Dewar] Wala INK SLINGS. —Chairman Lasker’s million dollar junket on the Leviathan every day in every way is looking more like thirty cents. ——The State-wide tour of Sena- tors Pepper and Reed is nearly finish- ed but nobody has found out what it was for. —And new the fly has gotten busy at the work of cutting down the little bit of grain that did grow on the fields of Centre county. ——The unexpected treasury sur- plus is gratifying, of course, but it indicates that the Secretary of the Treasury is a poor guesser. —The ordinary white-collared clerk has to work two days in which to earn enough to pay the fellow in overalls for pottering around his home one day. —There was one at least who didn’t realize there were so many kids in Bellefonte until we saw the horde of them that the Elks exhibited on Wed- nesday night. —Just naturally the question aris- es: Why should the isolationists of this country be so much concerned about Japan’s plans for the domina- tion of China? —The burning of the Broad street station, Philadelphia, almost convinces us that the more fire-proof the struc- ture the easier it burns and the hotter the fire it makes. —This is the year of the “seventeen year locusts” and the amount of noise they seem to be making in many parts of the county indicates there must be millions of them. —The Governor has his code now. It becomes effective today and it is up to him now to show it the panacea for all of Pennsylvania’s governmen- tal ills that he has insisted it would be. —For this season at least we're off further comment on the weather. Every time we prepare a dissertation on how hot or cool it is the weather changes before we get the thing into circulation, —Having evaded the mandates of the constitution so adroitly himself the Governor thought he could teach Finegan the trick. Finegan is a teacher, however, and he declined to take lessons in the little matter of vi- olating his oath of office. —With all our doubts and misgiv- ings as to the results of the pet meas- ures of the Governor we take our hat off to him as the manipulator of Penn- sylvanja Legislatures. No other Gov- efor within our memory has so com- —Of course we haven’t an idea that our advice had anything to do with it, but it is a fact, none-the-less, that less than twenty-four hours after we told Mr. Finegan what we would tell the Governor about the job of Superin- tendent of Public Instruction he went and did it. —Take it from us: Any day but Sunday is a good one to cut bean poles. We didn’t know this until last Sunday when we cut a few, ran a thorn into the finger that should be guiding this pencil and have been suf- fering the torments of the damned, with an infection, ever since. —Voting five million dollars for a fair in Philadelphia, when they acknowledged inability to find enough money to support the schools and hos- pitals of the State, was what might have been expected of the Legislature, but, happily, this was one of the times when the expected didn’t happen. —Because the “Watchman” did what it thought to be its duty last week! Told what it believes to be the truth about the western penitentiary, one minister of the gospel called the office to congratulate it, while another came down to discontinue his paper. If for no other than purely selfish rea- sons this community should be solidly behind Rockview, since it means so much in a business way to Pleasant Gap and Bellefonte especially. —The recent decision of the United States Supreme court, affecting the Kansas law on wages, is one of far reaching consequence. A new enact- ment of the Legislature of Kansas gave power to an Industrial court, it had created, to arbitrarily raise wages in any industry coming under the ju- risdiction of the court. If wages were to be fixed by law what would be- come of the fundamental law of sup- ply and demand? The efficiency and quantity of labor are the only two ele- ments that should enter into an ad- judication of what it should receive and unless this can follow the only alternative is the falling of the entire economic fabric or governmental own- ership of all industry. —What is he? Big faker or ignoram- us! Within four days of the time he knew the Legislature of Pennsylvania would adjourn the Governor of the State writes a letter to Senator Barr asking him to present a concurrent resolution to investigate the past op- erations of the State Treasury. Let us tell you that a concurrent resolu- tion can only be constitutional if six legislative days have elapsed between its introduction and final passage. Having told you this we ask all read- ers—friends and foes of the Governor —to answer to their own satisfac- tion the inquiry that started this paragraph. They are the only per- tinent questions that could be asked. Think a bit, be honest with yourself, and deduce what you may from the facts set forth. a legislative body. . ST (Bm BT a ©, Foy [lal STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. VOL. 68. BELLEFONTE, PA., JUNE 15, 1923 NO. 24. st — Pinchot’s Hypocrisy Palpable. In his letter to