14 HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH A NEWSPAPER FOR THE HOME pounded lSjl (Published evenings except Sunday by THE TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO, Tclrcmph Building;, Federal Square. ■E.J. STACKPOkE./V7 <* Editor-in-Chief F. R. OYSTER, Business Manager. GUS M. BTEINMETZ, Managing Editor. A Member American r] Newspaper Pub- Ushers' Assocla- Bureau of Clrcu- IB latlon and Penn -161 B SSC 3T sylvania Asscel- Hg|i| Sated Dailies. S|> 808 Ml Eastern office, pail ■ ■■■ mM Story, Brooks & MS S fiSS El Finley, fifth BESSSu W Avenue Building. :18L55 flßa New York City; Western office. . Entered at the Post Office In Harris burg, Pa., as second class matter. By carriers, ten cents a > week: by mail. Jo.oo a year in advance. FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 27. They that can give up es sential liberty to obtain a lit tle temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin. ONE SHOT; ONE SUBMARINE THE men of the Mongolia who aimed the gun tbat sank a German submarine on the an niversary of tlie battle of Lexington fired another "shot which rang around the, world." One shot, one submarine; is a record that, of course, American gunners cannot hope to maintain, but it is a fine be ginning and serves as a notice to German commanders that the stories of Yankee inefficiency with which they have been regaled from Berlin are without foundation. It is grati fying, also, that the gun should bear the name of "Teddy." The German Riechstag seems to be ebout what Ambassador Gerard sug gested in his recent speech here—a tumultuous debating society. It doesn't have even the scope of such a society, because the speakers are not permit ted to say anything chat might of fend the Kaiser. If they do, as hap pened on Wednesday, permission to continue talking is generally refused. THE LOAN TO BRITAIN ris entirely proper that America's first loan to our allies should be made to Great Britain. The Kingdom has been financing the*fe*!a,t war to a very large extent, and It Is likely that her coffers are in serious need of replenishment. That the money will be expended largely In this country Is reassuring, since In this instance we may not only spend our money in a good cause, but keep It, too. There is no hard feeling among the allied nations on this score. Eng land satisfied, Italy probably will be next in line for assistance, then Rus sia and finally France. All will be obliged in their turn and when the loans have been negotiated America will have performed her first real service in the world war for dem ocracy. It is beginning to dawn upon the Imitators of foreign censorship at Washington that the American news paper is about as patriotic as the average American statesman, and that . It will not do to hamper the press of the country at the very out set of hostilities. We believe the American newspapers are ready to act In concert for the best interests of the country and that any aggravating or unreasonable censorship would tend • only to minimize their co-operation. ROOT A PATRIOT ELIHU ROOT'S acceptance of President Wilson's appoint ment as head of the commis sion that is to go to Russia for the purpose of assisting the provisional government in the reorganization of the nation and to aid it in the prose cution of the war, is an act of pa triotism if there ever was one. When his friends spoke of him for President, Mr. Root's reply was: "I am too old for such responsibilities." But when the call of his country came for service of the most exact ing and dangerous character, he steps quickly forth with: "I'm ready, sir." The choice of the former Secretary by the President was an assurance to the country that in this crisis the White House does not mean to be bound by purely party lines, and Mr. Root's prompt acceptance is equal assurance that American men of all ages and all walks of life are as ready as ever to respond to the call of their country. A GREAT CAPITOL STATE officials, members of the Senute and House and all concerned are more than pleased with the comprehensive and dignified plan for the final and per manent treatment of the Capitol Park area. The distinguished architects who have for several months been investi gating conditions and making a care ful study of the problems Involved, have agreed upon a design which is in every way commensurate with the dignity and importance of a great Commonwealth. Not a note of dissatisfaction or criticism has been heard; all agree that the plan evolved Is as nearly perfect as is possible for the human mind to sug gest. Governor Brumbaugh has Intl piated clearly in his statements with resrard to the improvement that the FRIDAY EVENING, plans contemplate a series of build ings which will be erected within the next twenty-five or fifty years. Meanwhile the park treatment will be carried out in such manner as to admit of these buildings being con structed from time to time without damage to the original park design. As is generally understood, the plan proposes a reforming of the old park district in harmony with the general scheme of treatment adopted for that section east of the Capitol and embraced in the extension zone. While it is not possible, of course, to provide at the present