Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-06-06
Peet;ce u
Ps's'se4eeasia
By tho Ex-Committeeman

4AehfS Il " NOlC OA thO L V0SA 60
woman suffrage amendment Gov
ernor Sproul last evening reiterated
his stand on the question of woman
suffrage, favoring it as strongly as
he did in his inaugural address. He
added a few thoughts to that no.
table utterance and said that he had
discussed the proposition of early
! ratification by Pennsylvania with
Senator Penrose and State Chairman
Crow.
This Legislature has three weeks
in which to ratify and the necessary
resolution can be put through IL the
controlling powers desire An analy-
sis of the suffrage vote in the Leg
islature would indicate that the votes
for the Federal measure could be
found If the proper cooperation is
given the Governor. Failure to ratify
this session will mean that suffrage
becomes an issue in every state leg
islative and Senatorial district in the
primaries of 1920. 1t would be an is
sue also in the election of national
delegates in that primary. Ratifica-
ton would remove these needless
contests. The torn and tattered liquor
element is in opposition to ratifica-
ton. of course.
Concerning ratification. the Gov
ernor said: "Pennsylvania should
ratify the suffrage amendment
promptly. I will be gratified and
proud if this State is the first to
ratify. When I receive the certifica-
ton of the amendment from the
State Department at Washington, /
will send it to the Legislature. I
will recommend it's ratification,
either by a message direct to the
Legislature or a public statement.
discussed the matter with Senator
Penrose and he informed me he was
going to vote against the proposal in
the United States Senate. Also I dis
cussed the subject with Senator
Crow yesterday. If the national lead
ers of the Republic party are inter-
ested in having Pennsylvania ratify
the suffrage amendment at this ses-
sion. I have not been so informed.
Senator Crow, as State chairman of
the Republican committee, was
asked to select some Pennsylvania
woman to attend the conference of
the National committee of Repub-
lican Women and he named Mrs.
Barclay H. Warburten, of Philadel-
phia. She attended the conference.
If the rest of the country adopts suf-
frage, I will regret if Pennsylvania
does not do so. 1t is the spirit of the
times. PENNSYLVANIA has a splendid
opportunity to be the first State to
act"
.. The Governor was asked If the
administration workmen's compen-
sation bill is making proper pro-
gress. he replied: The compensd-
ton bill. is coming along nicely and
think we will work it out all right.
The situation has been cleared con-
siderably and I believe the admin
stration bill will be passed substan-
TALLY in its present form"
In reply to an inquiry as to
whether he expected to see any
more amendments made to the Con-
servation DEPARTMENT bill, the Gov
ernor said: "I am not interested in
the conservation bill In its present
form. II passed with the amend
ments made recently it would make
little improvement over present con-
ditions. Every man who has invested
dollar in a hunters license during
the past few years seems to think
he has a proprietary interest in
disbursing it. 1 do not know If the
bill will pass and I do not care. l
am sorry did not have the time to
fight out this Legislation. My time
has been taken up with other
matters. In view of this situation
bills strengthening the Forestry De-
partment probably will be passed"
DIR. Thomas E. Finegan, the
new superintendent of Public In
struction, has made a survey of his
work here and the Governor is
pleased with the enthusiastic man.
ner in which he has taken up his
duties. The Governor says that DR..
]. George Becht, secretary of the
State Board of Education, will be
appointed chief deputy in the reor-
ganized Department of Public In
struction. Concerning the work of
DIR. Finnegan and educational mat
ters generally, the Governor said:
"Dr. Finnegan was surprised to find
that we have no real department of
education in Pennsylvania. I told
him I thought it is a good thing as
he can now build from the ground
up. We have legislation pending to
make the superintendent of Public
instruction the executive head of the
State Board of Education and to
make Secretary Becht, real deputy
and assistant to DR.. Finnegan. THESE
bills will be passed.
The bill to give the public school
teachers an increase in salary will
be passed also. 1t is in good posi-
ton and Just as soon as we can de-
termine how much money we can
give, the measure will be amended
and passed. 1t will provide for
general 20 per cent. increase, the
State to pay one-half and the school
districts one-half.
THE bill creating a commission
to study the need of revision of the
Constitution and to determine the
necessity of a constitutional conven-
ton is now in my hands and will be
approved. Until we get revision or
a new constitution, legislative ses-
sions will be lengthy. New York is
the only state doing business COM
mensurate with Pennsylvania and
its Legislature spends from eight to
ten months in session every two
years, although its meetings are
held annually. 1t is not the me-
chanical work that delays a session,
but getting a program ironed out
and learning the sentiment of the
people on important legislation. This
takes considerable time"
Governor William c. Sproul has
no presidential ambitions. The Gov
ernor yesterday reiterated that all
he wanted to do was to finish up
his Job here" When asked if it
would not be an interesting situation
if he should be a candidate and the
boom for Attorney General A.
Mitchell Palmer for the Democratic
Democratic nomination for Presi-
dent should work out.
The Governor remarked that he
heard that Mr.. Palmer was taking
the Presidential proposition seriously
and commented: "Yes, 1t would be