Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-17
NEWS OF THE LEGISLATURE
LOST MOTION IN
OFFICES TO GO
Losing Time to Be Checked
Duplication to Give Way
to Capitalization

The bill to reorganize the Depart
ment of Agriculture which will be
presented to the Senate tonight by
Senator +. +. Jones. chairman of
the Committee on Agriculture, is
held about the Capitol to embody in
many details what Governor Will
liam s. Sproul is planning to put
into the State government. 1t takes
a department which has had boards
and commissions and diSsensions and
other things and make it a strongly
centralized branch of the govern
ment with the secretary responsible
to the Governor.
In addition to this demonstration
of what the Governor plans there
is no question in the minds of OBJ
servers that the gubernatorial order
for the chiefs of departments of the
States big organization on Capitol
Hill to blow the whistles for their
wandering employees to return to
work and either stay at work or
leave the service has produced II
wholesome effect in the big granite
I building. 1t is putting into effect
another of the Sproul plans to make
the State government efficient. The
| Governor holds that some depart
ments have all the people they need
to do their work if they work, and
that there is no occasion for iN-
crease of the pay roll. If salaries
need readjustment he has offered a
means to do it fairly in the bill to
create the State Salary Board. This
would be a sort of general managers
council and provide against emer-
gencies as we'll overcome some of
the barriers imposed by statutes of
/ by-gone days, but which while very
good in their time are out of place
! in modern business.
Since the Governor has come into
| office there have been several
| changes in the business system at
| the Capitol. Heads of departments
/ who used to have to tap at the door
I of the Governors suite for approval
! of appointments of Il janitress were
! toll earl" that their employees were
/ their own affair and that results
We're what would count. Then sug-
gestions We're made for abolishing
some customs which had grown up
until people thought they were Off
| cial requirements and which had
been used for the making of jobs
. payable from contingent funds.
/ These suggestions were followed in
! some cases. In those where they
were not the order for adherence TO
law has brought the desired end
in more ways than one.
And Il few days ago the Governor
gave evidence of the manner in
which he is taking his job as the
head of a big business organization
by telling some heads that they did
not need more hands. but willing
hands. Some travelling inspectors OF
! departments and some Capitol build
I ing attaches will also have TO toa
the mark and do as their chiefs di-
rect about working. Taking days
off without permission will also be
bad practice"
4 Steps taken the last few days to
bring the question of enforcement ot
the vaccination law to an issue in
various parts of the State are be.
lieved to be preliminary to a genera
plan to concentrate in the Depart.
ment of Health everything in the
State government relating to health
1t will require much work and con.
siderable readjustment, but the
heads of several departments which
have details which relate to health
are endeavoring to work out the
idea. Eventually the Department OF
Health will have either supervision
or cognizance of all processes on ac.
count of health.
One of the first moves will be tc
eliminate the overlapping and uncer.
tainties between the Departments oil
Agriculture and Health in regard to
dairy supervision and milk. The De.
partment of Health will cooperate
very closely in the establishment oil
the militia camp sanitation at Mt
Gretna where the officers will gather
in June and the $3.50 militiamer
in July. 1t is also planned to OBJ
tain a still closer relationship be-
tween the educational authorities
and the health officers in regard to
vaccination and diseases and with
the State Police if required for en-
forcements. The work of the State
Policemen in the influenza epidemic
has demonstrated what they can do
1t is also probable that the Health
Department viii co-olaborate with
the Workmen's Compensation Board
in the matter of study and control
! of occupational diseases Certain
/ inspections by the Department of
Labor and Industry and the Depart
] 0f will ,l.o l. !