Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-22
Poe;Ec4 it
Pe~~e4eSonio
BY the Ex-Committeeman

three municipalities of Pennsylvania
to become third-class cities on the
first Monday in January and they
are now being given assistance asked
from the bureau of municipalities of
the State Department of Labor and
Industry. In addition 1t Is likely
that steps to provide aldermen for
the wards into which the new city
of Coatesville divided itself will be
taken.
The new third-class cities are to
be Bethlehem, composed of Bethle-
hem and South Bethlehem, both of
which were incorporated somO time
ago as separate third-class cities,
but legal proceedings set aside the
change; Duquesne and Butler. The
Bethlehems lie In separate counties,
but by an act of 1917 were able to-
vote on consolidation and orecton
into q city. Leaving out the old city
of Parker, which practically gave up
it's charter when the oil boom in its
neighborhood ended and Lancaster,
which is under q special act or It's
own, although rated as q thtrd-class
city, there will be thirty-thr third
class cities after next month.
Hundreds of commissions ranging
from the engrossed parchment pa
pers of the judges to the steel cer-
tificates of justice of the peace and
aldermen are being prepared for
issue at the department of the Sec
retary of the Commonwealth. They
will be for officers taking their
places the first Monday in January
and will be mailed from the Capitol
the day after Christmas.
The Pittsburgh Gazette-TimesI
has this to say about Congressional
elections: Temperance forces in
the Twenty-second Congressional
districts are preparing to oppose the
reelection OF Representative Ste
phen G.. Porter and Guy E. Camp
bell. They provoked this opposition
by voting against the submission of
the prohibition amendment to the
Federal Constitution. While no for
mai action has been taken against
Mr.. Campbell, the machinery of the
League has been set in
motion to start a contest for the seat
held by Mr.. Porter. Members OF the
League in the Twenty
ninth district held meeting yester-
Ninth street, for the pur-
pose of forming an organization in
every voting precinct of the Con-
gressional district. George e. Alter,
former Speaker of the Pennsylvania
House of Representatives, is consid-
cred the logical candidate to oppose
Mr.. Porter. For some time there
has been much favorable discussion
of Mr.. Alter in all parts of the dis
hon ir1iHatad that hal
will respond to the CALL"
Berwick and West Berwick ere
flirting and may consolidate early in
January.
If Councilmen Robert Garland,
J. P. Kerr and w. Y. English, of
Pittsburgh, reflect the opinion of
their colleagues, the Burke act,
which requires the city of Pitts
burgh to pay $3.50 a year additional
to every city employe who receives
$500 or less, will be totally dis
regarded. DR.. Kerr says he was con-
fdent that council, not the Legtsla-
ture, had the right to fix the num-
Der and salaries of city employees, in
which Mr.. Garland and Mr.. English |
itor will be asked for an opinion on
the legality of the Burke act.
Chairman w. D. B. Ainey, of the |
Public Service Commission, who is
talked about by his friends as a |
gubernatorial possibility is rather
quick at repartee. Meeting up
with Congressman Thomas S.
Crago, of Waynesburg, at Pitts
burgh, the other day he was saluted
by the congressman with "How are
you, governor?
do you take me for a looking
glass;" replied the Commissioner.
John II. Daley, Pittsburgh
councilman and former newspaper
man, is working to put the detec-
tive bureau in that city out of busi-
ness.
Two separate campaigns in be-
half of the Prohibition amendment
to be launched at state meetings
here are being prepared to start the
movement for election of legislators
pledged to vote for ratification of
the amendment. DR.. B. E. p. Prugh,
chairman of the Prohibition State
Committee, several days ago start
ed arranging for the winter meet
ing OF his committee and it is prob
able that where ''dry" candidates
are nominated that the Prohibition
lists will endorse them, but that
where there are wet" candidates
the cold water people will have
their own tickets. The Anti-Saloon
League people to-day announced
that Superintendent e. V. Claypool
was preparing to have a state con-
ycntion to secure expression of sem
timent from the fifteen counties
around Harrisburg. The statement
says it will sound the call for unit
ed action"
The general impression here is
that Governor Brumbaugh will>
name Henry G. Wasson, former Re-
publican state chairman, to the va
cancy on the Allegheny bench,
caused by the death of Judge l.. l..
Davis. Mr.. Wasson wrote the let
ter which the Governor gave out
when he began his presidential
campaign and also took part in the
administration war councils. He
was then talked of as sure of the
next vacancy on the bench.
County commissioners are pick
ing out mercantile appraisers at a
iarid rate throughout the whole
state just now.
More sheriffs are trying te duck
men who want to be appointed dep
uties than known for a long time.
According to HaZleton papers
eX- Senator f.. +. James will contest
tbe Senatorial election from that