Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-08
Peehic4 ;~"
Pe~~4qeso~;a
BY the Ex-Committeeman

w. Harry Baker. of this city. sec
retary of the Republican State Com
mittee, who was urged by National
Chairman Will H. Hays to go to the
headquarters of the Republican Ma
tional Committee to take charge of
campaign work in the so-called
doubtful states, will be unable to as
sumo that duty. Owing to. the de-
mands of The Republican State Com
mittee OF Pennsylvania. in which the
young Harris burg man is the king
pin, he will be compelled to devote
all of his time to work in Pennsyt.
Nania and after September l will be
almost constantly at the state head
quarters IN Philadelphia.
MIR. Hays wanted Mr.. Baker to
go TO New York to put pep" into
the campaigns in some of the state
and to build up organizations such
as AIR. Eaker has perfected in PENN
sylVania and he was also importuned
by many men influential in politics,
TO undertake that task. However,
Mr.. Daker will be unable to do So
He is just home from New YORK
where he discussed the matter with
Mr.. Hayes and showed him what ne
had 10 do in Pennsylvania.
"A number of men connected
with the Pennsylvania state govern
rnent. some of whom would naturally
not expect to be retained under
change of administration, are said to
be planning to follow A. Nevin
DIETRICH into the United States Army
and have their dependents get on the
half-pay list. Mr.. DIETRICH was a con-
spicuous opponent of the Sproul
ticket and now is in the service
where under the act of 1917 he can
hold his position and his dependents
get half pay until the war ends. One
story is that William H. Ball, secre-
tary to the Governor, may apply for
commission as an officer as it
would be unlikely that he could hold
place under the incoming adminis-
tration. Another story is that two
prominent deputies in departments
are seeking commissions. The mill
tary service half-pay proposition will
be an interesting one for the new
administration.
Superior Court Judge John W.
Kephart has attracted considerable
comment by his address before the
county commissioners at their con-
vention in Pittsburgh in which he
urged equality of taxation. He de-
clared that the best plan was the
100 per cent. value which would
mean a low rate and a generally
stable system. He called attention to
the act of 1S41 which requires that
such be the assessment
philadelphia is getting ready to
issue $10,000,000 of the bonds au-
thorized recently and it will be
watched with attention all over the
country.
Democratic politicians in West
ern Pennsylvania are up in the air
over the action of the federal rail-
road authorities in forbidding the
holding of the Western Pennsylvania
Firemen's convention at Meyersdale.
The action is denounced as high
handed by firemen and their friends.
while the federal people insist that
1t is necessary to prevent the excur-
sions because of the war. The Demo-
cratic politicians have been keeping
the wires hot in efforts to convince
the federal authorities that they are
storing up trouble and that politics
will not be adjourned in many
counties If the convention is forbid
den. The outcome will be worth
watching as the firemen want to hold
the convention and the federal au-
thorities are not impressed with the
politicians plea.
There is an interesting time
ahead in Western Pennsylvania
Democratic politics because United
States District Attorney E. Lowry
Humes has gone to war. Humes
wants to fight and has given up his
place. The Pittsburgh Gazette Times
says: There is a report that Sam
uel ]. Graham, one of the assistant
attorney generals of the United
States, will be assigned to Pittsburgh
to take up the work of United States
attorney for this district when E.
Lowry Humes goes into the army as
major in the intelligence service.
Attorney General T. w. Gregory has
the filling of the vacancy and it is
understood that he will not delay in
placing some one in charge of the
work that Major Humes is volun-
tarily relinquishing. Mr.. Graham is a
Pittsburgher. A number of candi-
dates are being discussed for the
Humes vacancy. Horne and B. B. Nc
Ginnis, w. L. McGonegly. of Home
stead; c. Ward Eicher, of Green's
burg, and Samuel l.. ellison, of Erie" "
Burgess Jacobs, of Danville, is
in danger of getting disliked. He has
ordered that there shall be no more
parades in celebration of victories
after 10 at night. The people need
sleep he thinks.
Chief Justice ]. Hay Brown, of
the Supreme Court, was among vis-
itors here to-day. Mr.. Brown drops
into Harrisburg every now and then
to see how things are going. He has
been one of the most active of the
chief justices and bids to be so until
| the end of his term in 1921.
Governor Brumbaugh may not
name a judge for Westmoreland
county until September, say some
men.
Judge Bonniwell plans visit to
! Scranton where he will address some
of his supporters.