Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-09-04
Peeittca in
Pea~oHeso~ie
BY the Ex-Committeeman

appointment of Insurance Com
missioner ]. Denny o'Neil to be
State Highway Commissioner an
nounced by Governor Brum baugh's
office yesterday while the Executive
was speeding back to Maine after a
brief visit to the Philadelphia dis
trict over Sunday, does not appear to
! have created as much surprise as the
selection of EX-Speaker Charles A.
Amber to succeed Mr.. O'Neil. Com
missioner O'Neil has been mentioned
| for State Highway Commissioner
ever since Frank b. Black got into
difficulties with the men active in
State administration politics last
winter during the height of the
| Speakership contest and he was men,
| toned to succeed him when the
switching talk was rife about the
close of the session and after Mr..
Black resigned. Mr.. Amber has been
talked of for half a dozen places.
| Newspaper comment generally is
that Mr.. O'Neil will be more in SYM
pathy with the desire or the admin
istration leaders to make the High
way Department a political factor
| than Mr.. Black, and that he will take
an active part in the coming primary
and county elections throughout the
state as preliminary to the guber-
Material campaign next year. Mr..
O'Neil will also become more of a
force in Allegheny county politics in |
the next few weeks. 1t has been ex-
pected that the man whom the |
Governor would name to succeed |
Mr.. Black would be thoroughly in
accord with the political program of
the administration as Mr.. Amber
will naturally be.
A. - |
appointments is that after a lapse
of year or so, both departments
are in the. hands of men from the
counties whence came the men who
headed them some twelve or fifteen
months ago. Mr.. O'Neil halls from
Allegheny, whence came the late
Robert ]. Cunningham, whom Mr..
Black, of Somerset, succeeded. Mr..
Amber comes from Montgomery,
whose Republican leader Charles
Johnson, was insurance commission
er until he resigned about the time
the presidential campaign got under
way and who was succeeded by Mr..
O'Neil.
Mr.. O'Neils new place carries
with it a salary of $4,000 or $500
more than he got as insurance COM
missioner. 1t is believed here that
there must have been considerable
appeal to Mr.. O'Neils love of the
political game, as we'll as urging
that he emulate William A. Magee
and get more actively into the move
ment to make sure of the State for
a gubernatorial nominee in line with
State administration thought to get
him to accept the place.
1t is a well-known fact that the
Governor is anxious to have a hand
in the naming of his successor and
that most of the men holding place
under him are more than anxious.
O'Neil because of his local option
Affiliations, more or less independent
course at times, strenuous methods
one man whom the administration
men wanted to keep with them.
When he accepted the insurance
commissionership he shook up State
politics and his confirmation inothe
face of strong objections was one Of
the events of the closing week of the
session. His course as insurance
commissioner has been a bright spot
in State affairs the last year or so.
He combined vigor and fearlessness
and although every move seemed to
be battle he kept on and his retire
meht will be regretted as much as he
will regret to leave the place.
Only a fortnight ago Mr.. O'Neil
said that he was absorbed in the
proceedings in which his department.
had taken such an active part and
he asked that his name not be used
in connection with the highway COM
missionership, remarking that the
period man would have in the high
way place would not only be limited
but would come at a time when
prices and general conditions would
interfere with an ambitious program.
Mr.. O'Neil is we'll qualified for the
highway commissionership as he was
county commissioner of Allegheny
during years when the county was
building its splendid system of roads,
one of the best county systems in
the country, in which E. NJ. Bigelow
as engineer and r. ]. Cunningham
as controller, played a great part
Both of these men, now dead, were
highway commissioners.
The appointment of Mr.. O'Neil
and selection of Mr.. Amber are
taken to mean the embarking of the
State administration on more vigor-
GUS politics and the forerunners of
more changes. The State administra-
ton having gotten Philadelphia quiet
is going after Pittsburgh and the
rest of the State for 1918.
The States new highway COM
missioner, is expected to assume the
duties of that office without delay
he sent word here yesterday that he
would be at the State Insurance De-
partment to close up his connection
with that department to-day and
Capitol Hill looks for him to take
the oath of office as highway COM
missioner within a few days as there
are many matters at the department.
which require prompt action. Mr.
O'NeH spent last week at st. Paul
at the national convention of insur-
ance commissioners and it is under
stood that he arranged to turn over
the various pending matters to his
successor. Mr.. O'Neil will give q
bond for $4,000.
1t is expected that Mr.. Amber
will be here either late to-day or
tomorrow. He will give a bond for
$4,000 and Mr.. O'Neil and Deputy
Samuel w. McCulloch will go over
the departmental matters with him.
Frank B. Black, the former
State Highway Commissioner, who
has been here the last few days re-
moving his household effects. tele-
graphed his congratulations to Mr..
O'Neil. Mr.. Black will spend much
of his time in Philadelphia as he
will remove the offices of his coal
companies to that city from New