Senator Barr re- questing the introduction of a concur- rent resolution to investigate the past operations of the State Treasury, Gov- ernor Pinchot reveals sublime faith in the credulity of the people of Penn- sylvania or scant respect for their intelligence. The request is presented precisely four days from the date fix- ed for final adjournment of the ses- sion. Under the constitution a con- current resolution requires six days for passage through both branches. Therefore, unless the Governor is ab- solutely ignorant of or utterly indif- ferent to the provisions of the consti- tution, he knew that his request could not be fulfilled and that his purpose was te deceive the people. Soon after the opening of the ses- sion Representative Rhodes, of Mon- roe county, Democratic floor leader, introduced a similar resolution and in- vited Governor Pinchot to promote its passage. Instead of doing so, how- ever, the most obedient followers of the Governor exhausted their ener- gies in rushing it into the “pickling vat.” Now that it is too late to make it effective he asks for a resolution and assigns a false reason for the de- lay. That is, he states in his letter to Senator Barr that “he has refrained from addressing the Legislature on the subject until after the courts have. finished with the case.” The courts finished the case and the Attorney General whitewashed the culprit ex- actly three months ago, giving ample time to start and finish the inquiry. In view of these facts there is no escape from the impression that this gesture of Governor Pinchot is a fla- grant fake pretense made for the pur- pose of fooling the people. He spe- cifically promised during the cam- paign to thoroughly expose the cor- rupt practices of Kephart and his as-' sociate treasury looters until he com- pleted a bargain for their support, and he has since refrained from carry- ing out his pledges because he was negotiating corrupt deals with Kep- hart’s friends for: legislation to pro- mote his selfish ambitions. But now that his plans have been consummat- ed, with the help of the recreant offi- cials, he comes out with a request for an investigation which it is impossi- ble to make. = ——If it turns out that Dr. Becht entered upon the agreement with the Governor which Dr. Finegan refused to consider, the incident is an injury to the public school system which will require years to repair. Finegan Carries Off the Honors. Whatever differences of opinion may exist as to the qualifications of Dr. Thomas E. Finegan, for the office of Superintendent of Public Instruc- tion, fair minded and clear thinking men and women will agree that in his recent controversy with the Governor he has carried off all the honors. His educational system and methods as re- vealed during the four years of his administration are expensive, auto- cratic and centralizing. All these faults are undemocratic and danger- ous. Because of these facts a consid- erable part, if not a preponderance, of public opinion was and is against his reappointment to the office. But the manner of his removal from the im- | | | portant and honorable office is greatly : to his credit. Article 4, Section 8, of the constitu- tion of Pennsylvania declares that the Governor “shall nominate and, by and with the adviee and consent of two- thirds of all the Senate, appoint a Secretary of the Commonwealth and Attorney General during pleasure, a Superintendent of Public Instruction for four years, and such other officers of the Commonwealth as he is or may be authorized by the constitution or by law to appoint.” Obviously the purpose of this clearly expressed dis- tinction was to protect the school sys- tem from the intrigue of selfish poli- ticians or the plots of ambitious ex- ecutives. Governor Pinchot tried to inveigle Dr. Finegan into a conspira- cy to evade this provision of the con- stitution. Both these gentlemen had taken a solemn oath to “support, obey and de- fend” the constitution of Pennsylva- nia. The proposition of the Govern- or involved the violation of that sworn obligation and Dr. Finegan properly refused. In that refusal he forfeited the generous emolument of his office and relinquished an opportunity to vindicate the wisdom of his education- al policies. But he has written him- self up as a man of honor and integ- rity, and that is as great an achieve- ment as laudable ambition could hope for. In this matter, at least, Dr. Fin- egan has earned the confidenec and re- spect of all right thinking people, and that is a triumph which will endure so long as merit is justly appreciat- ed. —————— ——— ——The capture of a 40,000 pound fish off the Florida coast the other day proves that the big ones don’t al- ways get away. . mess existing at Harrisburg. ‘publican is so slender as to afford small pro- Lasker’s “Joy Ride” a Menace. Chairman Lasker, of the Shipping board, one of the Presidential pets, is inviting trouble for the administration in his proposed million dollar “joy- ride” in connection with the trial trip of the Leviathan. Mr. Lasker is about