Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-20
Ehrntmg Gl1at

| is second only In dignity 10 the appel
late court and which follows forms
and traditions in many ways, has
succumbed to the march of events.
Lake the Supreme court of the Unit
ed States, which did not permit any
one to take notes during it's sessions,
it las provided table for newspaper
reporters. For years this tribunals
which exercises powers above the
courts and which has the final deter
mination of life and death in homi-
eide cases because Of extraordinary
prerogatives conferred by the consti-
tuition, has been conducting its busi-
ness with only provision for eclerks
and attorneys. Lately the cases be-
fore it have been of such moment and
have attracted SO much attention that
the board at its last meeting ordered
table provided for reporters.
Some odd requests come to the Of
flee of the Governor. Every year or
so there is an outbreak OF efforts to
secure licenses as detectives, although
such authority is q matter for the
courts to confer. The other day q
man wrote to the executive departs
ment for detectives license and aft
er giving his life history said thatshe
could be looked up at lis home town.
where he was known as "Nick Hawk
eye, the Night Flyer"
The proposed\ Pennsylvania build
ing code, just issued by the Depart
ment of Labor and Industry and the
State Building Code commission, is
the most formidable document sent
out from the Capitol in many day.
1t contains over 1900 provisions in
425 pages, closely printed, and not
only takes care of everything from
the size of foundations, but gives pro-
visions for rat and fly proofing. Peo-
pie who have been writing here MAX
ing inquiries have been sent copies
of the book with suggestions that
they readkit.
There is talk throughout some OF
the more progressive communities of
the state in favor of creating the
state office of municipal planner.
Many of the small towns cannot af-
ford to do what Harrisburg has done
employ experts in city planning out
of current revenues-but it is gener-
ally conceded that expert advice is
! needed in the development of the
smaller towns of the state and the
only way possible appears to be the
employment of such man, or men,
by the state. Some of the borough
representatives in town this week for
the law committee meeting talked
over the matter, but no formal ac-
, ton was taken.
The Harrisburg Rotary club is
planning several open air meetings
the coming spring. One will be held
in nc the pnnSfS nf H. Nv
Lewis and on another evening the
club will go to the cottage of Ed S.
Black the artist, at Perdix.
Major w. j. Crookston, sanitary
inspector of the Seventh division, as
. the National Guard of Pennsylvania
in the federal service was known, is
the last Pittsburgher to be mustered
, out of the active service. He left for
his home last night to resume his
practice after. about two and half
years of strenuous military duty
Major Crookston's colleagues on the
staff of General Clement say he was
the first and the last of the Pitts
burghers in the Mexican border serv-
ice. He arrived at Mt Gretna ahead
of the troops and made the sanitary
: inspection of the camp, gradually
: bringing in play the regulations
( which made the camp of the Sew
: enth division the best from a sanitary
U STANDPOINT, at least, at inc
! major is remembered for the vigor
. in which he handled some situations
. at camp and for his Punishment OF
: the suffers. He took the position that
o the soldiers should eat and drink only
I what the army regulations provided.
, He had to fight to get it done, but he
: succeeded and the very low death and
I sick rate in the Seventh division camp
v tells it's own story. Major Crookston,
by the way, saw more of the Euro
q pean war than almost any Pennsyl-
< vanian. He was surgeon in charge of
I the Red Cross hospital at Buda Pesth
/ and was then sent into Galicia to ex-
, anime into sanitary conditions fol-
lowing the Austrian rout of the Rus
slams Next he was sent to inspect
prison camps in Germany and Au-
stria, and finally dispatched by the
Red Cross to Russia, where he went
through every prison camp from st.
Petersburg to Vladivostock. crossing
Siberia and going to towns he had
never heard of. And when that was
ended he went to the prison camps
of England. Major Crookston's work
as sanitary inspector has been one of
the most interesting phases of the
work in the Seventh division.
Harry S. McDevitt, counsel for the
Economy and Efficiency commission.
who has been making a study of the
budget system, used to be a newspa-.
perman. Then he became a lawyer
in Philadelphia.