Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-16
NO FRICTION OVER
SAFETY MEASURES
[Continucd From First Pagel


sary to do so. Just now I can see
no emergency for using any of it.
I would rather that the money be
held in reserve until such time as an
emergency does arise. I believe in
holding it until the use of any part
OF 1t becomes necessary.
1T is for the members of the COM
mission to decide how and when the
money is to be expended and wheth-
er any part of 1t should be placed at
tho disposal of the Public Safety
Committee. The members of the
committee are but agents of the
Commission, which consists of state
officials sworn to do their duty by
the people of Pennsylvania.
Representative Men
The members of the committee
are as representative a body of men
as can be found anywhere and they
hay enobly and unselfishly assumed
patriotic but difficult tasks at a great
personal sacrifice of their own time
and interests. There is no truth
whatever that any friction has
arisen between these men and any
members of the commission, so far
as l know.
The story that has been circulat-
among the members of the commits
sion, or that there is likely to be be-
tween any of them and any members
of the Public Safety Committee, is
untrue and unwarranted, 1 am sure.
There could not have been a
more harmonious meeting that we
held yesterday. Why, it was Aud
itor General Snyder. wha had been
described as antagonistic to me. who
o. hot ka,-
William H. Ball, look after the cor
respondence of the commission, as
he was accustomed to take care of
my own mail. Mr.. Snyder and all
OF the others were most affable and
when they left me / felt pleased that
our first meetin gshould have gone
off so smoothly.
"One of the things we agreed upon
was to meet at noon tomorrow. We
also discussed inviting a subcom-
mittee of the Executive Committee
of the Public Safety Committee to
meet us as soon as possible, so that
we might confer and decide upon the
needs Of the latter. We were able
to arrange to-day for THE conference
to take place at II o'clock tomorrow
morning.
while I do not know who will
represent the Public Safety Commit
ACO nave pSSI given 10 unQSTStunu
that Mr.. Stotesbury, Mr.. Pepper and
W. w. Atterbury, vice-president of
the Pennsylvania Railroad will meet
the members of the commission in
my office tomorrow.
Another thing we discussed yes
terday, which l will make public
now, was the use of the various State
departments for the furtherance of
the war work we have undertaken.
With the Department of Agriculture,
the Department of Labor and In
dustry, the Departmn etof Mines and
other well developed and efficient
departments the State possesses
there is no need of seeking elsewhere
for the splendid work they are
capable of doing.
No Wastage of Funds
1T would mean saving money for
the State as we'll as genuine efficiency
for us to have the Department of
Agriculture for instance assume
charge of the field agriculture work
which is one of the big war prob
lens confronting us. With the cap
able and experienced men who have
in the Department of Labor and In
dustry we could secure the best pos
sible results in taking a census of
the industries of the State-and so
on.
In conclusion, l merely wish to
dispel the idea that there is to be
any wastage or eXtravagant use of
the 1000, 900 which has been placed
at our disposal for war purposes. We
agreed upon that, as we'll as the use
of the machinery of the State gov
ernment, at yesterdays meeting, and
do not anticipate the slightest
hitch in our plans or the slightest
Misunderstanding among us.
I'VE are confronted with q great
as we'll as patriotic task and we
owe it to our country as we'll as to
our State to do everything in our
power to carry out those purposes
for which we were created members
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