Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-30
Euftttng Gl1at

or the governors department in the
State Capitol for the formation of the
Pennsylvania committee on public
safety and defense. There have been
many meetings of wide Importance to.
the State held in that room, but MOTH
Ing ever approached the assemblage OF
two days ago. Some one has estimated
that the enterprises and invividual
wealth represented by the men at the
meeting alone aggregated two or three
billion dollars. We are accustomed to
speak lightly of millions and because
of the fearful cost of the war the use
of the word billion is getting to be
something which is no longer employ
ed with sense of awe. The big rail-
road, coal, steel and oil industries
which had men present to proffer their
support comprise investments over the
billion and half mark If they do not
reach two billions. 1t was one of the
most remarkable aggregations of cap
ttal and influence ever gotten together
In Pennsylvania and the idea of
uniting these captains was well ex-
emplitied by the fact that man at the
head of one of the greatest utility
side college president and men of
political power that is national in
character discussed the common safety
with citizens who owned couple of
farms.
The scope of the plan adopted by
the meeting has attracted attention in
other States. Chairman Pepper in his
original draft covered fifteen depart
ments to which Governor Brumbaugh
has suggested that two more be added.
One of these will be agricultural con-
servation. 1t will be the first systema-
tic effort the State, as represented by
its recognized leaders, has ever made
to have the production of food on
other lines of supply and demand as
understood in a limited district. Tho
idea of Commissioner Dixon, Presi-
dent Sparks and others was to let the
farmers and land owners know Just
what the State needed and to do now
what England after two and a half
years of war is commencing to do in
the way of concentrating agriculture.
Even If war should not come there is
no question but that the State has
learned valuable lesson and that the
next emergency will find Pennsylvania
prepared to furnish information in
stead of making ready to get the facts.
1t comes as something of shock after
all these years of building up depart
ments of the State government to find
that there are but one or two which
really know about the lines of activity
which they are required to regulate.
Some day, perhaps, there will be Il
branch of the military end of the State
government authorized to keep it's
hand on things likely to be of moment
in war. Germany, officially cogniZant
of everything, has been conspicuously
successful in that line.
Another thing which will come from
the meeting will be a recognition OF
the part labor will play in prepared
ness. One of the functions of the COM
mittee will be to find out where labor
can be had on short notice and in con-
siderable numbers. This is one of the
problems of the day in industry. 1t is
of infinitely more importance in time
of war. There are thousands of men
who would be glad to give their hands,
which is all many of them have, in
case of trouble il they knew where to
put their names on the lists 1T will
be the business of the committee to
reach these men and arrange to call
on them.
In these momentous days when the
spirit of '76 is being rekindIed, the
| loyal citizenry of the nation rushing
to the support of the Commander-in-
| Chief of the Army and Navy and
eagerly manifesting its patriotism and
devotion to the sacred emblem of
| freedom. a preparedness movement
| that has received little attention be-
cause of the stealth which has marked
| its progress, is sweeping over the
| country. The centers of this prepared
ness movement are the public Ii
braries in every city, town and ham
let, in the United States. While some
are waving Rags. others enlisting in
| the armed forces or directing the
mobilization of the industrial and fl
nancial resources of the nation. there
| is in every community n steadily
growing company of patriots who, by
reason of their age or physical con-
dition, are prevented from entering
| o. more active service under the flag,
are giving expression to their love for
their native land in the reading of
| the patriotic poems and hymns OF
| America Should one visit the State or
the city library these days he would
find young and old, men and women,
| boys and girls, reading the patriotic
and National books that may be
found on its shelves. Not only are the
people of Harrisburg taking advan-
tage of this opportunity to familiar
| ize themselves with the soul-stirring
literature but many books are being
sent to all parts of the State.
The discussion of plans for mobili-
zation of agriculture is going far be-
yond what the average man thinks.
The farmers have been worrying over
possibilities of war for some time and
the question was put up squarely by u
Cum berland county farmer yesterday
when he asked man connected with
the State government where he was
going to get the men to farm. This
man, and there are many like him.
has a farm of about $50 acres. He
says that he is willing to put every
foot of it into the raising of food and
to plant whatever crops the people in
the van of the preparedness movement
suggest. But, he asks where is the
labor to come from? This man has
only himself and family on the farm.
The wife and children do some of the
work but one mans hands can not go
very far on $50 acres.