briggs would cost
far more money, and it would then
only have fine perspective in its
front, the new Capitol Park. AS for
its eastern side ana the rear, 1t would
be bounded by coal, lumber, lime,
cement and junk yards and indus
tries and manufacturing plants of
all kinds, not to mention the rail-
roads, which are belching forth dirt
and smoke and noise necessarily.
City Annexation: While it may
not be unwise. though bound to be
costly, to annex Riverside to the city.
IL would be far more wise to annex
Pleasant View and far more unwise
to annex the cross-river towns. All
the area from Eighteenth to Twenty
fourth streets and from Reservoir
Park to Herr street is practically
part of the city and yet not in it.
1t is nearly all built up and strang-
ers are surprised to learn that it is
not part of the city. AS for the cross
river towns, no one among the great
mass of working people of the city
thinks seriously of annexing them to
Harrisburg. They all say they are
in another county and we do not
want them and that 1t is folly to talk
of taking in scattered communities
that are separated from us by a mile
of water. Thoy are far from uniform
and in their lives, streets and other
characteristics too different in every
way and manner to be even consid-
cred as being taken into the limits
OF Harrisburg.
Our Soldiers and the War: We are
proud of our soldiers but there are
too many people in our city indif-
ferent to them and the cause they
represent. Even at the services con-
Quoted by the chaplain on the island,
there are too many people who are
discourteous and unmannerly in that
they talk or laugh during the serv-
ices and keep moving around like at
festival and cause others discom-
fort besides. Also there are too
many people that care more for their
own social pleasures so that they
will not even give a cent to the Red
Cross or aid them in any manner.
and they make boasts of 1t beside.
Some of them, 1 regret to say, are
church people and church workers
and very attentive to their church
duties, but having no sons in the
service they say the war means
nothing to them and they will not
mar their pleasures by even think
ing of 1t or giving to any worthy
patriotic causes. Then there are
many pro-Germans and 1t Is known
that some members of these fami-
lies work in departments at the Cap
itol. They will not only not give
of their means but decry the war
against Germany as well. We do not
do enough for those boys and men
who have sacrificed their homes and
positions to enlist in the war. Every
one should give a little to every
cause promoted by the soldiers or
their friends. The soldiers should
he allowed to ride on the street cars
free. They will not be with us long
and the Traction Company should
do like the Bride companies; charge
no toll.
Representative Man Chief Mar
shall: Among many men 1t is re-
gretted that Ed G. Humer, who lives
several miles over in Cumberland
county, should be chief marshal of
the parades escorting the departing
soldiers to the trains. They say that
through debts that he owes for a