16 HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH A XEIi'SFAPER FOR TilH 110.MB Founded it;i Published evenings except Sunday by THE TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO., Telegraph Building, Federal Sqaare. "E. J. STACKPOLE,Pr't &■ Editorin-Cliirf F. R. OYSTER, Business Manager. GUS M. STEINMETZ, Managing Editor. Member of the Associated Press—The Associated Press is exclusively en titled to the use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the local news published herein. All rights of republication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. . Member American u Entered at the Post Office in Harris burg, Pa., as second i-lass matter. By carriers, ten cents a > week; by mail, J6.00 a year in advance. FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1918 There will he sleeping enough in the grave. — FRANKLIN, A FRIGHTFUL PRICE WHEN Germany declared war on the world her foreign trade in dyes and gas tar products made in Germany labora tories amounted annually to $487,- 000,000, and she had in addition al most an entire monopoly on certain explosive gases, photographic sup plies, drugs and sources of power derived from splitting up petroleum combinations. For a time the outside world tried to get along without these supplies and failing began to search for sub stitutes, until to-day America is not only making all the dyes she needs but is shipping large quantities of them abroad, and they are just about as good as anything that ever came out of Germany. Another year and we shall have mastered all the fine points of the trade and. with lariff protection, after the war should be able to get along without the old time imports from Germany. And now comes London with the announcement that two English dye merchants have purchased from a Swiss chemist, Germany's secret recipes for making dyes and have turned them over to the government for the use of all English manufac turers. When the war ends the German dyemakers will find their business well nigh ruined. Four hundred and eight-seven million dollars a year will be one of the penalties they will have to pay for having indulged in the madness of contending against the rest of the earth for the dominion of the world. A frightful price for "frightfulness." From a few confidential bits of in formation in our possession, we ven ture a guess that the Hun is going to live to wonder why on earth he ever undertook to make war with poison CLEAR UP THE PATCH rr MAY be as difficult to follow some of the methods proposed to get rid of the pests which swarm about truck patches and war gardens as it is to pronounce the biological names bestowed upon them by unfeeling college professors. We have been getting some mys terious hints from the office of the State economic zoologist about drives and campaigns and wars on the pests of the truck patch and the interviews upon the subject have been many and rosy. We are also told to prepare for another visit from the seventeen-year-old locust and to gird our loins to repel the woolly aphis and various other ene mies as V'iggley-waggley in appear ance as their scientific appellations. It is all very well to bombard the pests with threats and to thunder forth death knells from the granite walls of the State Capitol, but the best way to reduce the danger from the crawling, creeping, flying, bor ing, all-devouring bugs, worms and other organisms, is to go out to the war garden and the truck patch just as sodn as the snow disappears and gather up the dead vines and plants and refuse and burn it. Clear ing up the 1917 truck patch is the best way to get a real 1918 garden. Next season is going to be a bad one because unskilled gardeners did not take proper precautions last fall, but as of old they cleansed the ground with fire it would not be a bad plan to have some bonfires of the stalks of yesteryear, but don't forget to stand over them, so that necessity of telephoning for a chemi cal will not arise. The pacifists fear we'll learn to "hate the Germans." They may cheer up. We don't hate a mad dog, but we know perfectly well what means to take with one to render him harm less. DAYLIGHT-SAVING THE time for discussing the merits of the "daylight sav ing" plan now before Congress is past. The whole country is ac quainted with its objects and nearly everybody is in favor of the Shill that already has passed the is now before the House and FRIDAY EVENING, lias the endorsement of the Presi dent. The first of April is fast ap proaching and the measure should be adopted without further delay. As a war economy "daylight sav ing" has worked out successfully in Europe. The countries