Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-19
BIG WEEK AHEAD
IN LEGISLATURE
Hearings and Senator Penrose's
Visit Will Make Things
Very Lively

Plans for presentation of the reVe-
INCREASING measures. the completion
of the budget, hearings on capital
punishment, local option and the an
thracite mine code together with the
visit of Senator Boies Penrose and
the biennial dinner of the Legislative
Sons of st. Patrick on Tuesday, as
sure a pretty we'll filled week for the
legislators. Both branches will meet
tonight with calendars loaded with
first reading bills, especially the Sem
ate, and there will be dozens of bills
presented as the Legislative Refer
time. The 1000 mark for House
bills will be passed tonight.
The local option hearing is sched-
uled to take place on Wednesday af-
ternoon in the hall of the House of
Representatives and will likely prove
to be the usual big demonstration.
The arrangements are being made by
insurance Commissioner ]. Denny
y Neil, chairman of the State Local
Option committee, and Representa-
tive John w. Vickerman, of Allegh-
eny sponsor for the bill. Governor
Brumbaugh will lead the speakers for
the bill, others being Father J. j.
Curran, of Wilkes Barre, president of
the Catholic Prohibition League of
America; Andrew I. Mcnamara,
agent of the International Association
OF Machinists; Charles l.. Huston,
Coatesville, steel manufacturer; John
A. McSparran. master of the State
Grange, and w. S. Lands. of PhiIa-
delphia, secretary of the State Sun
day School Association. The speak
ers against the bill will be Joseph
O'Brien, the Scranton lawyer, and
Arthur E. Ireland, Pittsburgh labor
leader.
Whether the House law and order
committee, which will hold the hear
ing, will act on it that day is not
known. The hearing will last two
hours. The majority of the commit
tee is against the bill
The Economy ana Efficiency Com
mission, which is meeting to-day
with the chairmen of the Legislative
appropriations Committees to discuss
estimates of departments for appro-
priations, plans to finish up its work
this week. The Revenue Raising
committee, which has been waiting
Tor the information which the Econ
omy Commission is to furnish, may
decide not to wait and to put in some
OF its measures to test the wind.
The State government estimates are
100000 and the State Board of
Charities has recommended $4,000
600 with S4,73O,OOO more to be pro-
vided for care of the insane. In addi-
tion, the Philadelphia port, Pyma-
tuning swamp reservoir and other
public works are TO be taken care
of.
The State revenues will run about
S'O,OOO,OO0, according to present esti-
mates and it is believed that about
/ 100000 will be needed to take
care of roads and schools.
The Governor takes the position
that many of the estimates are mere
ly transfers of appropriations and
that false impression regarding the
amount of money asked has gone
about
d The capital punishment hearing is
TO be held Tuesday afternoon and
great interest is being shown in it.
Men of nationwide prominence in
the prison reform movement will
speak in favor of abolition of the
death penalty and that life inn
prisonment be substituted. The speak
ers will include Dean George w.
Kirchway. of Columbia Law School,
and former warden of Sing Sing;
Warden Robert ]. McKenty. of the
! Eastern Penitentiary; District Attor-
ney Samuel p. Rotan, Judge Joseph p.
| Rogers, William Draper Lewis, DR.. j.
P. Lichtenberger, of the University
of Pennsylvania; Rabbi Joseph
Krauskopf, of Philadelphia, and 9TH
ers. Representative Frederick Boyer,
chairman of the judiciary general
committee, will preside and the hear
ing will be open.
The anthracite mine code which is
designed to give the hard coal field
a set of laws like that in the bitumin-
Gus region, is to be given a hearing
Thursday morning. 1t is bitterly op-
posed by the miners. Chief James E.
Boderick, who drafted it, will be pres
ent.
Senator Penrose is coming to at
tend the biennial dinner of the Legis-
lative Sons of st. Patrick on Tues
day night. Governor Brumbaugh, Ex-
Governor John K. Tener and a num-
ber of State officials and Legislators
past and present, are expected to be
on hand. Lieutenant Governor Frank
b. McClain will preside.
The senator will visit the Capitol
Tuesday afternoon and possibly on
Wednesday and will meet the Legis-
lators.
The House has about fifty bills on
its calendar, including twenty-five on
first reading, while the Senate has
over seventy bills. including forty-one
on first reading and fourteen on third
on the House calendar for first
reading is the House bill empowering
the Public Service Commission to or
der connections between steam and
electric railways. On second read
ing are the Bennett ticket scalping
bill and the measure to give Philadel-
phia department of public works au-
thority three miles from the city.
In the Senate the Tompkins bill to
abolish the death penalty is on third
reading with one of the bills for
Greater Bethlehem and the Buckman
motor boat act. The State Police
Service ripper" bills are on the post
poned calendar.