Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-28
Poedic4 i~
Pe~~eqeSo~i"
By the Ex-Committeeman

Judging from signs in the House
there will be plenty of excitement
over Philadelphia factional politics in
the Legislature. There are several
bills which are held to be full OF dyna-
mite and only turning of the legis-
lators to the strenuous necessities of
war measures will prevent some fresh
explosions.
The bill for a single chambered
council, which has been boosted by the
Committee of Seventy, has been re-
the council to sixteen. 1t is said that
the city administration does not like
it. The Legislature will probably put
it up to the Governor. Other reform
bills urged by the committee are also
to be passed.
When the bill to take policemen and
firemen out of politics comes up next
week there will be another fight made.
The city administration is accused of
being against that, too.
The Economy and Efficiency
commission last night completed most
of its hearings and will consider the
requests for a week or so, according
to what has been learned at the Capt.
tol. The men in charge of the revenue
measures have been urging an early
report so that they can get to work
and the commission will be criticised
If 1T does not report next week. The
appropriations committees are also
marking time. The general appropri-
alton bill, which should have gone in
this month, has been held back, it is
claimed, by the lateness of the COM
mission.
Senator Sprouts suggestion that
| the Legislature finish up its work
within the next eight weeks and recess
appears to have been we'll received by
the legislators, although some of the
administration men are not quite so
sure that they like the recess idea even
II suggested for the purpose of meeting
war conditions. They rather fear
political war over appointments
The defeat of local option by an
even worse vote than known for ten
years appears to have stimulated ].
Denny O'Neil, the chairman of the
local option committee, instead of de-
pressing him. Mr.. O'Neil announced
battle royal last night and will pro-
ceed to organize the State at once. He
will form his own committees in every
tionists will also get busy along their
own lines.
The civil service law proposed for
this State and the larger cities was
much discussed to-day. Chances are
that there will be the usual hearing,
but the bill will not get very far.
Representative James H. Maurer,
of Reading, the Socialist member, is
making speeches denouncing war
plans.
The Philadelphia Record to-day
prints this interesting story: 1.-THE ap-
preparations committees quiet investi-
cation into the manner in which de-
partment heads have expended their
contingent funds has proven so sue
cessful that the committee sprung an
other surprise t6-day. From now on
until the close of the Legislature the
committee will investigate weekly the
accounts and expenditures of all de-
partments. Through this procedure
the committee will be kept in inti-
mate touch with the financial transac-
tions of all State departments. Every
week each department will be reuuir-
ed to give an account of it's eXpendi-
lures and just what the money was
expended for. The obtaining by the
appropriations committee of Auditor
General Powelps reply to the request
made in the Eyre Senate resolution is
but a part of the probe program.
Many of the Penrose leaders intimate
that Powell tried to sidestep on the
information which was requested of
his department. He will have to go be-
fore the appropriations committee and
explain clearly just what was asked
for in the Eyre resolution, which de-
manded to know if the State was pay
ing for the expert accountants who
were at work on Powell's books"