Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-07
'Pssst;ee s~
Ps"~Atesa~ia
By the Ex- Committeeman

|
preme Court last November. Judge
Kephart was sworn in as q mem ber
of the Supreme bench in Phlladel-
phia yesterday, among those witness
ing the ceremony being Attorney
General Francis Skunk Brown.
Rumors on Capitol Hill during the
day that Mr.. Keller would be named
ior the plae e were thick, and the ap-
pointment was announced through
the Governors office at $50 o'clock.
Attorney General Brown, who spoke
IN the highest praise of Mr.. Keller
tGst night. said his appointment to
TIE Superior Court bench would not
require the confirmation of rha Sem
ate as that body does not como into
existence uutil ncon to-day.
Some surprise was expressed
among Republican members of the
Legislature over the Governors ac-
tion in naming q successor to Judge
Kephart on the eve of the meeting
of the Legislature. Some thought
he would leave the appointment to
Governor-elect Sproul.
Mr.. Keller win serve on the bench
one year until his successor is Sc
lected at the election next November
and takes his seat in January, 1920.
1t is now reported that at an
early date the appointment of Gov
ernor Brumbaugh as State Historian
will be revoked. No meeting of the
official Wal Bonrd of the State is
scheduled, nor IS one likely - bo
held before January 81. when Gov
ernor Sproul will replace Brum-
baugh and Lieutenant Governor
Beidleman will take the place OF
Frank B. McClain. The selection of
Governor Brumbaugh was made sew
eral weeks ago by the Public Safety
Committee. A meeting had been held
prior to that time, at which the af-
fair was talked over.
The Republican caucuses of
Representatives and Senator's took
place last night at the Capitol with
cut and dried precision. Harmony
was the watchword. Senator Clar-
encc J. Buchanan. OF Bucks county,
was indorsed as the Republican can
didatc for president pro tempore of
the Senate, and Robert S. Spangler,
&C York, received the designation for
Speaker of the House, both without
single dissenting vote. 1t was a
forePone conclusion that the two will
he. elected to the respective Offices to-
Gay as the Democrats are in q hope
less minority in both chambers.
Their caucuses designated Asa K.
Dewitt, of LuEerne, as caudIdpte for
president pro tempore, and Henry L
LaGlus, of York for Speaker.
In his speech of acceptance Rob-
ert s. Spangler won his hearers with
n short and clear-cut statement of
his policies. He said the Republicans
ought to take care that the harmony
which had prevailed during the cam
paign should characterize the ses-
sions of the Legislature. He also de-
clared emphatically for a short ses-
sion and said he had an agreement on
this principle from such state leaders
os Governor Sproul, Senator
Penrose. "the Messrs. Vare," Mayor
Babcock, Senator Crow and Auditor
General Snyder. He advised that the
Legislature reform its procedure, es-
pecially with regard to committee
routine, so that the session could dis
pose of the states business with eff
ticiency in short space of time.
On this point he had The following
to say
1T is my wish and no doubt it is
the wish and expectation of each one
of you to make this session of the
Legislature as brief as the business
of the state will permit. l believe
that the coming session can be ma
terially shortened If each one of us
will bear his full share of the burden
in the legislative program of the
House. In the past we have been
handicapped by failure OF the COM
mittees to get down to solid work in
the early part of the session, causing
congestion later on and lack of prop
er considera ton of important iegis-
lation that was either delayed in its
Introduction or it's consideration
postponed by the committees.
During previous Legislatures it
has been the custom to pnduly de-
lay consideration of the general and
other important appropriation bills.
This procrastination on the part of
the House resulted in hasty and i'm.
mature consideration and passage of
these bills, with the result that in
their aggregate they greatly exceed
ed the revenues of the state, so that
the Governor was compelled to per-
form the task of shearing off the
appropriations to meet the avail
able revenue of the state. 1 trust
that this grave error can be avoid
ed at the present session. / feel
that legislative activity early in the
session would greatly relieve us of
the crowding that has in the past
harassed our closing hours.
II have recently had the honor
of comforting with many of our state
Republican leaders. including Gov
ernor-elect Sproul, Senator Penrose.
the Messrs. Ware, Mayor Babcock.
Senator Crow and Auditor General
Snyder. / feel sure that these lead
ers, as well as the great body of
people of Pennsylvania, will look
forward to harmonious session for
1919. session that will give to the
people of the state good laws in
moderate quantity, enacted by n
Legislature that KNOWS when to ad-
journ.'
Representative McCaig, Thirty
second Congressional district. was
made chairman of the House slate
committee. The other members
are:
First district, Cox Philadelphia:
Second, Scott. Philadelphia; Third.
Curry. Philadelphia; Fourth, Con-
ner, Philadelphia; Fifth, Dunn, Phil
adelphia; Sixth, Hefferman, Phila-
delphia; Seventh, Ramsey; Eighth.
Haldeman; Ninth. Herr, Lancaster;
Tenth, Jones, Lackawanna; Eleventh.
Powell, Luzerne; Twelfth. Schaeffer.
Schuylkill; Thirteenth, Evans. Le-
high; Fourteenth, jennings. Brad
ford; Fifteenth. Williams, TioRa !:
Sixteenth, Clements, Northumber-
land; Seventeenth, Benichoff, Frank
lin: Eighteenth TJlher Daunbip.