to retire from public life to re- sume his vocation, which is selling ad- vertising space in newspapers, and de- siring to leave in the official circle some enduring memory of his public ; service, he conceived the notion of a junket de luxe as a convenient medi- um of achievement. He thereupon in- vited some 600 guests, mostly Con- gressmen and newspaper men, who might be useful to him in the future, and made preparations on a grand scale for a week’s “life on the ocean wave.” Everything looked favorable for the fulfillment of Mr. Laskei’s fondest hopes until some curious Congressmen of inquiring minds began an estima- tion of the cost of this hilarious and hifaluting enterprise. One item after another was noted down and figured up until the fabulous sum of a million dollars stood staring them in the face. Then it was recalled that both the President and chairman Lasker had been complaining for some time at the enormous strain upon the national treasury caused by the maintenance of the ships under control of the Board, and a mighty roar of protest against this useless addition to the total was made. Republican Congressmen were overtaken with fear and are protest- ing against it. : Chairman Lasker probably imagin- ed that his close friendship and inti- mate relations with the President would shield him from serious criti- cism, especially as a large proportion of his guests were to be Senators and Representatives in Congress, but he seems to have “reckoned without his host,” for several leading Republicans of the House and Senate have appeal- ed to the President to call the event off. Now chairman Cordell Hull, of : the Democratic National committee, who is a member of Congress, declares that he will demand an investigation of the affair immediately upon the re- tection. Possibly that Washington sten- ographer may have trouble in get- ting the $50,000 claimed as heart- balm from former Representative Herrick, of Oklahoma, but it’s certain- ly worth that much to escape mar- { riage with him. Perfidys at Harrisburg. Those Democratic members of the House of Representatives at Harris- burg who voted to increase taxes, on Tuesday of last week, wrote them- selves down as party recreants. Ac- cording to the newspaper reports of the proceedings the Democrats “split even,” one-half voting for and the other half against the measures. There was no valid reason for any Democrat voting in the affirmative. Auditor General Lewis, whose busi- ness it is to know, had repeatedly de- clared that no additional revenues were needed to meet the obligations of the State. Unnecessary taxation is simply legalized robbery. As we have repeatedly said, the Heaven Help Pennsylvania. The reorganization code was forced through the General Assembly at Har- risburg, last Thursday afternoon, and within a brief period afterward was approved by the Governor and became a law of the State. It was a great ' event and “a cheerful occasion” for | the Governor, as he stated at the time. It made him master of the people. It invests in him a power greater than the Czar of Russia ever wielded. But ‘even in this there is a recompense. It completely and for all time smashes the odious and corrupt Penrose ma- chine. There is grave danger that it will create another machine more de- structive and more selfish than the Vares and the Leslies ever dreamed of. But the peril is present. The measure was forced through the House of Representatives by the most reprehensible methods. A law- less combination of political mercena- ries rode ruthlessly over the rights of protesting Legislators and outraged every principle of parliamentary prac- tice in order to secure the favor of a huckster in spoils in consideration of patronage promised or implied. But there is no surprise in this result. Soon after the measure was introdue- ed the “Watchman” expressed the be- lief that if it came to a vote it would be enacted into law. The lust for spoils and the servility of the Legisla- tors gave the Governor a guarantee that a crafty trader with favors to offer could get what he wanted and “when he wanted it.” There may be an appeal to the Su- preme court to protect the rights of the people under the constitution. Under the authority of this monstrous ‘law the Governor will undertake to! usurp functions committed by the con- stitution to other departments and that tribunal may revoke the unlaw- ful authority and rebuke the usurpa- tion. The Auditor General, the State Treasurer and the Secretary of Inter- nal Affairs have ample cause of ac- tion. But they will enter the contest without powerful support. The old machine is so completely crushed thet it is as helpless as it is worthless and the spi ure has openly ility and im- Fortified with handsomely en- grossed diplomas, over five hundred young men and women left State Col- lege this week to go out into the world and enter the never ending struggle for success. With some it may mean a battle for supremacy in some chosen calling, while with others, and proba- bly the largest percentage, it will be a fight for existence. The lines of ' competition are now so tightly drawn "in all of life’s activities that only those who are willing to put up a stubborn fight become masters of their calling or profession. The mid- night oil counts as many points now in the pathway upward as it did be- fore Edison invented the push but- ton illumination. Ten years from now every one of the five hundred who graduated at State this week will have stamped their record on the sands of time and none can tell at this time what that record will be. In the meantime the permanent resi- dents of State College will now have a fortnight’s breathing spell before the influx of teachers for the opening of the summer school on June_28th, when from 2500 to 3000 are expected | ‘some 500 of them: into law. | In Terms of Barter. . From the New York Herald. A man who runs a farm in Virginia sent to the New York Herald the oth- er day a letter in which he translated the cost of construction, at present wages, into food at the price the far- mer gets. The examples are most il- luminating: It takes 63% dozen, or 762 eggs to pay a plasterer for one day of eight hours’ work. It takes 17% bushels of corn, or a year’s receipts from half an acre, to pay a bricklayer one day. It takes 23 chickens, weighing three pounds each to pay a painter for one day’s work in New York. | It takes 42 pounds of butter, or the output from 14 cows, fed and milked for 24 hours, to pay a plumber $14 a | day. It takes a hog weighing 175 pounds, representing eight month’s feeding and care, to pay a carpenter for one day’s work. Thus reduced to terms of barter, the charges made by skilled labor in the building trades are startling. Yet these are facts beyond argument. Men in lines of endeavor other than farming can figure how much of their produced wealth they are compelled to give in exchange for construction work. How much coal must a miner dig in order to have his house paint- ed? How many volumes must a book- binder bind that he may have a new front porch? Barter is never so well expressed, however, as in terms of food. For that is the coin of the earth. All else in trade depends in one way or anoth- | er, upon it. Law-Making—a Moral Fireworks. From the Nation. 3 Laws, laws, laws! More laws! Still more laws! Bad laws, needless laws, | conflicting laws, unintelligible laws, unenforceable laws, unconstitutional laws, laws that nobody ever heard of! —doubtless ‘a sprinkling of necessary and constructive laws. ore -than 200,000 measures—federal, state, city, town and COunfy are passed annually in the United States, aceording to an estimate of the national get com- mittee while some 2,000,000 are in ef- fect as a result of past performances. Congress and the State Legislatures alone pass an average of 10,000 laws a year. The last Congr received a than... hile ad _enactd man in one of our large cities needs a working knowledge of at least 15,000 statutes, it is said, if he is to do his work intelligently. Our national pas- sion seems to be to pass a law and then forget it, violate it, or upset it in the courts. Law-making is a kind of moral fireworks, mistaken by many for morality itself. Then, too, the separation in this country between the legislative and the executive branches leaves many hundred men with noth- ing to do except pass laws. How dam this appalling flood? The spread of . the commission form of government among our cities and the tendency of the States to regulate more through administrative bodies than through specific laws may help. For the rest we shall have to wait, apparently, un- til the burden bends our back to a point where, willy-nilly, it slides off. | Likely to Help State Machine. + From the Philadelphia Record. ' The so-called code for the reorgan- ization of State Departments, now on | the statute books by action of the i Legislature and the approval of Gov- i ernor Pinchot, is the product of the | Governor and his backers. The an- nounced intention of the law is to cre- ‘ate a condition under which savings ican be made in the cost of govern- Democratic party is not in the least to report for the six and ten weeks 'ment. The Governor urged that this - measure responsible for the financial true that Democratic members of the General Assembly are morally and le- gally bound to concur in legislation providing sufficient revenues to finance the operations of the State govern- ment economically administered. But levying taxes beyond that is robbing the people. Providing funds to em- ploy spies or pay the expenses of es- pionage is not only unjust and undem- ocratic, but a criminal usurpation of authority. Democratic assemblymen who voted for increased taxes at that time have committed this fault. At the opening of the session of the Legislature the Democratic Senators | ~and Representatives pledged them- selves to vote against increased taxes unless the need for additional reve- 'nues was clearly shown. So far from ' this need having been established the Auditor General repeatedly stated that there was no need for increased taxes. Some of the misleaders of the party who are in sympathy with Gov- ernor Pinchot’s centralizing policies because of his prohibition proclivities, may have encouraged this party rec- reancy. fidious on that account. It is a safe bet that the chair- man of the Republican National com- mittee will not have a commanding influence in dispensing patronage dur- ing the rest of the present term of the President. E————— er ————————— ——Now that some contemporaries are discussing the quality of patriot- ism the definition of our late friend Sam Johnson deserves some consider- ation. It is | But it was none the less per- ' courses. ——While ‘in town on Monday i Squire A. A. Pletcher informed us that the wheat fields down ‘Bald Ea- | gle valley have improved considerably in appearance in the past ten days or | two weeks, and that the farmers of ; that section are now anticipating a , crop that will not be much below nor- | mal. Similar reports have been re- | ceived from the western end of the county, also. = Of course, there are ! some fields that are quite spotted but the crop will not be as short as ap- i pearances in the spring indicated. | ——aA. D. Houck last week resigned as business manager of the Altoona Tribune, following a continuous serv- ice with that paper of more than fifty years. He started in as a carrier and rose from one position to another un- til he was made vice president and business manager. ——The tariff commission is help- less against the Sugar trust but it tackles the tariff on paint brush han- - dles with a courage that is amazing. ——The Legislature leaves Harris- i burg and Mrs. Pinchot returns to that | centre of politics this week, so that it must be a cheerful time for Giff. | ERE | ——Even if Germany paid the rep- ‘arations bill in full .she would stand to lose less than any other country concerned in the world war. ——The billion dollar offer for the | fleet of ships appears more like a practical joke than an “iridescent dream.” could be done only through this law giving him greater power than he held before the passage of the code bill. The constitutionality of the act is questioned, and it is intimated will be tested in the courts. The wisdom of many of its provisions is doubted by students of government. We were about to say, having in mind the Governor’s Decoration day speech at Gettysburg, that it might be all right to place unlimited power in the hands of a Governor with such love and respect for the Constitution, but when we read anew the charge made by Mr. Finegan that the same Governor tried to get him to enter in- to a conspiracy to violate the State Constitution, what is the use? The chances are that the code, like most of the modern helps to better government, will not do what its re- forming friends claim for it, but, like i so many more of their dreams, will serve machinists who make govern- ment control a means to private prof- it far better than any device they might have attempted to make graft- ing easier. But who cares? Might be Improved. From the Easton Free Press. The bill signed by Governor Pin- chot which compels all automobile owners to register will help some. But a law to adjudge the fitness of driv- ers would help more by going nearer to the prevention of accidents. Too many owners and drivers of cars are permitted to operate them who are ignorant of traffic regulations and the highway etiquette which com- mon courtesy demands they should ob- serve. — Passengers on foreign ships might swim to shore from the three " mile line. SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE. —~Contracts for road building in Blair county totaling $100,870 have been let by the State Highway Department to the Paul Construction company, of Philadel phia. —For the loss of his left leg, Henry Fink, of Conemaugh, former brakeman, has been paid $17,500 by the Pennsylvania rail- road. He was thrown from a draft of cars at Conemaugh. —Four young men, masked and armed, held up a dozen men of a mutual aid so- ciety .in Philadelphia on Saturday night, seized in cash and checks over $1,800 and made off in a large touring car. —Colonel Henry W. Shoemaker has of- fered a reward for the return of an Algiers jackal, which dug its way out of the cage in which it had been placed in the Shoe- maker park at McElhattan several days after it reached there. —When Miss Dorothy Hummell found $1400 in diamonds under a pillow in a room at the Neff House, in Sunbury, last Thursday, she firmly refused a $100 re- ward. She is a housekeeper, and declared it her duty to return the jewels, which be- longed to a party of tourists from Florida. —Walking upon the track at the Penn- sylvania Railroad station at Portage, on Saturday, and being confronted by a fence, Fannie and Gertrude Tursky, of Cardiff, aged 14 and 16 years, became bewildered, and ran up the tracks in front of a fast train. Both were run down and killed, the bodies being horribly mangled. —Mary M. Trinkley, of Patton, has filed action through Leech and Leech, her at- torneys, in Ebensburg, alleging