that have tried it are not thinking of rejecting it. It saves coal otherwise used in the making of electric light and gas. It saves oil and candles. Also, it lengthens the day so that those who want outdoor recreation or time for gardening without interfering with their ordinary daily occupations may have sufficient daylight for the pur pose. And these advantages we may have by the simple expedient of turning the clock ahead an hour during the Spring, summer and early Fall. Let the House act. Every time you buy a Thrift Stamp you fire Ave shots at the Germans. ANOTHER GERMAN LIE DON'T believe the German lie that the United States government is going to confiscate your pre serves and canned goods. If there is one thing Mr. Hoover wants you to do it is to preserve and can your own foodstuffs. He is so much interested that he is sending canning experts all over the country to teach the people how to "put up" their own vegetables and fruits. But that is just what the Kaiser doesn't want you to do. The Kaiser wants you to be caught with an empty preserve closet next winter. He wants you to be hungry, for then he knows America can't send food to the allies. Therefore, he lies and tries to discourage you from canning by telling you the government means to confiscate the home supply. Don't believe a word of it. Can, preserve, dry, salt, pickle— put up all the fruit you can and all the vegetables you can in every way you can. Uncle Sam won't take them from you. He'll be mighty glad you have learned to produce at least a part of your own winter provisions. Suggestion for a street sign in Har risburg—"Ashes to ashes; dust to dust." OUR WATER SUPPLY THE pditor of the well-known Engineering Xews-Record, de- voted to engineering interests and problems, does not think much of the method of operating the Har risburg Water Department in effect the past few years, and even less of the Commission form of government that has well nigh wrecked its effi ciency. In an editorial in a recent issue he says: The recent industrial _ shut lown at Harrisburg, Pa., due to i water famine caused by the breakdown of an antiquated pump, described on p. 316 of this ssue, forcibly illustrates a great weakness of the commission plan of city government. Under that plan, with its combination of leg islative and executive functions in a commission of five members, the chief administrative heads of the city are elected by popular vote. By virtue of office thus obtained the commissioners soon qualify in their own and the popular mind as experts, and either force experienced subor dinates into the background or else dispense with their services entirelv. The latter seems to have occurred at Harrisburg. Such happenings are a besetting danger even if not a probable concomitant of commission gov ernment. They are avoided in the commission-manager plan, the logical development of the com mission plan, which has been adopted by a hundred of the com mission-plan cities and might well be taken up without deay by the four hundred others which now choose their five managers by popular vote. The criticism to which the writer refers is publised in full elsewhere on this page. The conclusions of the News-Record are precisely those of the Telegraph, set forth in these columns on many occasions, both as to the limitations of the present form of government under which Harrisburg operates and as to the folly of trying to run a branch of the government as highly special ized as the water department with out a trained and experienced man at the helm. Fortunately, we are now on the way toward expert direction under the guiding hand of Dr. Samuel F. Hassler, the new commissioner, who realizes that the best service he can render the city during his adminis tration is the employment of a well qualified engineer to have charge of the operations of the whole depart ment. But we are not so fortunate with respect to city managership. There is as yet no indication that the thought of the people is turning ser iously in that direction. There is only one way in which it can be brought about, unless the legislature amends the poor old Clark act next session, and that is to put up at the polls four candidates for commis sioner who will pool their salaries for the employment of a city man ager, content themselves to take merely nominal pay for several hours of supervisory work each week. It begins to look as though there may be a bit of pork at Hog Island. NERO A "PIKER" NERO fiddled while Rome burned. Trotsky and Lenine fritter away their time in futile chat ter while the Kaiser overruns Rus sia. Nero was a "piker" compared with this pair of empire wreckers. And yet, even with this example before us, there are those in America who believe we might make peace with Germany before Germany is conquered. When Russia laid down her arms, Germany marched in. Should America and her Allies lay down their arms now, what do you sup pose would follow? One way of wasting food is by eat ing more than you need. As the temperature goes up our In terest in the coal shortage goes down. 7>MUa. "'~f > CKKCiftr(i'TUA By tlic Ex-t'ommittccman The Philadelphia North American to-day says that Republican leaders from up-state gathered in Phila delphia yesterday say the "dry" sentiment is growing rapidly and spreading. Says that newspaper, referring to conferences yesterday with Senator Penrose: "Assuming that Senator Sproul, candidate for the Republican nomination for gov ernor, favors the amendment, the leaders who gathered at the Belle vue-Stratford to "talk over the situa tion' seemed to think that the or ganization will come out for the amendment irrespective of previous alignments." -—The Philadelphia Inquirer, ! speaking of the conference, says: "Republican State Chairman Wil j Ham E. Crow spent several hours in | this city yesterday in consultation ! with active Republicans from more ! than a dozen counties. He met most | of them with Senator Penrose in i the latter's office in the Commercial ! Trust Building, where the general J political situation was reviewed and various issues likely to figure in the coming gubernatorial campaign were discussed from all angles. "Practically all of the visitors met Senator William C. Sproul. of Dela | ware county, who is regarded as as i sured of the Republican nomination I for governor, and they told him of the sentiment in their respective counties in favor of his candidacy. "Probably the most important matter considered was the proposed amendment to the Federal Consti tution calling for prohibition, which is to be passed upon by the coming session of the General Assembly. The proposition for a referendum special election at which the voters of the state would be given an opportunity to express their attitude upon the question of the adoption or the re jection of the proposed prohibition amendment was also discussed. There was a difference of opinion upon! these issues, as well as the question , of local option. No conclusion was I reached upon any general line ol'l policy or upon any specific measure ' or issue. "There will be further* confler-' ences before any program of action ] shall bo announced. "'I came here,' said Chairman ] Crow last evening, just before his departure for home, 'to meet rep-1 resentative Republicans from dif-i ferent sections of the state, as 1 j have been meeting others in west-! ern counties for an exchange of! views upon the current issues and j upon plans to strengthen the Re- j publican party organization in the i state and to get all elements work ing in harmony to insure Republi can success next November. While practically all possible issues were discussed, there was no attempt to reach a conclusion upon any ques tion that may have to be passed up on later when the time comes to frame a party platform. There is the best of feeling existing among Republicans throughout the state and I am confident that we shall have a sweeping victory in the fail.' "Among others who met Chairman Crow yesterday were former Mayor Joseph G. Armstrong. Colonel Sam uel C. Jamison and Max G. Leslie, of Pittsburgh: James F. Woodward, of McKeesport, who is strongly back ed by the Allegheny county delegation for secretary of internal affairs; for mer Judge W. E. Rice, of Warren: State Senator Wilber P. Graff and former Senator John S. Fisher, of Indiana: Auditor General Charles A. Snyder, of Schuylkill; Senator T. Larry Eyre, of Chester: Thomas H. I Garvin, of Delaware: W. Harry Ba ker, Qf Dauphin; former Auditor General A. E. Sisson, of Erie, and | others. "Senator Penrose also met a num-j ber of his local supporters and ex- j pects to take up Philadelphia mat-1 ters with Thomas W. Cunningham, j chairman of t'"> Republican Alli ance: Select C- ncilman Harry J. J Trainer and others to-day.." From present indications the campaign of 1918 is going to be re- I membered as the year of the great question mark, because more ques-! tionnaries are being prepared fori candidates than ever dreamed of by the Government in its task of co-t ordinating all ends for the national: defense. Most of the men aspiring j to run as candidates this year are ; of hardy mould or else belong in | districts where organization has, been perfected to a high degree. In addition to the official "dry"i people who have been busy prepar- I ing to put every legislative candidate j on record as to how he will vote I on the prohibition amendment, there are probaby half a dozen organiza tions working for the amendment who plan to ask questions, too. The woman suffrage people are going to make a drive in the same direc tion, while the State Grange, State Federation of Labor and various other state organizations will have series of questions of their -own. ' The interrogation mark will be the big sign of the year and from ail indications it is going to be ram pant about May 1. —ln discussing the trend of the Democrat bosses toward Guffey for Governorship honors and their eva sion of the liquor issue the "Insider" writing in Philadelphia Press says: "If the Democrats believe there will be a split in the Republican ranks made by J. Denny O'Neil—and they by no means hold this opinion all by themselves—they might well feel that a.man less known to the public than Wilson, McCorniick or Palmer could be run as their candidate, leaving the latter gentlemen undis turbed in the important work they are doing for the Federal Govern ment. Moreover, their rather sur prising lukewarmness to the pro hibition amendment fits into this scheme. In a state like Pennsyl vania prohibition is a ticklish sub ject that any political party or can didate would be glad to let severely alone on general principles, unless the party happened to be the Pro hibition party or the candidate a Prohibition candidate. The Demo crats may perhaps figure that the Prohibition issue is claimed by J. Denny O'Neil and let him have it only too gladly. If they have gaug ed the sentiment of their party rightly, the Democrats, neutral on the prohibition amendment, would lose fewer votes than any other party. Then it vyould follow that the more votes O'Neil got, the more he would be weakening the regular Republican ticket, and strengthen ing them." Survival Life is a struggle, but not a war fare: it is a day's labor, but labor on God's earth, under the sun and stars with other laborers, where we may think and sing and rejoice as we work.—John Burroughs. Lead O Lord Lead me, O Lord, in thy right eousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.—Psalms v, 8. "FTARRISBURG TELEGRAPH MOVIE OF MAN OPENING MAIL ON FIRST OF MONTH BY BRIGGS ' WGLU! A Nice FAT , (?) TVA/O MONTHS (P) &ILL STORE I N-VAIL ThUS MORNInJG. rnAL f> u I w |M \AJtfICH Th£ \NIFE Hen- H£H- MEM - HPH HAS CHARGE ACCT. Verv <3oov- veP-Y6OOD" ( 3 ) LETTER ASKING @ BMI FRO/VI GOL F (5) L£TT£R COIMTAIMING @ GROC£R AND SUBSCRIPTION TO A . Two TICKETS FOR MFAT BILU POPULAR CHAR ITV EMJ£LS ANNUAL ' ,|o ~° PeR VOO *BeAT IT"* © iNiSUßAtvjce " @ REPAIRS AND OVER- (Fl)\ IMCOME TAX ©NOTICE FROM BAM PREMIUM HAULINCo MOTOR CAR . 1( _ _p ( _p. OF OVER DRAWN ACCT. JXJE BIG BILL NOTICE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CONSISTENCY To the Editor of tlic Telegraph: Every woman will read with pleas ure the editorial, "How Long." Only a few dayfe ago a friend said to me, "Conserve! Yes, when the beer wagons cease passing my house daily, piled mountain high, then will 1 con serve." "Consistency thou art a jewel." C. S. M. AGREES WITH TELEGRAPH Harrisburg, Pa., Feb. 28, 1918. To the Editor of the Telegraph: Every patriotic citizen of Harris burg and Dauphin county should feel proud of, and thankful for, your manly and consistent editorial in this evening's Telegraph with re gard to the President stopping the waste of grain in making beer during the war. It seems almost incon ceivable that this criminal waste can go on in face of the fact that unless we save food we will lose the war. We are willing to save, and we giv® our boys without a murmur, but if the country must save in order to win the war, why should not the waste be stopped at the bunghole? There is no other force doing more for Germany in America to-day than is the liquor traffic. Why should the temperance forces wait for the adoption of the amendment: but while working for that, and we all ought to work for that, let us do our utmost by petitions qpd in every other honorable way, 'to influence those who are in authority to show the strength of a Lincoln backbone and stop the liquor waste and win the war. Respectfully, WILLIAM N. YATES. A Display of Good Feeling There are contentions in the country produced by the war, but very many more, and some very striking, manifestations of good feel ing. Partisanship in the larger mat ters has never been more conspicu ously absent. Take one illustration: Theodore Roosevelt is as downright and positive an individual as the country contains. As a partisan in partisan controversies he is sworn by, or at, with great vigor. He has been a sharp critic of the admini stration's war activities, but not as a partisan. He is a warm advocate of the war and wants it prosecuted with all energy. Stricken suddenly with a painful ailment and laid on ilia back, he at once became the ob ject of universal solicitude. His early restoration to health and strength is the universal wish and has been expressed in numberless messages, one from the President. He will emerge from the hospital more popular than ever. As a people, when we divide we divide strongly. And, equally, when we unite, we unite strongly. There is union now upon the broad propo sition raised by the war. Both par- j ties are responsible for and pledg- j ed to hostilities. The leaders of j both art active in efforts to develop and co-ordinate all the resources of the country for war purposes. The only contentions existing relate to methods; and methods are in pro cess of improvement where faulty and of being strengthened where greater strength is required. The general tone of public feeling is good.—From the Washington Star. DISCUSSION HELPED To those extremists among admin istration supporters who would make it appear that every criticism of war laxity heard in Congress is "unpatri otic" may be commended the atti tude taken by the people of Great Britain toward discussion in the House of Commons. The cry heard here against Senators Chamberlain, Wadsworth and Hitchcock is similar to that raised in the early months of the war against Englishmen who questioned, but as the War progress ed the value of patriotic and con structive criticism was realized in England, and as a result of it many evils were corrected. At bottom the question is one of the quality of criticism and the mo tive back of it. Nothing but good has come out of the plain and straightforward talks of Senators who saw the needs of the war or ganization which should be made. In the light of what has since happen ed the country sees that nothing but harm can come from efforts such as those of Senator James and Senator Williams to make the critics appear unpatriotic, however well meant those efforts may have been.—New Xork Herald. Crisis in the Harrisburg Water Department and Its Cause Special Correspondence in the Engineering News-Record THE Engineering News-Record, a prominent technical maga zine publishes the following under "Special Correspondence:" "The municipal water-works sys tem of Harrisburg, Pa., a city of nearly 75,000 population, broke down in January, 1918. The dis tributing reservoir was emptied and every Industry was shut down from January 23 to 29, while in some parts of the city there was no water for household use or fire protection. The cause of .this shortage was the lack of duplicate pumping equip ment of sufficient capacity to handle the cold weather water demand. Al though the consumption is 80 per cent metered, the extremely cold weather increased the pumpage from 8,000,000 to 10,000,000 gallons a day, so the 20,000,000-gallon dis tributing reservoir was practically emptied in a few days. The situation was relieved in the following manner: 1. The city commissioner in charge of the water-works called in a citizens' committee of five to as sist him. 2. This committee im mediately ordered all industries closed down until further notice. 3. It then arranged for the delivery in to the city mains of 2,000,000 gallons of water a day from a private water company to the north, and of 500,- 000 gallons a day from the borough of Steelton on the south. 4. It is sued directions concerning water waste and asked the mayor to issue a decree prohibiting waste, parti cularly against leaving faucets open at night. 5. It facilitated shipment of an electrically-driven centrifugal pump afid its installation as a tem porary expedient. In six days after this committee got to work the res ervoir was full and industries had resumed operations. "All this trouble was brought about because the water department had but one pump of sufficient capacity to supply the maximum needs of the city. This pump broke down in No vember, 1917, and had not been re paired by the latter part of January. In the meantime the pumping was being done by an o<d engine 45 years in service. This unit after operating about two months finally broke down in the middle of the night (Jan. 25) and before it was' repaired the reservoir was practical ly empty. "The fundamental cause of the Harrisburg situation is believed to be as follows: With the old form of city government, a water commis sion of three unpaid business men directed the operation of the water works and employed an experiencd man at a fair salary as general sup erintendent. He knew the needs of the plant and kept abreast and ahead of the requirements to a consider able extent. A few years ago the commission form of government was instituted in Harrisburg and to one of the five commissioners was dele gated the duty of managing the water-works. He has no superin- §otdUr e>o>Uj4- THE MARSEILLAISE Ye sons of France, awake to glory, Hark, hark! what myriads bid you rise! Your children, wives and grandslres heary: Behold their tears, and hear their cries, Behold their tears, and hear their cries! Shall hateful tyrants, mischief breeding, With hireling hosts, a ruffian band, Affright and desolate the land, While peace and liberty lie bleed ing? , CHORUS. To arms, to arms, ye brave! Th' avenging sword unsheathe! March on, march on, all hearts re solved On victory or death! tendent and attempts to handle the duties himself. Since this form of operation has been in effect the water rates have been reduced twice, it is aaid for political effect, and maintenance and improvement of the plant have suffered. "The water department has felt safe for years, because there was an auxiliary pump of a capacity of about the normal water consump tion, and as long as there was no need to use it, this unit seemed a reliable resource in case of need. But when the time came to use it the consumption increased beyond normal and the capacity of this re serve unit was too small, while the storage in the distributing reservoir, only 2 days' supply, was also in adequate to tide over a long-con tjnued period of excessive demand. "A mechanical-filtration plant was installed in 1905 and has a capacity nearly 100 per cent in excess of present normal consumption. The low-lift pumping equipment, which lifts the Susquehanna River water to the liiters, consists of two pump ing units, each of twice the daily normal consumption. Thus, al though it was possible to filter water in excess of maximum requirements, the high-lift pumps, which lift the iiltered water to the distributing reservoir, could not take the liltered water away from the liiters as fast as required. "Under the old regime, politics interfered considerably less in the operation of the water department than under the new order of things, where the man at the head of the department is a member of the board of five city commissioners and is elected by the people. To the mind of the average city commis sioner nothing could apparently do more to insure his re-election than a reduction in the water rates. This could not be accomplished if new pumps had to be installed out of revenues or if the reservoir was en larged. "Now that the need has been shown for large expenditures for improvements, the city commission proposes an immediate raise in rates. This was to be done in a hap hazard, arbitrary way, without ref erence to the value of property, or to the cost of operation or mainten ance, but the city officials have been convinced of the necessity for set ting the rates in a scientific manner. The Harrisburg water department is run as are many other municipal plants, by paying for many improve ments and all extensions out of rev enue. Water is furnished to other city departments free and to many churches and hospitals. "The crisis in the water-supply of Harrisburg, which had affected near ly every citizen, city official and in dustry, has brought home the neces sity of having a trained man in charge of the water-works who is not affected by political considera tions and who can foresee the needs of the plant and prepare for them before the urgency arises." MY KNITTING BAG Tune: My Maryland. The Nation's weal is in thy store. Knitting Bag, my Knitting Bag! We hear the tale sound o'er and o'er. Knitting Bag, niy Knitting Bag! Pour fourth they contents on the floor. That have been bought from store to store, And play the real true reservoir. Knitting Bag, my Knitting Bag! Here are the things for a full meal, Knitting Bag, my Knitting Bag! My faithful friend, to thee I kneel, Knitting Bag, my Knitting Bag! Three pounds of cheese and two of veal, Four loaves of bread of war-time steel, Six pounds of rye and six of meal. Knitting Bag, my Knitting Bag! The auto's load, it is thy trust. Knitting Bag, my Knitting Bag! From spool of thread to marble bust. Knitting Bag my Knitting Bag! Each pack you take, at Bill's a thrust. We'll fill you up until you burst. To win the war you really must, Knitting Bag, my Knitting Bag! —By James Gordon. MARCH 1, 19TS. LABOR NOTES Tn Great Britain a new provision of the national insurance act re quires that every man who joins the army or navy be insured and his premiums deducted from his pay. