Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-12

FOR MA LEAGUE
Will Discuss Legislation With
All Comers-Headed
BY Wallace

The Legislative League, composed
of independent members of the
Pennsylvania House of Representa-
tives and which has representation
in the Senate, has been organized,
with Representative Robert l.. Wal
lace, of Lawrence county, as chair
man and floor leader for the pur-
pose of guiding the House on all
matters of clean legislation and to
uphold the legislative program OF
Gov. William c. Sproul.
Representative Allan D. Miller, of
Susquehanna county. has been elect
ed secretary and an executive or
sist of Representatives {. II. Ken
nedy, Beaver county; +. NJ. Sweitzer
Clarion county; John Is. Goldsmith
Westmoreland county: John w.
Nickerman, Allegheny county; II. b
Showalter, Union county; Daniel w.
Helt, Northumberland county, and
Secretary Miller. Chairman Wal
lace will be an ex-officio member.
The purpose of the Legislative
League is to make a thorough study
of bills and to decide, after that
worthy of support. They will give
the member proposing bills deemed
without merit to withdraw them and
in the event that he does not do
that the bills will be openly fought
on the floor. For the purpose of
being effective the league has some
alliances in the House which Chair
man Wallace claims will be more
than enough to defeat a bill and
generally strong enough to pass a
bill. Any alliances that are made,
the league members say, will be
merely for the purpose of assisting
meritorious legislation and to make
possible the successful consumma-
non OF the governors program. The
league members declare that they
want to make it impossible in the
future to what they call railroad" q
bill before it has been thoroughly
studied and it's provisions digested.
The league feels that its general
strength will be about 40 mem bers
who will act in unison. They feel
they can count on one-third more in
the House which would place their
strength at 100 votes, quite a tidy
amount and much TO be desired by
any person having bill on the CAL
endar. Considering the average at
tendance in the House that number
of votes would dictate the thought
OF the House in ninty-nine cases
out of one hundred Caucauses will
be held by the league. They claim
they will not take an active part on
every bill in the House but will pick
out the important ones for study and
action. Their active members will
be stragetically located in the
House from the standpoint of get
ting into quick contact with other
members of the league when Chair
man Wallace passes the word on a
bill.
Frequent meetings of the steer
ing committee are contemplated At
that time bills will be distributed for
study and reports, according TO the
position of the proposed legislation
on the House calendars, will be
made and acted upon. There will
be little secretive work in the league,
Representative Fickerman saws. but
1t has been formed for action and
the House will know its stand with
regard to bills
From its political complexion if is
independent, though not outright
dry. 1t naturally has a fear of tbe
liquor lobby and for that reason IFS
organization membership is COM
posed OF those who, t happens,
Noteu -lor Fdtlncatlon OF the national
Prohibition amendment and helped
pass it in the House last week. MIR
Nickerman is the most active dry
member on the steering COMMITTEES.
Ihe league, according to Chairman
wallace, is not an anti-liquor or
ganlzauon. He says it is a pro
Sproul and pro-good legislation or
ganlzation. The liquor attitude of
a member with legislation in view
VIII not influence the league against
or Tor the legislation. The latter
must stand on it's own bottom.
chairman Wallace said that
threats against the league had bet
ter not be uttered. He said that he
means that if any member of the
House who would have reasons best
known to himself to fear the league
attempts to hamper its work that
retaliatory measures will be taken
! and he said that went for all com
mittees in the House. He claims
the new league will give a few dem
onstrations of its attitude and has
only one hope-that Pennsylvania
will gain because the league was or