breach of promise and naming George O’Brien as de- fendant. The plaintiff alleges that upon promise of marriage she advanced to the defendant the sum of $1,022.50, which has never been returned. She also asks $10,000 damages. —The executive board of the Central Pennsylvania Volunteer Firemen’s associa- tion at a meeting in Clearfield, at which nearly every company in the district was represented, decided upon August 16 and 17 as the dates for holding the annual con- vention. The convention will be held in Clearfield in accordance with the action taken by the 1922 convention at DuBois. | —Elmer L. Lippert, seventeen years old, and his team of horses were struck and killed by lightning while harrowing in a field at Byberry, near Honesdale, on Thursday of last week. There was no mark on the man’s body, but a large hole was found in the crown of his straw hat. Another brother, John Lippert, escaped in- jury when a barn was struck by lightning. —Seventeen year locusts so plentiful that they interfere with motor traffic and delay mail service are reported by Ermone Bai- ley, mail carrier on Tyrone R. F. D. 4. Ou Saturday, near Union Furnace, his car ran into a swarm of locusts which swamped the machine. It was necessary for him to stop and brush off the insects, picking them from mail sacks and even from inside the hood before he could proceed. —Returning to his burning home to re- cover $800 he had left in a trunk, after he had once been trapped and only escaped with difficulty, was fatal for Elmer Brown, a New York Central trainman of Walton, Clearfield county, for he received burns that caused his death in a Clearfield hos- pital a few days later. Brown plunged : | back into the flames when he recalled the olice- ‘money in the frunk and was horribly burn- ed before rescuers, attracted by his fran« tic cries, got him out. —Lightning last Friday struck the barn of John Houck in Salem township, two miles from Berwick, destroying it together with four horses, two automobiles, pigs and chickens, farm machinery and grain. The loss is about $10,000. Firemen were called from Berwick and saved the house, although it was damaged considerably. Many trees were uprooted by the high wind in the Savage Hill area and an oveér- flowing stream tore away practically the entire wheat field of Erwin Stiner. —Former postmaster Fred McClure, of Downingtown, who had been missing since November last, returned home last Friday night. McClure simply dropped from sight, leaving his family and for no ap- parent reason. His accounts as postmaster were found correct, and he was in no finan- cial trouble. He was traced to Philadel- phia, and there the trail was lost. He ex- { plained that he had remembered nothing until he found himself in a hospital in Richmond, where he remained for several weeks. : —Walter Snyder and J. Y. Groton, of Scranton, employees of a local garage, were held in bail for Union county court at Lewisburg, on Sunday, charged with hav- ing knowledge of the theft of $14,000 worth of diamonds from the Cherry Run bunga- low of Federal Judge Charles B. Witmer, of Sunbury. The diamonds were in a vest owned by Charles Hinckley, of Buffalo, N. Y. The young men were sent to the bun- galow to repair an automoble and after they left the diamonds were missing, it is alleged. —Several dozen silk shirts, believed to be part of the $13,000 worth of shirts stol- en from the Pottsville factory some time ago, were located in Lock Haven by a Pottsville officer and a State police, who searched homes in the eastern end of that city on Friday. They found twenty-one silk shirts in one home and a number in others. The shirts were confiscated, al- though no arrests were made. The officers said they will continue the search this week. Trail of the loot has led them into a dozen cities, they stated. —Lewis Brown, former brewer, connect- ed with the Westmoreland Brewing plant at Suterville, who is under sentence in the federal court at Pittsburgh for contempt, was granted permission last week by Judge F. P. C. Schoonmaker to go to EKu- rope to attend the wedding of his niece. Brown was directed to return to Pitts- burgh before October 15th. Brown was fined $500 and sentenced to thirty days in jail in connection with the operation of the brewery at Suterville after it had been closed by an injunction order. —Deputy sheriffs Edward Mannison and D. J. Riley, of Allegheny county, charged with the murder of Fannie Sellins, organ- izer for the United Mine Workers of Amer- ica, were found not guilty by a Pittsburgh jury late last Friday. Mrs. Sellins was shot and killed at Ducktown during the 1919 steel strike. The verdict of acquittal was reached after fifty minutes of deliber- ation. In the case of Mannison the court had instructed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty. Witnesses for the defense testified the woman union leader was at the head of a charging mob of men armed with clubs and stones when she was killed at the Allegheny Steel company’s coal mines, where Mannison and Riley were guards.