session of the Legislature for the completion of the plan adopted, steps must be taken at once for grading and plant ing, so that no time shall be lost In the development of trees and shrub bery to give a proper setting to the Capitol. While factional controversy af fects in some measure the construc tive work of the session, there is no opposition to the Capitol Park de velopment. It is realized that this work must proceed and that it would be folly to defer the start two years. Governor Brumbaugh, Senator Pen rose and the leaders of the Senate and House are a unit in the belief that nothing should interfere with the plans which have been so com prehensively outlined by the emi nent architects who have given their best thought to the undertaking. It is believed that the widening of Walnut, Third and North streets, as well as the regrading of the terrace and planting, can easily go forward during the next two years, so that the session of 1919 can make further provision for such change of the eastern front of the Capitol as may be necessary to give proper simlli-1 tude to that wonderful structure. Secretary Houston in Washing ton last week announced that the American people waste $.00,000,- 000 worth of food annually, and, after analyzing the figures, it is the endeavor of the department to place some limitation on the in discriminate use of food which should be conserved. One cannot sit in any public dining place and not be impressed, with the terrific waste of food of every descrip tion. It might be a good thing to restrain the alleged appetites of peo ple who waste more than they eat. DON'T HOARD FOOD DON'T hoard food!" That is the advice of provi sion men and economists in the employ of the government. If you doubt its wisdom get a copy of "Mr. Breitling Sees it Through," and read of the follies the English people committed in this regard at the beginning of the war. So much evil was worked by the practice in Great Britain that food hoarding is now forbidden there by government decree. Says the Lon don Daily Chronicle, setting forth the latest dictum of the food con troller: An order issued last night by the Kood Controller makes it un- lawful for any person to. acquire an article of food in such quanti ties that the amount in his pos session or under his control at anv one time exceeds what is re quired for ordinary use and con sumption in his household or es tablishment. It is, further, made an offense for dealers to sell articles where they have reason to believe the amount permitted to the pur chaser will thereby be exceeded. The order excludes articles of food held by producers, dealers and manufacturers, and also liometinade articles of food and the materials reasonably neces sary in the ordinary course of such production. The power of entry upon prem ises is limited to such persons as are specially authorized in writ ing by the Food Controller. Penalties for a breach of the order are those for an offense against the Defense of the Realm regulations. The only result of housekeepers piling up huge quantities of salt meats, canned goods, sugar, flour, etc., will be to make provision sup plies even lower than they are and force prices higher. It Is all very well for the man with money in his pocket to take advantage of the market thus to save a few pennies, possibly, but possessors of bank ac counts should take thought of the poor people who must live from hand to mouth and who will have to pay in higher prices for every pound of food his more fortunate neigh bors hoard. City Commissioner Lynch has a big Job ahead of him in restoring the paved highways to first class condi tion. Holes and ruts are encountered at almost every turn, and the Depart ment of Public Works will be justified in throwing all sorts of energy into the general Improvement and replace ment activities of the season. "DAY LIGHT SAVING" SAVES FOR those who may doubt the wisdom or economy of the "Day Light Saving" movement now before Congress, the following from the London Daily Chronicle, with regard to the benefits resulting from the practice in Great Britain, may be of interest: Witnesses before the committee appointed to Inquire into the working of the act last year esti mated that gas undertakings saved 260,000 tons of coal, that consumers savec about 475,000 pounds (about $2,300,000), and that there was an economy of 11,500 tons In the use of illuminating oils. With the earlier operation this year, the material results should be correspondingly great, while there is complete unanimity as to tlie health-giving proper ties of the act. The altered time In England will be used for all ordinary purposes, as last year. For instance, all trains will tun according to the altered times and all establishments where hours are regulated by law, such as licensed premises, factories, etc., will be required to observe the altered time. Summer time will come to an end at 2 o'clock In the morning of Mon day, September 17. This year sum mer time is being brought Into oper ation some weeks earlier than last. What has worked so well in Eng land should be adopted In America. Saving" is popular with the mass of the people. Congress would do at once a popular and a -jpoiD Sundopv Xq Sumi injesti •J1 ajojaq ou uiq