Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-01
Ehptttttg Gl1at

The Pennsylvania general assembl,
which will meet tomorrow at noon
for the 122nd regular session since
l776 will be the third to assemble on
the second day of January since the
adoption of the present constitution
| IN 1878. The sessions of 1877 and
1883 began on January 2, the latter
being followed by the memorable
extra session. The legislature has
organized on New Years Day five
times since the present constitution
1878. 1889, 1895, 1901 and 1907. or
the legislatures meeting under the
present constitution two have closed
their work in March and eight lave
run into June, with one, the session
on S97 when the Capitol burned, con-
tinuing into July. Four times ses-
sions have ended in April, the last time
in 1909 when the date of adjourn
ment was set the day of meeting.
Eight times the legislators have gone
home in May. There have been two
extra sessions under the present con-
stitution. Under the constitution of
1888 the legislators met in January
except in the year of the adoption of
the constitution and the sessions gen.
orally ended in April or May. The
lawmakers met annually in those days
and only three times did the sessions
| last beyond May. Under the consti-
tuition of 1890 the legislators met the
| first part of December and continued
| at work until March or April, having
a recess at the holidays only and sit
ting at times on Saturdays.
Miss Elizabeth M. Baker, assistant
principal of the Camp Curtin school
building, and one of tie leading mem
bers of the committee of the Pennsyl-
Vania State Education Association in
the teachers retirement fund bill, in
her talk at one of the recent associa-
! ton meetings told of the objections
that young women raise in opposing
the pension bill. She said that many
of them claim that they do not intend
to become 'old maids in the service"
but gave little quotation as warn
ing, AS we are, so will you be; as you
are, so were we one day."
Another interesting incident at one
OF the general sessions resulted from
an attempt to have the educational
association bylaws changed. One su-
perintendent of schools claimed ~that
the organization was no longer dehpo-
cratic, and that by listening to con
versations in hotel lobbies, one could
get inside information of the work
ings of a ring" Miss Nj. Katherine
McNiff, teacher in the Central High
School, Harrisburg, came to the de-
fense of the accused officials and said
/ llitiJ ollc Dttll d HltInpcT Ol lu6
association since 1886; had been chair
man at several section meetings; had
read papers at other meetings, and
knew nothing of the political" part
of the organization. The resolution to
have the amendments changed was al
most unanimously defeated.
There are more old-timers back
for the organization of the 1917
Legislature than known for years, the
strenuous contest for the Speakership
having brought them to town. In
strategy and bitterness TIE present
contest goes back to ante-bellum days
and there are many men in the
throngs who recall incidents in ses-
sions which dated from the battle for
the honors. The hotel corridors are
filled with "reminiscences and there is
as much talk of other fights as OF
chances of rivals getting this or that
member.
Ii there be any distinction in being
the first criminal to wear new pair
| of handouts, then William jackson fs
going to be thus honored before the
end of this week by Sheriff w. w.
Caldwell. Jackson, who pleaded guilty
to murder in the second degree for the
shooting of Charles Brown, a fellow
negro, and who was sentenced to serve
from eighteen and half years to
| twenty years in the Eastern Penten-
tiary, will be taken to the States
prison at Philadelphia before the dawn
of the new year. Incidentally, within
q few days Sheriff Caldwell's office will
be furnished with a half-dozen pairs
of new steel bracelets. And Jackson
will try out new pair.
The first number of the bulletin of
the William Penn Highway. which
| Colonel H. w. Shoemaker says is
HAPPY in name and happy in route"
has just come out and contains a
greeting from Texas to "Mr. PENIS
Highway" 1t was written by Judd
Mortimer Lewis, of the Houston Post,
and halls the William Penn Highway
because our road runs right to that
highway being built by Mr.. Penn"
The bulletin also contains the fac
simile of the handwriting of William
Penn and statement of faults of the
improved highway from the type
writer of Hiram G. Andrews in which
he makes the bum" road admit many
things. Girard otherwise Herman l..
Collins, of the Philadelphia Ledger,
contributes some additional informa-
tion on the subject of William Penn
and roads. The Bulletin is unique,
official and out exactly on time,
| A few days ago the State Depart
ment of Agriculture issued some
| figures relative to the wages paid to
farm labor IN the state. In comment
ing upon them at the Chestnut street
market Saturday a farmer said: "The
figures are not high enough. / have
had to pay more for help on some
days than my net profit, and I own
my farm. And some days l could not
get help at all and lost money again.
The men say that they cannot afford
to work for what is paid in the coun-
try because the cost of living is so high
all around. The increase in pay does
not begin to buy as much, some men
tell me, as in the dollar-a-day days"