Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-17
Poeit;c4 ;s
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By the Ex-Committeeman

/ O1NNos@NS
stances leading to the request of Gov
ernor Martin G. Brumbaugh for the
resignation of William II. Smith as
Banking Commissioner and for in
quiries into various matters connected
with the Public Service Commission.
the Attorney Generals department, the
State Insurance Department and the
| department of Labor and Industry.
The senator made the statement after
consultation with State leaders and
to show that the matter had been thor
| oughly worked out he said that he
| $4,000 to $4,000 would be necessary
to make the probe something that
would bring results. He said that
remedial legislation would be pre-
sented as conditions developed and
that some bills were now being drawn
which were designed to end situations
OF which there had been much COM
plant.
The announcement of the Penrose
| plans drew no comment from the Gov
ernor nor from Attorney General
Brown or other State administration
Pittsburgh. The administration, it is
surmised. will not sit idly by and
allow the investigation to be started
without a fight or some back firing.
Senator Penrose in commenting
upon Mr. Smiths removal said:
The story told by Mr.. Smith is true
| in all its details as far as it goes, but
| 1T does not disclose the scandalous
practices which have prevailed in the
Banking Department, being forced
upon Mr.. Smith by the Governor and
his lieutenants.
THE Banking Commissioner is re-
stricted by severe penalties from dis
GlnCInpr nf hA NF 1t 4
partment. The consequence is that
Mr.. Smith at this time is not in a
position to tell everything.
Ills case brings forcibly to public
attention the absolute necessity of the
general investigation which is pro-
posed to be made and the Banking
commissioner will doubtless be one of
the first witnesses to be subpenaed.
Then he will be in a position to inform
the public as to everything.
The activities of Alexander Simp-
son will then be brought into promi-
nence as an attorney for banks which
have come under the supervision or
scrutiny of the Banking Department,
revealing the collusive relations be-
tween the office of the Attorney Cen
eral and law partner of Mr.. Brown
in new and interesting form.
AS far as it goes the story is cer-
tainly remarkable in that it shows how
made of persons admittedly without
any special qualifications and purely
for factional reasons.
"O'Neil is shown up in his not in
frequent performance of cutting the
Republican ticket, in his connection
with the handing 10 Mr.. Smith of writ
ten directions as to the political activi-
ties of employees of the Banking De-
partment.
This paper will be interesting when
published and can hardly fail to at
tract the attention of the State Senate
when it reconveneS. because one of the
directions contained therein was that
political orders should be issued to
employees to defeat State Senator
Frank e. Baldwin. who was at the
time the regular Republican nominee
| for the State Senate, and was subse-
quently elected against the open oppo-
sition of the State administration"
A Pottsville dispatch names the
| following as mentioned to succeed the
late Judge Charles n. Brumm: Mac.
Henry Wilhelm, present orphans
court Judge; G. Frank Brumm, Miners
vile, son of the deceased judge;
Charles f. Berger, Schuylkill Haven;
ex-Judge A. l.. Shay and Chaplain e.
d. Smith. of Pottsville; ex-Orphans'
Court Judge T. II. b. Lyon, Mahanoy
Tamaqua.
1t was intimated to-day that some
investigation might be made by the
committees on fish and game of the
Senate and House into the dismissal of
some of the wardens and protectors.
1t is said that demands of men active
in the Cox cause for the speakership
were for the heads of some of the
game protectors and that they got
some. Friends of at least one game
protector are threatening to make it
warm.
w. r. Conrad has been appointed
by the Schuylkill county court to sue
| ceed the late Representative B. J. Yost
| as burgess of Tamaqua.
Governor Brumbaugh said to-day
when asked if there was any politics
| in the dismissal of Miss Theresa A
Mooney as secretary to the Board of
Censors in the Philadelphia Office that
he had never even heard of Miss
Mooney. The Governor also took oc-
casion to say that the dismissal of
Chairman Breitinger was in no way
related to the Cox speakership cam
paign, adding. "IIe was dismissed be-
cause his services were not satisfac-
tory"
There is quite q to do about the
Capitol over the suggestion that there
be a lump appropriation made for
mileage books and that it be drawn
upon as are other funds. The proposed
| bill Is said to be drawn up and will
make its appearance within a week.
Borough leaguers who went home
last night arranged to have their state
convention here on February IL and
to take up at that time the proposition
of presenting resolution to the Legis-
| lature for amendment of the Consti-
tuition so as to provide for a greater
measure of home rule in municipal
/ government. There is no question
but that the borough proposition will
get substantial support from the cities.
Philadelphia charter revisers are
planning to have a big dinner shortly
at which the changes to the charter
will be discussed.
| According to Philadelphia people,
there is a prospect not only of an ad-
ditional bond issue for general i'm
provements. but of some increase OF
taxes to pay for various matters. and
the Smith administration is preparing
a statement which the mayor will
make in the form of an address.
State Colleges bills, which will be
for about S3,500.000. have stirred up
men connected with the Universities OF
Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh and they
are coming to the front with some
legislative bills of their own. The col.
legiate bills will probably run about
$S,O00.000
The fight against licenses has
broken out in Schuylkill county with
much yigor and moyements have hear