Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-12
Pse;tsca s~
Psn~4yesan;a
By the Ex-Committeeman

Replacement of William A. Ma
gee and Michael j. Ryan as mem
bers of the Public Service Commits
| sion by Sidney Ray Shelby, of Union
town, and Samuel Nj. Clement, Jr.,
of Philadelphia, by the Governor
yesterday afternoon and the prompt
action of the Senate in confirming
the appointments is held about the
Capitol TO remove the last of the
ardent Brumbaugh men from the
! Commission. The men who remain
are not active politically and neither
| or the new commissioners has been
leader in partisan affairs in recent
years.
Both of the retiring commission
ers were close friends of Francis
Skunk Brown, the former attorney
general, and We're more or less poll
tically antagonistic to the friends of
Governor Sproul. Judge Harold NJ.
Mcclure, of Lewisburg, reappointed
and confirmed, was q Brumbaugh
appointee. but always regarded as
friend of Sproul as much as of the
Ex-Governor. He is one of the strong
men of the commission and has
handled a large afount of work.
since he became a commissioner
last summer and was influential in
framing the issue with the Federal
government over control of utilities
which found expression in the ac-
ton of the attorney general against
the new telephone rates and the
Commissions opinions denying Fed
eral right to fix intra-state freight
rates.
Samuel NJ. Clement, Jr., is more
of personal appointment than any
thing else. Mr.. Shelby has been
law partner of State Chairman Will
liam Z. Crow, the Fayette County
Senator, since 1907 and is a very
able attorney. He will be the south
western, Pennsylvania Representa-
tive, as far as geography is con-
cerned and is, said to be well Versed
in the problems which arise in the
bituminous and coke sections which
have been productive of much liti-
cation before the commission. His
term runs until 1928.
The Capitol is speculating about
any further changes and some peo-
pie believe more will be made, but
the Governor has way of keeping
his own counsel. There are four
members of the commission remain |
ing.
There is small doubt but that
Mr.. Magee, who has a love for poll |
tics. in which he is skillful, will
make things interesting in Pitts |
burgh for some time to come and |
probably be a candidate for the |
mayoralty which he lost in 1917 af- |
ter n sensational contest. He was
one of the men named by DR.. |
Brumbaugh in 1915 when he reor-
ganized the commission and threw |
off most of the Tener appointees and
resigned to be a candidate for mayor, |
being reappointed last year. Mr.. |
Ryan succeeded Thomas B. Smith, |
mayor of Philadelphia after an in
terVal.
The objections OF Senator T. |
L. Eyre. of Chester, which prevented
the conformation OF Commissioner
of Fisheries Nathan r. Butler along
with Adjutant General Frank D. !.
Beary yesterday afternoon is an out
break of the feeling which led toll
the commissioners rejection in 1917.
The hold-up is regarded as only tenn
porary and it is thought that Mr..
Butler will be confirmed. If he is
not some possibilities in regard to
Chester appointments may be ex-
pected.
Senator Max G. Leslie, of Pitts
burgh, evoked some criticism yes
terday when he had a committee act |
on the Allegheny Judge bill in the !
morning before the meausre reached |
the Senate from the House. The |
bill got on the calendar in due sea-
son.
Mem bers of the legislature to- |
day were discussing the finished |
form in which the administration !
Highway bills have been presented. |
recognized as the big thing in the |
Sproul program, is set forth in the |
bills and while the figures were |
rather startling to some of the rural |
members they were held to be a |
plain statement of what the people |
want is going to cost. AS soon as
the map is completed there will be !
no doubt about rapid action in the
Legislature.
Governor Sproul continues to be !
in demand for speeches He is to |
speak almost every day this week |
and has a number of days for next /
week, including the Harrisburg
Chamber of Commerce reception.
Highway Commissioner Sadler |
was host to the Senators last eve
ming at his country home near Car |
Isle. During the evening Presi-
dent pro tenn Buchanan. who was
recently married, was presented with |
a bag of gold, the gift of his fell |
low members.
Auditor General Charles A. |
Snyder will make his plan for /,
minimum wage for teachers a big |
issue. He intends to go right through |
with the proposition he says and
rural members are discussing it with
him.