Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-24
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BY the Ex-Committeeman

Presence of Governor Brumbaugh
and Senator Penrose in Philadelphia
to-day has caused the center of in
terest in political affairs to shift to
that city. Both the Governor and the
Senator will meet their friends to-day
and plans for the future of the Legis-
ture will be discussed with a serious
ness that has been lacking lately.
The Governor is expected to act on
the investigation resolution on Mon
day. Friends here say he will veto it
| because to do otherwise would cause
disturbance in the State government
al routine that would take months to
iron out, while others are urging him
to sign it because 1t will be a defiance
of enemies and a challenge to bring
Oh anything. In the event that the
Governor Vetoes the resolution and is
sustained there will be some investi-
cations made by standing committees
created by concurrent resolutions and
various departments, including that OF
the Auditor General, will be gone into.
AS the legislators will take a recess
next Wednesday until March IL. 1t is
not expected that there will be large
attendance in either branch next week
and but little business will be done.
The plans for the future of the investi-
cation proposition will be worked out
during the recess. Both branches are
scheduled to meet Monday night and
be put in promptly. The Senate may
adjourn on Tuesday but the House
will stick at work until Wednesday
noon. The general lack of legislative
interest is manifest at the Capitol,
everyone being now waiting until the
probe" proposition is settled.
Its funny how legislation runs in
cycles. Bills turn up year after year
and when n new member gets an old
idea dressed up he has grand time
over it. Now we have the bills to
prohibit the use of cigar-cutters and
to abolish running-boards on street
cars, which are biennial blooms. This
| year they happen to be in the hands
of men of more or less experience in
| the Legislature and not much is heard
about them. But along comes a new
member with bill to prohibit max
| ing and sale of cigarets and the pub
| licity that he grabs must be very
gratifying. The bill to require electric
headlights on locomotives is about due
and it will get the usual notice. But
| the funniest of all is the attention
given to that ancient problem-taxa-
! ton of domestic animals. In 1907
some one presented a bill to license
horses and it was followed by new bills
to license dogs and then some one cap
ped the climax in 1909 with a bill to
/ license cats. In 1913 two bills to Ii
cense Toms and Marias" were pre-
sented.
Auditor General A. w. Powell last
evening denied with emphasis the re-
port that there had been friction be-
! tween himself and Deputy Auditor
| General c. E. Wilcox, whose resig-
nation was accepted yesterday, but
Capitol corridors are full of reports
II Nk..a,
The Auditor General yesterday threat
ened all sorts of dreadful things to
newspapermen if they discussed stor-
les which have been afloat. 1t is un-
derstood that Mr.. Wilcox resigned
two days ago. Powell has been in
the limelight many times since he took
his Office and his term Will be up in
May One of the interesting facts in
connection with yesterdays explosion
is that newspapers which have been
eXtolling Powelfs business methods
to-day roast him.
Chester w. Cummings. named as
referee in compensation to succeed
the late f. X. Saylor, is a former
Mayor of Lancaster, a noted golfer
and prominent Republican. He has
many friends in this city. The ref
erees receive salaries of $4,000 and
Mr.. Cummings will have the same
district as Mr.. Saylor. His headquar-
hold hearings where needed, includ-
ing a number in this city because of
its central location.
Christopher Kopp, appointed a
deputy factory inspector to-day, is a
protege of William A. Magee, accord
ing to Capitol gossip. He lives on the
North Side of Pittsburgh. old Allie
| gheny, and was named to succeed
James HaZelett, q brother-in-law of
David, Johns, who was named to a
place in the State Fire Marshal's
office.
Senator w. d. Craig, of Beaver,
, has started an inquiry into the why
and the wherefore of the item In the
appropriation bill for the expenses and
fees in the Harmony escheat In which
the State seems to have paid over so
per cent of value to get some prop
erty, Lawyers appear to have done
well, Henry g. Wasson, late Republi-
can State chairman, getting a $4,000
fee.
Philadelphia authorities have
started a new suit for fees against