Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-10
Ehrntttg G4at

Ihe Pennsylvania State govern.
ment which two years developed 9
quartette to sing at meetings of the
pennsylvania State Society and then
| formed Capitol Hill glee club haf
organized an orchestra of forty-five
members among the officials and at
taches of the State departments and
bureaus. The orchestra came into
peing short time ago and the large
room used by the State Capitol
foilce has been allotted to the or
ganlzation for practice on Thursday
nights. 1t is located in the first
basement and safe from Interrupt
tlon, according to members of the
ponce force. The practice programs
nave attracted much attention from
lesIsia'ors VINO remain after ses-
slons adjourn. Several of the
prominent State officials are honor
airy members of the association,
John 5. Killing, Public Service Com
missioner, being the honorary presi-
oent. Howard w. Fry, of Lancaster,
chief clerk of the State Highway
department, is the conductor; while
L. l.. Dunkle, of the Public Grounds
and Buildings Department, is presi-
dent, Harry Biles, Highway Depart
ment, vice president; Howard d.
Martin, Public Service Commission,
treasurer and these men on the
music committee: w. Albert Benner,
LABOR and Industry Department;
william T. Scheffer, Highway De-
partment; Claude r. Engle, Agri-
cultural Department; V. b. Haus-
knecht, Bureau of Chemistry, and
Lewis c. Ney, Highway Department.
The orchestra will probably give u
concert during the spring.
Inspections of the units of the
Reserve Militia which have been
under way for several weeks are
well advanced toward completion
and 1t is probable that the Militia
VIII go to camp again this year.
Reorganization of the National
Guard of Pennsylvania with the old
regiments and designations is not
to be taken up until after the
! Twenty eighth division returns and
informal ton is received as to how
many of the officers and men desire
to enter the State service. The
present militia organizations will be
used as ground work for the new
division in connection with the re-
turning units.
One of the most striking illustra-
tions of the changed conditions in
regard to construction of public
works brought about by the close of
the war has been furnished at the
| Department of Public Grounds and
Buildings where bids will close to-
morrow on bridge. Six months
ago the State asked bids for the
same bridge as an emergency mea-
sure and did not secure more than
one bid. Thus far requests for thirty
sets of specifications have been
made. Numerous inquiries have
been made for the plans and details
of State road construction on which
bids will be opened this month,
whereas on some of the contracts
advertised no bids were obtained
last fall. Brisk inquiry has also
marked the plans of the State Ar
mory Board for buildings at Phila-
delphia, Tyrone and Reading.
The State is not going to lack
for opportunity to buy stone for road
construction or maintenance this
year judging from the activity OF
owners of stone quarries in opening
operations and in asking for infor-
nation on quantities that may be
wanted by the State. Ordinarily
: work is not started in quarries so
early iI<-A.March, but because of the
open winter and the probable de-
mand many have been put into
operation and within sight of Har.
risburg several are at work. Men in
various sections of the State are also
writing here for information as tc
what the State will probably need.
Grain and fruit prospects
!. throughout Pennsylvania are de.
clared in the official bulletin of the
State Department of Agriculture t.
be unusually encouraging" accord
! ing to reports of March 1. The
land sown to grain is larger thar
ever at this season and hundreds o.
young fruit trees, notably in the
: Cumberland and adjoining valleys
: Will continue bearing this year.
/, This is the season of high schoo
.. interest in the Legislature and tn,
number of students of both sexe
: who have visited the legislative hall
lately shows that the average Ameri
can kid gets interested in govern
ment about as early as in baseball
and stamp collecting. And it Il
Illuminating as to the extent of in
struction in civil government to hea,
the talk of some of the visitors
They criticise the rulings with free
| dom and some would doubtless lik,
q to discuss them with those eminen
!. parliamentarians, w. Harry Bake
. and James n. Moore.