SupußAyu fcUUetU By the Ex-Committeeman Governor Martin G. Brumbaugh | will reply to the Senate resolution requesting him to fill vacancies existing in the State government and to send appointments to the Senate for confirmation when the upp ir branch of the Legislature meets next Tuesday. The Governor said to-day that ho would have an answer, but declined to say what It would con tain. It Is regarded as cortaln that the Governor will Inform the Senate that he is entirely within his pre rogatives in not sending in nomina tions until just before final adjourn ment. The Governor held all of his important appointments until within forty-eight hours of adjournment lust session and it Is considered probable that he will do the same thing this time. Leaders of the Rural Members League, which started out this week to force an adjournment on May 24, have decided to pitch upon May 31 instead. The leaders of the rural organization are said to realize that to close up in three weeks would mean slaughter of many bills. In cluding many in which they are in terested and they have determined lo work for the last day of the com ing month. Democratic members of the Legislature will probably line up with the rural organization. Rural members are showing con siderable interest in what the ap propriations committee will do and were inquiring to-day as to prospects of reporting out bills. —Concerning the rural members' j activity the Pittsburgh Guzette-Times I says: "The wonder is rebellion did not break out sooner in the Legisla ture against the waste of time that j has characterized the present session. Some 60 members of the House have held a meeting and demanded that work be expedited and final adjourn ment taken on May 25. Already the House had adopted a rule fixing May 1 as the last day for the introduc tion of bills without unanimous con sent. That will help some. May 23 may be too early a date for ad journment if necessary routine is to be completed and other important legislation is to be enacted. But if more ginger were injected into the whole procedure the session could be closed within a reasonable time from this date. The protestants against more delay should continue to press for prompt dispatch of business." —Auditor General-elect Charles A. Snyder, who will assume office on Tuesday, will not make changes rapidly in his department although when he goes in he will ask for the resignations of everyone and make "selective conscriptions." John H. Fettig, assistant chief of the Legis lative Reference Bureau and a resi dent of Pottsville, will likely bo a deputy under the new Auditor Gen eral and Gabriel H. Moyer. of Leb anon county, and Samuel S. Lewis, of York county, will be named to important places. Senator Snyder has refused to discuss appointments. —The retirement of Mr. Fertig from the Legislative Bureau, where he has done notable work, will mean a revival of the effort to have W. H. Wachter, of Philadelphia, named to the place. He was strongly boom ed by Harry A. Mackey and others when Mr. Fertig was named. —State Treasurer-elect H. M. Kep hart has not given any signs of making changes. —Governor Brumbaugh will prob ably name the date for the special congressional election in the twenty eighth district within a few days. Legislators from the district expect the election to be held about June 5. —ln addition to Ex-Senators Jar rett and Campbell and Representa tives Goodwin, Siggins and McKln ney, other possible candidates are Ex-Congressman S. H. Miller, Mer cer; Ex-Congressman W. J. Hulings, Oil City; E. R. Allen, W. H. Allen, W. E. Rice and E. W. Parshall, of Warren, and A. R. Hodge, Grove City. —Concerning the agreement on the defense and safety appropria tion the Philadelphia Inquirer says: "This seems to be a good form of commission, embracing as it does practically all of the officers of the State government who would be con cerned in the disbursing of the money and of the preparations for defense. It goes to the House now, and there is every reason for be lieving that it will pass that body by a practically unanimous vote." —Philadelphia businessmen seem to have taken to the war path on the proposed transit bills and the city is to be invaded on May 8 by dele gations to protest against the may or's plans. No transit proposition seems to suit everybody in Phila delphia. —The Philadelphia Ledger an nounced to-day that Senator Snyder might hold up some salaries of men not confirmed There were intima tions to that effect on January 2. If he does there will be prompt manda mus proceedings, say administration men. —ln an editorial to-day the Phila delphia Record takes Issue with Senator Vare's statement that the late John G. Johnson had upheld the Governor's course in regard to appointments. Armored Cars vs. Infantry The London Daily Chronicle's cor respondent with the Egyptian expe dition writes as follows of an inci dent in the fighting about Taza, In which eight armored cars success fully attacked 5,000 Turks: "Armored cars sent out yesterday afternoon to assist to keep off 5,000 reinforcements from the Huj area co-operated so well that the whole of the enemy were held up at a crit ical period. "When it became dark the cars retired, with an officer walking in front to find