Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-09-05

Charles Johnson, for years Re-
publican leader of Montgomery
county, former resident clerk of the
House and Insurance Commissioner
from 1911 to 1916. was last night
announced by Auditor General
Charles A. Snyder as his first deputy
auditor general. Mr.. Johnson will
assume office at once.
Mr.. johnson has been mentioned
for places in the State Treasury and
Auditor Generals department and
last night Mr.. Snyder, who had been
in Pottsville all day in a court case,
telephoned to the Capitol that he
had appointed Mr.. Johnson. The
new first deputy, who will be paid
5000 a year, takes a place made
vacant since o. H. Graf, first deputy
for sixty days under A. w. Powell,
resigned. Graf retired when Powel's s
term ended.
The new commissioner is we'll
known here. He was sheriff of Mont
gomery county, delegate to many
conventions, member of the State
committee, resident clerk from 1901
to 1911 and Insurance Commissioner
for five years. He is now treasurer
of the Republican state committee.
The appointment coming so soon
after announcement of appointment
of Insurance Commissioner ]. Denny
O'Neil to be Highway Commissioner
and Charles A Amber to be Insur-
ance Commissioner gave much to
talk about on Capitol Hill.
O'Neil States Policy
Commissioner O'Neil made his first
statement at Pittsburgh late yester
day and declared that he did not
propose to make his department a
political machine, adding that he did
not propose to allow politicians to
dictate to him, either. Mr.. O'Neil
enunciated his well-known idea that
the roads should be placed in first
class condition for any military move
ments, considering that this was the
most important work that he could
undertake.
In the course of his statement he
said: THE road department will not
be operated as a political machine
and will not be dominated by poll
ticians. Efficiency. honesty and serv-
ice will be the sole test of merit and
no employe will be removed who
measures up to the above standard
but no employe will be retained who
is not efficient and who fails to rem
der a fair return to the state for
his salary, it will not make any diff
ference how great his political in
fuence is or who his hackers are.
at have no apology to make for
giving up my position as Insurance
Commissioner. This office has been
reorganized and placed on strictly
| business basis.
Attorney General Francis Skunk
Brown has agreed to take full charge
of the civil and criminal suits against
| the parties responsible for the wreck
| ing of the Pittsburgh Life and Trust
! Company and / will be glad to give
as much of my time as may be nee
essary in assisting the prosecutions
| of the suits"
Commissioner Amber in a state
ment issued at Philadelphia said that
| he did not propose to make any
changes in his department and would
continue the good work of Mr.. O'Neil
He said: "Mr. O'Neil conducted the
Insurance Department in a praise
worthy manner, and no part of his
administration could be criticised.
| intend to continue the good work oi
insurance reform started by Mr.
! O'Neil. l have not yet fully ac.
quainted myself with all of the duties
| of the office, but | will follow Just
one principle while I am at the heaG
of the Insurance Department. I will
| try to make every insurance policy
issued in this state as safe for the
holder as it is possible to make it.
Pennsylvania has good insurance
laws on its statute books. Some OF
them were enacted last spring under
the direction of Mr.. O'Neil. BY
rigidly enforcing every one of then
| l believe that a repetition of the
Union Casualty Company scandal ir
Pittsburgh last winter would be i'm.
! nOSsihle" a"