Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-15
PoGtic4 III
Pe~~e4GSa"io
By the Ex-Committeenan

Commissioner Robert X. HOung Will
not be able to assume his duties for
a long time to come because of the
accident suffered while fishing. Mr..
Young, who is in Tioga county hos
pital, has taken the oath of office.
Mr.. Magee said last night that he
had sent his resignation to the Gov
ernor to take effect this evening,
when he expects to complete work
assigned to him as a member of the
commission. He will probably leave
for acknowledgements to assume
direction of his canvass. The COM
missioner said that he had nothing
to add to his statement that he re-
signed to become a candidate for
mayor. The public service company
law provides that no person while
serving as a commissioner may be a
candidate for office.
Whether the Governor will hold
open the commissionership until after
the election and name Mr.. Magee II
he should happen to be defeated is
a matter that is interesting Capitol
Hill.
1t is authoritatively denied to-
day that Commissioner of Labor and
Industry John Price Jackson would
resign in the event that he was called
United States engineer officers re-
serve corps. In such event he will
be given leave. Stories about Com
missioner of Health Dixon and Fire
Marshal Port were pronounced
ridiculous at the Executive Depart
ment.
Much interest was manifested at
the Capitol to-day in the visit which
Frank B. Black, whose term as High
way Commissioner ends to-day, will
pay here this week. Mr.. Black will
be here tonight or tomorrow on
personal business and whether he
will make any further statement is
what is keeping the Capitol buzzing.
Mr.. Black has steadfastly refused to
make any further statements, hold
ing that his letter of resignation was
enough.
While there are persistent re-
ports that Chief Engineer w. H.
Uhler and others connected with the
State Highway Department will re-
sign, there is no sign of anyone do
ing so until Il new commissioner is
named, and maybe not then unless
asked to step out. The Governor has
given no sign as to whom he will
select. Insurance Commissioner O'Neil
is not a candidate for the place and
it is said thai Secretary of Agricul-
ture Patton is content to let things
take their course and to accept the
place if the strong Philadelphia in
fluences favorable to him induce the
Governor 20 choose him.
Newspaper comment upon the
Black resignation continues through
out the State. The Wilkes-Barre Rec
ord and the Pittsburgh Gazette
Times sharply criticise the Governor
and the Philadelphia Evening Bulle-
tin closes up an editorial unfavorable
to the Governor with this paragraph:
And not infrequently the party pays
the penalty for the performance of a
clique or faction, which has assumed,
and has been permitted to assume.
the seat and reins of authority. That
is the situation in Pennsylvania to-
day, and from this time on 1t is not
Mr.. Brumbaugh who will be held to
account for the scandals of State ad.
ministration, but the party and the
leaders who failed in their duty when
opportunity was offered them to de-
mand answers and explanations, with
authority"
Auditor General Charles A. Sny-
der does not propose to run chances
in recognizing any of the officials re-
appointed by the Governor after re-
lection by the Senate either through
payments or official association on
boards. In addition to refusing to
pay men appointed by Secretary Pat
ton and superintendent Long since
July 8 on the ground that they are
illegally holding office and therefore
can not appoint anyone to place, he
let Banking Commissioner Lafean
know again that he would not sit
with him on the various finance
boards. The meetings of the boards
were held while Mr.. Lafean was
away and when he came back and
protested he was told just what
would have happened had he at
tended. To avoid interruption of
business for the present nothing will
be done.
pittsburgh dispatches say that
the Magee candidacy may result in
Insurance Commissioner O'Neil and
William Finn being found behind
DIR. ]. P. Kerr at the primaries and
Magee be running on his own hook.
The Armstrong people will be for
E. V. Babcock. The Philadelphia
Record says that Magee's candidacy
has divided the Brum paugh forces
in Pittsburgh. II is believed there
will be one of those sudden over
night realignments common to Pitts
burgh after the primaries. In any
event the State administration is
banking on Magee being able to cap
ture Pittsburgh so as to have the
western city In line, with Philadel-
phia under Mayor Smith and the
Wares when the state ticket Is to be
named. Pittsburgh is in for one of
the grandest little fights in years.
William B. Smith, picked in the
gossip of the Capitol and in the talk
of the Rialto in Philadelphia for
chief of the bureau of statistics and
information in the Labor and Indus
try Department, is said to be still
waiting for official notice. The Gov
ernor's office and the commissioners
office to-day said there was no word.
Governor BruInpaugh favored
the Independent element in Chester
county politics yesterday when he
appointed Robert G.. Kay as county
controller to succeed the late Isaac
Y. Ash. Kay lives in West Chester
and is a lumber dealer with Phila-
delphia connections. He is a friend
of DR.. G. NJ. Phillips and will prob
ably be a candidate for nomination
and election. The Republican or
eanization headed by Senator T. L.
| Eyre, who is anti-Brumbaugh, will
| back someone else. The Kay ap-
pointment followed very close on the