Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-19
Poeitc4 ;r
Pe.~e4eSoaia
BY the Ex-Committeeman

Governor Brumbaugh is being ad-
vised by his friends to veto the reso-
luton for an investigation of govern
ment in Pennsylvania and the gen.
eral belief here is that he will DO it
and accompany the veto with scath-
ing denunciation of the proposition
as embodied in the resolution as ''un-
fair" and to state that he courts an
impartial investigation. The effect of
such move, argue friends of the
Governor, would be to force the Pen
rose people to make investigations
through committees of the Legisla-
ture in the course of inquiries as to
why appropriations or changes in
laws or methods or anything else
were necessary.
The Governor is not going to lose
any time in acting on the resolution
which should reach him by tomorrow
at noon. He will probably send in
his action on it within two days. His
friends said to-day that a veto would
be sustained in the Senate.
Newspaper comment upon the situa-
ton is rather notable for it's absence.
The few newspapers that do discuss
that the Governor should sign the res
olution, notably the Philadelphia
Ledger and the Philadelphia Evening
Bulletin.
The opinion seems to prevail gen.
orally that there will be little doing
in the Legislature until the middle
of March. The resolution and it's
final disposition and the plan of cam
paign to follow it up will occupy much
attention and the proposition to take
recess until March IL are having
their effect. Legislators are not
showing any great degree of interest
and are getting ready to stay here q
long time when they re-assemble in
March.
The chief point of interest just
now, aside from the probe" is what
the Senate will do with the Cover
nor's appointments and when the Gov
ernor will send in the ad interim nom
nations.
With Senator McNichol in Florida
and Senator Ware in Virginia, the pros
poets for action on anything in the
Senate are not very bright. Senator
Ware is said to be somewhat disgusted
with the way things have been going
lately.
The Pittsburgh Gazette-Times, in
an extended story yesterday, shows up
the operations of the Lake Erie and
Ohio Ship Canal Board in way which
indicates that it has been one of tho
most expensive bodies that ever in
vestigated anything in the State. The
records at the Capitol fail to show a
report except in the last six weeks on
any of the work done since 1913, al
though over $4,000 was spent. The
Pittsburgh newspaper says that Will
liam A. Magee was the dominating
spirit of the boards, both the first and
the second, and that in a letter eX-
planning some questions raised by the
Attorney General he said that there
was but one standard of appreciation
in this country and that the American
dollar. The review of the operations
of the boards contains some interes-
ting and amusing things and the fall
ure to make a report as well as some
of the salaries paid may be the cause
of some legislative inquiry.
The Philadelphia Public Ledger
Is engaging in some interesting dis
cussions these days. 1t insists that
Senator Penrose is getting ready TO
rip" the Public Service Commission
out of office and that he wants to
block the appropriation of funds for
appraisals. This morning it says that
the Penrose people are going to use
the RIPPER as a club over the Gov
ernor and that they will also tie up
Ine nominations OF PUBIC service COM
missioners. These startling pieces of
news were widely read here some
weeks ago.
George D. Thorn, chief clerk of
the State Department, has suggested
q bill to amend the laws governing fill
ing of nominating petitions so that
there shall be twenty days added to |
the period for certifying. which is now
thirty days. The twenty days would
be taken off the period in which to
file and it would not matter as eighty
per cent. of the papers are held back
until the last forty-eight hours any,
way.
Pittsburgh papers say the pro-
posed pure tree" bill would give the |
Secretary of Agriculture powers be-
yond those of the Commissioner of
Health.
The Philadelphia Press to-day |
says: "Nominally the Legislature has |
been in session for nearly two months |
Actually 1t has sat on thirteen legis- |
latiye DAYS and on one no business /