Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-05
Poeittca i~
Pe~~eqeSoio.
BY the Ex-Committeeman

| impressed by the number of impor-
tant appointments which have been
placed upon the desk of Governor
Brumbaugh for disposal almost at
the outset of a primary campaign
in which the state administration
| is so much interested that 1t will
naturally use patronage for the ad-
vantage of the candidates it favors.
| 1t has been expected for some time
that there would be some removals
at the Capitol and men more active
in behalf of the Governors friends
named to place in advance of the
primary. What the state adminis-
tration can do in this respect is
shown by the moves made just be-
| fore the organization of the last leg
| islature.
Death has given the Governor
what his partisans have wanted for
year, the place of chief of mines.
| About once a month rumors of de-
capitation which were industriously
| used by. a philadelphia newspaper
when other news was dull were re-
vived. However. Chief Roderick
had outridden many a storm and
lllOSC hlChGu up ny lSlCtlOldl MllluS
the last twelve months failed to
wreck him. When he died he was
chief of mines.
The place of chief of mines is one
of the most valuable on Capitol Hill
in a political sense, if it is decided
to use it that way, but the power of
the chief may be nullified at any
moment by Federal edict taking over
the mining industry. Chief Roder-
ick every now and then used to in
innate when the demand for his re-
moval became acute that any man
put in his place would not have easy
sailing with the chart given he would
be required to use.
Ex-Governor John X. Tener want
ed to re-organize the Department of
of Mines the worst kind of a way,
but was not able to do it. The chief
obstacle was the salary. Men of the
type Tener wanted got salaries as
large and larger than the governor
and even the assistants, one for an
thracite supervision and one for
bituminous, who were planned,
looked askance at the salary of S5,-
600 which is what was paid Rod
erick. The mining industry of Penn
sylvania, it has been contended,
should be in the hands of a big
mining engineer because of the great
capital, hazards and Importance of
product to the industry. The belief
is that the Governor will either let
the place go vacant for a time or
else appoint some one whose polit-
ical activities will not start the Fed
eral Government on his trail Rod
erick was declared about to go so
often that there is probably a candi-
| date for the place of chief at the
/ Of lie inf
esting thing in connection with the
place that it has always been held
| by hard coal region man. The soft
coal region will likely have numer-
| Gus candidates and 1t goes without
! saying that the organized miners Will
present a candidate or two as well
as the, operators. For the present
| Deputy Chief Frank Hall, who be-
comes acting chief, will be in charge.
He has been with the department
| for twenty-five years or more and
thoroughly familiar with the details.
I'm addition to such places as he
may create by removals or refusal
to re-appoint at expiration of term,
as in the case of a game commits
sioner, the Governor has two public
service commissionerships Phila-
delphia judgeship, a Scranton regis
tration Commissionership. the chief
of mines and some other places to
say nothing of the complimentary
places of commissioners of agricul-
ture which may become available
before long.
There is also the chance that
the Governor may have still more
places through the supreme court
! decision in the recess appointments
case. IF the auditor general wins
his contention and the Governor
loses, DR.. Rrumbaugh can switch
the men holding the four offices in
controversy or appoint four new
men.
The extent the Governor
strengthened his faction in the three
| judicial appointments and various
/ departmental and county appoint
ments made the last three months is
more or less debatable because of
heart burnings due to disappoint-
ments. There have also been some
men leaving the reservation because
of the selections in the Reserve
Militia.
Friends of HighwayC ommission-
er O'Neil ridicule the idea that he
might resign as highway commits
sioner while running for the guber-
Material nomination. There are pre-
cious few precedents for such action
in Pennsylvania politics, Democratic
or Republican. Besides O'Neil would
be foolish to throw away such an
asset as the big working force of
the department which is in every
, county and will be larger this year
than ever because of the decision to
keep up the roads instead of con-
structing new ones.
, The ostentatious manner in
which Palmer Democrats stayed
away from the reception given at
Easton for Congressman Steele in
dicates the lovely state of affairs in
| the 26th district. 1t is a fact that in
every district where the Democrats
now have a congressman who does
not take orders from the bosses who
meet at Washington to discuss
| Pennsylvania affairs there is a fight
, on. And where the bosses have adj
herents they are being fought. The
Democrats are squabbling practic-
: ally all over the state and the bosses
are doing their best to keep liquor
out of their other troubles. The
! liquor issue is keeping them awake
at night and is the reason why they
want no conference in advance OF
the primaries, but urge Democrats
in the name of loyalty to the Unit
ed States to let the little ring ar
range things at Washington.