Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-15
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By the Ex-ConarnitteemAA

Final touches will be put on the
committee lists for the Senate and
House and to the general legislative
program for the session of 1917 by
Senator Boies Penrose and his friends
this week. When the Senator finishes
the work and the committee lists are
out the State administration people
will have a war council of their
own in an effort to take into their
ranks those who may be offended by
the committee selections and who will
not acquiesce in the provisions of the
Penrose program, especially in regard
to probes, etc.
The State administration people are
disposed to pursue a policy similar
to that of the Wilson administration
in regard to Mexico, chiefly because
there is not much else to do and to
provoke fight might lead to disaster.
Also it is planned to see what atti-
tude Senator Ware will take since
President protein Beidleman has de-
clared he should have his old place
as head of the committee which will
pass upon all Philadelphia and all
other city legislation and other bill
lets in committees. State Chairman
Crow is also disposed to take steps
to get the South Philadelphia lead
er's heart softened. 1t is said that
Senator Ware was one of those who
saw the hopelessness of the Cox
speakership campaign from the be-
ginning but that he could not pre-
vail upon his brother, the congress-
man, and others from urging the
governor to fight.
Senator Penrose has met men
from almost every county in the last
week and has sounded out sentiment
and found out more about the general
situation in regard to legislation, ad-
ministration and expectation than he
has known for months. The plans
will be Tade by a small council and
Will develop gradually. The Phila-
delphia Inquirer, which is always well
informed on the Penrose plans, says
to-day that the senator will have
introduced a bill providing for the
reorganization of the Public Service
body by reduction of the number of
commissioners to he appointed by the
Governor and by including as an ex-
officio member of the commission the
| secretary of Internal Affairs who is
elected by the people. Penrose
charges that patronage of the pres
ent Public Service Commission has
been used to exploit the political for
tunes of the Brumbaugh-Vare com
bination and to reward members of
the Legislature and county leaders
who have been affiliated with the
! State administration. The Penrose
men plan attacks upon a number of
such appointments and declare it will
be shown that politics have largely
entered into the administration of this
commission. AS a check upon further
activities of Brumbaugh adherents or
future State administrations, the
| Penrose men will incorporate in their
bill covering the reorganization of the
Public Service Commission a provis-
ion that the Secretary of Internal
Affairs shall not only be a member of
the commission but also its president
ana that in him shall be lodged all
power of appointment or removal of
subordinates of the commission"
| 1t is said that Governor Brum-
baugh while in Philadelphia discussed
matters pertaining to appointment of
men 10 NIL the vacancies in the public
service commissionership, the banking
commissionership and other places
and that he has decided he will not
make any moves until about the first
| of February. One of the reasons will
be to see the disposition of the Senate,
which will be shown pretty promptly
IN the matter or the appointment of
ID. Edward Long, of Franklin county
to be superintendent of Public Print
| ing and Binding.
Opening of the headquarters of
the State Grange will occur within a
few days and it is probable that the
headquarters will be an active source
of propaganda for the things in which
the grangers are interested. Some of
the older grangers are not disposed to
allow the grange to be the tail to any
| factional kite or to take a hand in
either Republican or Democratic poll
| tics as some may try to do.
| According to the PHILADELPHIA
Record, the city administration in
philadelphia is planning to ask the