a practicable path over much broken country. They proceed ed at a walking pace for four hours, when the crews were given a sleep till 4 o'clock this morning. Then they made ready to proceed to our lines through waterless country. "An officer went ahead In an tin armored car to reconnoitre, and saw at once he was confronted with a large body of enemy outposts, only 100 yards ahead, who immediately opened fire. He abandoned the staff car, ran to the armored cars and or dered an attack. "This proved to be an amazing fight of eight cars against 5,000 In fantry and artillery. The cars push ed forward, having to find paths over rough ground full of deep holes. "The enemy tried with all their might to stop the armored cars, but the latter fought sometimes in line, sometimes in column, mowed d iwn the Turks at ranges of between 2 5 and 300 yards, and got through the whole 5,000 Turks In two nours, with one killed, four wounded, in flicting at a conservative estimate 350 casualties. "After they got within our lines the bullet marks on the turrets showed that the Turkish musketry t not always bad.* It is marvelous the crews suffered so little. HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH The Days of Real By BRIGGS i j WAR'K BOOKS AMD MAGAZINES CAPT. BEITH EXPERIEXCES SOME GERMAN IiUMOH Captain lan Hay Beith, the author of "The First Hundred Thousand," who is now lecturing in this country on "The Human Side of Warfare," tell an amusing story of mutiny in the band at one of his engagements. In addition to the playing of the national anthem, the members of the band were instructed to play "The Campbells Are Coming," as a com pliment to the captain, who is Scotch. Whereupon, two of the bandsmen, who "were Germans, stout ly refused. They were given the al ternative of obeying orders or of leaving. With true Teuton strategy, they said nothing but waited. When the bandmaster gave the signal, every member of the band, with the | exception of the obstinate ones, piped up heartily "The Campbells Are Coming," but to the consterna tion of the bandmaster, under the Highland strains was the unmis takable music of "The Watch on the Rhine." And yet there are those who contend that the Germans have no i sense of humor! "THE HOI'S ATOXIC" AN MISTOKIC NAME Colonel James Morgan, whose "Recollections of a Rebel Reefer," has just been published by Hough ton Mifflin Company, calls attention in a recent letter to his publishers, to a curious coincidence:—"Have you noticed," he says, "that the first American ship sunk by a submarine in this war was called the 'Housato nic' and that the first ship that ever was sunk by a submarine was the sloop-of-war 'Housatonic' off Charleston, in 186 4 by the Confeder ate submarine 'Huniey,' the first under-water craft invented. The 'Huniey' never came to the surface after her torpedo Exploded." Colonel Morgan was. himself, an officer on board the Confederate cruiser "Geor gia," in 1863, and his book contains exciting tales of commerce destroy ing and blockade running during the Civil war. A RETORT COURTEOUS "In the intermission after the ad journment of Congress in March, 1855, Galusha A. Grow went to Europe with some of his colleagues, among whom were E. B. Wash burne, of Illinois: R. Pringlo and E. D. Morgan, of New York * * * They reached Paris during a week of great interest, and George Mason, the American Minister, secured them an audience with Emperor Napo leon and Empress Eugenia. • * • During the conversation, the emper or, who was at one time in this coun try, asked Wnshburne in what part of the United States he resided. Washburne replied, 'Galena, Illi nois.' 'Oh, yes,' said the Emperor, is a great deal of lead in that region. Whst do you Americans do with all that lead?' 'We sell it to our friends and give it to our enemies,' Washburne answered, at which Na poleon laughed heartily."—From "Galusha A. Grow," by James T. Du- Bois and Gertrude S. Mathews, Houghton Mifflin Company. A Dry Nation in Sight [Kansas City Times] The thousand men who have sign ed the petition to Congress calling for national prohibition are repre sentative men of the country. They come from every department of ac tivity. Among them are business men like Judge Gary, chairman of the steel corporation, and Frank A. V'anderlip, president of the National City Bank; railroad heads, like How ard Elliott, president of the New Haven system, and W. J. Harahan, president of the Seaboard Air Line; college presidents, labor leaders, editors, judges, doctors. These men are not cranks or fan atics. They are the sort of men who are leading in the work of making America to-day—level headed, pro gressive, with the imagination to look into the future They are against booze because it Is demoralizing and because it makes for inefficiency at a time when the Nation most needs to make itself ef ficient. They might have added the argument used by the Kansas City Board of Trade, that the country cannot afford In this time of Inter national scarcity to devote a hundred million bushels of grain to the man ufacture of something that is not food. With such sentiment and such facts arrayed against them, the liquor dealers had better get ready for the dry Nation that Is now in Sljillt. | PROMOTE SANE Plart