Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-29
Ehrntttg Ul1at,

-''erestlng features about its work
winch are commencing tn attract at
e''ioh outside of Pennsylvania and =
" cause the participants in the ses-
9lon 10 express some wonder them
serves no begin with, the Legisln-
,,,its, LII mas been in session a long time
~ a. very small output 1t started
oil win certain propositions and
pi,assu i,;,SS up most of them. 1t has sur
80, eu lactlonal outbreaks and got
bnir,s .louSh wars alarms without
peiis much disturbed. 1t has Tackled
pyramid of new bills and tnrned
out surprisingly few, preserving tha
statute law almost intact hi,f ad
nanclng the codifications. Rnt while
II mas Deen doing so there has heen
an cement of uncertainty about IL
aIlu anu the unusual political conditions
ne Iesulted IN curious expressions
oil feeling. For instance. the other
DAY some department heads were
Iather sharp in their criticism, of
the position taken by legislators in
lhqu1rlng into minute details of the
operation of their branches of the
government, quite overlooking the
point that the legislative authority
grants the supplies and funds and
mas a right to ask for what they are
employed. And the same day there
were heard some legislators who
We're resenting what they termed
the interference" of departmental
neads in legislative matters. OBJ
!ectlons were made that LEGISLATORS
IN charge of bills dealing with de-
partlnehts were in the habit of con-
SuitlnS the heads of the Highway,
Labor and Industry. Banking, In
surance and other departments and
or talking things over with the At
torhey General before committees
acted. Two years ago they were
roasting the Governor for mixing
INTO legislation and attending COM
hlttees and now the presence of de-
partment heads at committee meet
lnss is occasion for legislative dis
cussion fully as warm as that among
department heads over what they
term the inquisitiveness of the law
makers.
=. one of the signs that the legisla-
i've session is drawing to a close and
that what 1t may do has been dis
counted is indicated by the dwind-
ing of inquiries. A month or so ago
there were inquiries at the offices of
the Two houses and especially at the
Legislative Reference Bureau about
this or that bill or other legislative
details. Now the questions have de-
clined until there are only a few a
DAY and they are chiefly to keen
track of the progress of various
steps in the committees or on the
calendars. The legislators will be
able to close up pretty quickly once
certain matters are adjusted and
possibly the social amenities which
are so much discussed among poll
ticians will have the effect of bring
ing that about.
Insurance Commissioner ]. Denny
u Nell was in New York on Friday
night and Billy Sunday had him
making an address in the big taber-
nacle in which he is achieving such
q success on Broadway. When Sun
day was in Pittsburgh some years
ago Mr.. O'Neil was one of the lead
ers in his campaign. 1t happened
that Friday night the Insurance
Commissioner was in the audience
when Sunday spied him.
Come on up, Denny" he shouted.
There was nothing to it except to
go up. Mr.. O'Neil went up and the
crowd cheered. Then Sunday pro-
ceeded to tell what fine man the
Commissioner is and how he worked
in his county. Now, let him talk to
you himself" concluded Sunday,
which was his way of telling Mr..
O'Neil he was to address the audi
ence.
The Commissioner faced the big
gest audience of his life and got
through with it.
Harrisburg has one member of
the American Press Humorists' AS
sociation, mention of the annual con-
vention of which, soon to be held in
New York, was made in the TELE-
A a-f
member is NJ. H. James, of 1859
Market street, secretary of the Will
liam Penn Highway. Mr.. James has
been a member of the Press Humor-
lists since 1912. when he conducted
a "Colyum" in a Western Pennsyl-
Vania daily. All the press humor-
lists, wherever they may be, are now
on strict diets in preparation for
the June convention, according to
Mr.. James. "a Press Humorists'
Convention" says Mr.. James, 'is just
one joyous banquet after another.
The humorists get so much supreme
of guinea hen and things of that
sort during their annual reunion that
they spend the next fifty-one weeks
in training. The banquets and
lunches average four day, with a
picnic every afternoon that it doesn't
rain. Along about Thursday of the
week such well-known humorists as
'Strick' Gillian, of Baltimore; Ed
die Guest, of Detroit, and Dix Mer-
ritt, of Nashville, are eating court
plaster with each meal so it'll stay
down. Jim Waldron, secretary of
the bunch, has written each mem
ber asking for an autographed copy
of his or her latest book, these books
to be sold for the benefit of the Bel
gian relief fund
And" inquired the Chat man,
politely, 81 presume you have sent
him copies of your complete works."
MY complete works. said the
William Penn secretary, lis six years
old; and he rides the smallest bicycle
in Harrisburg"