Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-15
Poett;ca ;~
Pe~ne4eSa~ia
BY the Ex-Commitseeman

politics at present because of the at
A. Snyder in regard to extra en-
ployes and recent increases in salary
! and the chances are that the mat
ters in dispute may come to a show
down next week. The auditor gen.
eral says it is simply an effort to
secure some economy and TO stop
practices which have been denounced
in successive reports of experts who
have gone into the system of admin
istration at the Capitol. Men aligned
with the state administration resent
the notices given blythe auditor gen.
eral as interference and are about
to appeal to the governor and attor-
ney general. However, under old acts
the auditor general has authority to
make inquiries and even to refuse to
pay salaries where they are not fixed
by law. The question of eXpediency
is as much a matter for the auditor
general as the head of a department,
1t is argued by men familiar with the
acts.
Mr.. Snyder will be here next week
and will meet the governor in the
matter of authority to make appoint
ments in the department of public
grounds and buildings. The situa-
ton is interesting as the state ad-
.ministration leaders have been plan
ming some moves for January ! and
the unexpected action by the auditor
general has upset arrangements TO a
certain extent.
The appointment of T.. a. Dew
lin, Penrose leader of the Eighth
ward in Philadelphia, to the office of
special auditor for the Auditor Gen
erals Department, was announced
last night by Auditor General
Charles A. Snyder. "Devlin's ap-
pointment is regarded as a prepared
ness movement by the Penrose
forces for the coming gubernatorial
battle, which is expected to be waged
to the bitter end" says the Record.
"Devlin's main duties in his new Of
flee will be in connection of the Iner-
camille taxes in this city and his sal
airy is expected to be the same as
that received by the mercantile ap-
praisers. who average about $1,000 q
year. Devlin was a mercantile ap-
praiser until about year ago, when
Auditor General Powell and City
Treasurer McCoach, who Jointly have
the power of appointment of mer-
camille appraisers, deposed Devlin to
make place for Selectman Frank j.
Ryan, the Ware leader of the Thirty
sixth ward"
Although it will cost 100000
to open Il municipal coal mine on
Pittsburgh's city farm at Mayview.
the Councilmanic Finance Commit
tee affirmed a motion to authorize a
sale of 100000 bonds to finance
the project says the Gazette-Times.
Directors John J. McKelvey. f. p.
Booth and John Swan reported in
favor of proceeding with the plan,
which was originally proposed by
Mr.. Booth. According to their fig
ureS of cost, the city will save on
cost of fuel the very first year of
operation of the mine SIS, 900 more
than the expense of opening, equip
ping and operating the pit. Council
already had authorized a bond issue
of 100000 for the mine. but since
then the cost of labor, supplies and
machinery has gone up.
Lawyers representing the Phil
adelphia Town Meeting party are ex-
pected to appeal to the Supreme
Court to-day to set aside the action
of Judges McMichael and Ferguson
in fixing the bond for the independ-
ent candidates for row offices, who
are contesting the election of their
Republican rivals, on the ground that
the two Common Pleas Judges had
no jurisdiction in the matter. The
decision to take such action is said
to have been reached yesterday at
Il conference of the Town Meeting
party counsel and the subcommittee
in charge of the contest. As the law
requires the bond for the contest
to be filed Monday, some action must
be taken to-day by the independents
ii they desire to make any move for
a reduction in the amount of bond.
The Philadelphia Press in
signed article by Charles r. Michael
from Washington discusses the mem
ton of Philander C. Knox as a pos
sible candidate for Governor on
whom people could unite. He quotes
Congressman Moore, Kiess and Gar
land as favoring him. Concerning
the Penrose attitude he says: Sen
ator Penrose was in Philadelphia but
before leaving yesterday he had been
informed of the Knox movement. 1t
IS evident that he will continue to
champion the candidacy of Senator
ship, unless convinced that public
sentiment will not support the slat-
ing of candidate by either faction.
In that event it is believed he will
swing into line for Knox. Leaders
of the Ware faction are expected to
take the same view of the matter.
| They will support the candidacy of
Attorney General Francis Skunk
Brown or another man of their Sc
lection unless they find it impossible
to make 4 factional nomination, in
which @ 'ent they will get back of
Knox. Both factions supported him
in his Senatorial campaign last fall"
From all accounts inquiries con-
| Quoted by men connected with the
bureau of municipalities of the State
Department of Labor and Industry
| into the fiscal affairs of the two
Bethlehems, which furnished some
| sensational disclosures q week ago.
| have been under way in some of the
smaller cities and boroughs of the
| state and their officials are due for n
| jolt early in the new year. The re-
mark was made by a man active in
the municipal investigations, which
are new line of state work, that
Bethlehem will be a mild case. -
The state began taking a fatherly
| interest in the affairs of it's smaller
municipalities a few years ago and
! one of the subjects was taxation.
| Another was paving, while police
! and fire protection were also touched
upon. All four led to bond issues
and the amount of money raised by
bond issues and devoted to payment