Offered by National Child Labor Committee to Employ Children in Agriculture Under Supervision L TO organize the children of America to serve in war time in the production of food stuffs under supervision of educa tional directors and at the same time safeguard the children against over work and general neglect," the Na tional Child Labor Committee has sent a letter and leaflet outlining a workable plan to every State, coun ty and city school superintendent, the Secretaries bf Agriculture and Labor, the Commissioner of Educa tion, the Chief of the Children's Bu reau, members of the Council for National and others inter ested. The plan calls for the co-opera tion of teachers, scoutmasters, and playground directors and was drawn up after conferences with the di rectors of the Playground Associa tion and Boy Scouts of America, the New York Commissioner of Educa tion, the President of the New York City Board of Education, and the Agricultural Committee of the Mer chants' Association. The plan di vides children into two classes, those 1 4 years old and over, who may be hired out or sent in groups to work in farm districts, and those under 14, who would be a burden to the farmers but may be used in their home towns under supervision. For employing the younger chil dren, towns are advised to form a "Summer Agricultural Faculty" com posed of teachers, scoutmasters, and others, get the use of vacant tots and raise a small sum to have them plowed, and secure a special reso lution from the local school board providing that children enrolled for this supervised agricultural work end performing it regularly may be credited with it in lieu of regular school attendance from June 1 to October 1. "But allow no general exemption," says the leaflet, "that will turn children out of school with out providing both occupation and supervision." The children thus enrolled are then to be set to work to raise food stuffs appropriate to the soil and location under direction of the "Summer Agricultural Faculty." who wilf "appreciate the limits of a child's strength and will not allow him to be overworked." For older children, it is suggested that since "to send any children to farms with- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Harrisburg Is Awake To the Editor of the Telegraph: Please accept my thanks for the very cordial editorial In the TELE GRAPH of April 13. You do me too much honor. What you say about the importance of foreign trade to Harrisburg Is, of course, true, but I was Impressed with the fact that Harrisburg is unusually alive to this fact. Very truly yours, ROBERT H. PATCHIN. Wants Banker Named Harrisburg, Pa., 2041 Swatara Street, April 26, 1917. To the Editor of the Telegraph: Sir—Reading in a recent issue of the TELEGRAPH of the appoint ment of E*-Congressman Daniel La fean, of York, to the vacancy as banking commissioner, at a salary of $6,000 per annum, has Impelled me to ask you several questions, to wit: Was it necessary for the good of the State to appoint a politician to that position? Could not a bank teller or cash ier fill the office Just as well? Mr. Lafean owns a large candy manufacturing plant in York and of a necessity could hardly give all his time and attention to his position under the State government. Where as a bank employe, who would prob ably know as much, (If not more) of banking affairs than Mr. Lafean, would be glad to put in all his time to the Interest of the State. Why not give the other fellow a show, even If he Is not a party hench man ? 1 would appreciate your opinion in an early issue of the TELE GRAPH. Sincerely yours, H. F. MAYER. out knowing the actual need for them, or without regulation, would be wasteful and a hindrance to the farmers who do mot want a horde of inexperienced laborers on their lands, each State should create a committee of school officials to con fer with the State Agricultural De partment and farmers' organizations, meet whatever need there is of child labor and draft, regulations for it. The suggested regulations are that children 14 and over, only, be per mitted to work for farmers other than their own parents, since, as the National Child Labor Committee states, the farmers themselves re peatedly say that children younger than the 14 or 15-year-olds are no use to them; that such children be excused from school for farm work between June 1 and October 1; that no children so excused be permitted to work more than 8 hours a day or 6 days a week; that children shall be so excused only on the issuance of a special permit, by the State committee of school officials or per sons authorized by them, stating *.hat the child has been examined by a physician and found physically fit for work, and is to be employed on a farm known to be a suitable place. The committee of school officials is to be responsible for the enforce ment of such regulations and for the supervision of the transportation, housing and feeding of the children. As to housing it is suggested that the children live in camps, \inder su pervision of scoutmasters, play ground directors, or school officers, from which they may be sent in gangs each day to the farms or fields where they are needed and to which they may be returned at night, thus keeping their living conditions under control, and relieving the farmers of the responsibility of housing them. " England is already wishing she had not used her children so reck lessly at the beginning of the war. Let America learn by England's ex perience," says the leaflet in ex planation of the need of regulation. In the letter accompanying the leaf let it is stated that "the policy of re cruiting agricultural and factory workers from schoolchildren 11 to 13 years old. adopted In Great Brit ain at the beginning of the war, al ready stands as short-sight ed. and standards too recklessly set 1 aside are now being restored. 11 EDITORIAL COMMENT The cabbage, sweet corn and po tato dc not smell as nice as the rose, the lily or the nasturtium, but indi cations are they will figure more In the seeds that are planted this year than their sweet-smelling sisters. —■ Washington Herald. The Washington dispatches refer to Secretary Lansing's beaming face and Mr. Balfour's broad grin. While the entente cordiale is in this flour ishing condition it might be a good time for Mr. Lansing to ask Mr. Bal four if he will please ask the British postmaster to quit opening our mail.—Kansas City Star. If General Joffre will only come to York the former capital of the United States will do the rest.— York Dispatch. Grant's Birthday His full name was Ulysses Simp son Grant. To-day, April 27, is the anniversary of his birth in 18 22 at Point Pleasant, Ohio. YOU CAN'T I/OSE THEM "It is indeed hard." said the mel ancholy gentleman, "to lose one's relatives." "Hard!" snorted the gen tleman of wealth. "Hard! It Is Im possible."—Town Topics. They Will Be Glad to Fight [Philadelphia Record] A Berlin newspaper, The Post, Is quite right In its assertion that "so long as universal military service Is not established In America by law no German can be forced to take up arms against the old Fatherland." It might have gone further and added that, even If conscription Is resort ed to, no German living here will be forced to fight the Fatherland. Their services would not be accepted even If they wanted to take a whack at Prussian militarism. With German- Americans, of course, the case is quite different. They will be glad to fight. They are Americans first, and Germany tags miles behind. 'APRIL* 27, 1917. America I am the refuse of all the op pressed, I am the boast of the free, I am the harbor where ships may rest. Safely 'twixt sea and sea. I hold up a torch to a darkened world, I lighten the path with its ray. Let my hand keep steady And let me be ready For whatever comes my way— Let me be ready. Oh, better than fortresses, better than guns, Better than lance or spear. Are the loyal hearts of my daugh ters and sons. Faithful and without fear. But my daughters and sons must understand That Attila did not die. And they must be ready. Their hands must be steady. If the hosts of hell come nigh— They must be ready. If Jesus were back on the earth with men. He would not preach to-day Until he had made him a scourge, and again He would drive the defilers away. He would throw down the tables of lust and greed And scatter the changers' gold. He would be ready. His hand would be steady. As it was in that temple of old He would be ready. I am the cradle of God's new world, From me shall the new race rise. And my glorious banner must float unfurled, Unsullied against the skies. My sons and daughters must be my strength, With courage to do and to dare. With hearts that are ready, With hands that are steady. And their slogan must be, prepare! They must be ready! With a prayer on the lip they must shoulder arms. For after all has been said. We must muster guns, If we master Huns And Attila is not dead We must be ready! —Ella Wheeler Wilcox. I OUR DAILY LAUGH IN DANGER. "Do you believe that kissing trans mits microbes?" "No, but if my fiancee doesn't quit fondling that dos I expect to get fleas." DIFFICULT The umpired never gets \ ( But has to Y \ watch lest (TV, 7 J others start A fight upon Hi because M|^9 He strives to play a neu tral part, W m*^ HER CHANCK R* / SJ-R' GOOD. AVV /Y/ It's a case of j/f love at first work out all r '*ht. I took Hsjfcjj four years to se- I {ft? lect my hus " wra®? J/1 i I hand, and look ,jj | / | what I got. lEbtttittg (jiffat , It's worth while td take a ride | about Harrlsburg and especially lta outlying sections Just to see tho ,• manner in which the vacant lots are being plowed up and back lots are being planted with cabbages, po tatoes and corn. If the people who are bending their backs over digging and piunting are half as assiduous In their care of their truck patches and gardens during the summer and fight the weeds with the same ardor that 1 they are lining up their rows, this city will be one of the greatest food producing centers per capita to be found in the State. Lots which have lain vacant since they were plotted have been plowed up and there are half acre, whole acre and even two and three acre tracts which have been on tho market for years which are being put to a use infinitely more beneficial than they have known for many years. Some of the lots about town which raised nothing but weeds and taxes for twenty years have been set out with beans and in quite a number of cases the garden plots have been set about with berry bushes and fruit trees. Some of the tracts in the upper end of the city and out on the Hill which have been idle and neglected have gotten a value in the eyes of their owners or neighbors and are being spaded for various vegetables. It is a safe wager that there will be mighty few properties about Harrlsburg which are available for cultivation that will not be working this sum mer. • • • Governor Brumbaugh, who is urg ing that every one do some planting and that steps be taken by every owner of land to grow foodstuffs or else to give tho use of land for the purpose, has been struck with the manner in which the vacant lots about Harrlsburg have been put to work. "The people of this commun ity have the right Idea. I'm delight ed with the garden work I see under way around here," said tho Governor yesterday. "The loafing lots and out lying sections which have been awaiting development seem to have taken on a new lease of life. To my mind there Is nothing better at this time than working to Increase the food supply. It is a most important, thing any time but especially now, I . am proud to see that the capital city has so many poople who have turned in for gardening. You will r be mighty glad of it next fall. It is going to be hard work, but It will be healthful work and protitable to I us all." • • It is to be noted that the boys who were looking down their noses a week ago over having to lose some "diamonds" and other places where they have been accustomed to , play have become reconciled very quickly and in some parts of the city r have laid out garden plots in which the rivalry bids fair to be as keen as in baseball. Out on one of the - Hill streets three squads of boys who have been wont to meet in mat ters of athletic sklfl have gone in t for gardening and somewhat inclined to race in the matter of the best kept gardens and the finest prod ucts for any prize that may be of fered. The boys generally have be come intensely interested in gar dening. Ordinarily in the spring boys and.girls-turn, ti# gardening, but the zeal wears off. This year with 1 eveybody doing it there will be much youthful work 'anc} the young folks will have the example of everyone ■ to spur them on. The city has play grounds for the boys and there are parks for the girls so .that, they will " not miss the old baseball-lot and the tennis court. • * Just how the owners of lots in newly latd-out sections who propose to turn their properties Into gardens because it Is too expensive to build this year propose to protect them is a problem. In same districts where • there have been extensive lot sales . and where building is likely to be held back because of the material markets the owners are talking about hiring watchmen to keep dogs ' and children off the plots during the growing periods and to save the produce when the ripening time is at hand. It is likely that there will be * some community watchmen named by these people so that they will be sure of the fruit of their labors. Incidentally, it is interesting t to see how quickly the people who have bought lots and whose home building plans have been interfered with have turned them into gardens. • * • . "I wish I could mees all the re quests I have had for onion sets. . for cabbage and tomato plants and for seed potatoes," said one of the I city's merchants last night. "The amount of gardening that Is under way in this section is tremendous. If the demands for supplies that have been coming to me are anything to go by. I have had more requests for young vegetables to set out, than for ten years put together and I am un able to get any more." 1 WELL KNOWN PEOPLE ~ —B. H. Throop, prominent Scran ton man, has agreed to finance some small farmers in his section to In crease the food supply. —Thomas O'Shell, former legis lator. is a candidate for sheriff of Allegheny county. —S. L. Tone, former Public Serv ice Commissioner, Is making a spe cial study of Pittsburgh's downtown t traffic needs. —Gilbert F. Endsley, who has re signed as superintendent of State roads in Somerset county, has held that position for several years. —Kx-Judge W. E. Rice, qf War ren, is being talked of for Congress. —William L. McLean, publisher of the Philadelphia Bulletin, has been re-elected a director of the Asso- Press, which he has been for years. | DO YOU KNOW Tliat Harrlsburg la rapidly growing as a furniture distribut ing center? HISTORIC IIAKRISBVRO After the Revolution Harris Ferry was one of the busiest places be cause of the heavy traffic westward and it had numerous taverns. Fixing For an Alibi ! [From the Chicago Post] Congressman William E. Mason, who voted against tho war resolution, t has started to take a private refer t endum of public opinion in Illinois. The comment of the first man who received a request for his vote was: 1 "Billy is 'framing up' the question." ' Congressman Mason's letter follows: 1 To the People of Illinois: War Is - declared and we are united for our - country. Will you please write me, > as I wish to know your sentiment on the following: "Do you favor conscription (draft ing) the young men to be sent to Europe'.'" Yours very, truly, Wil liam E. Mason*
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers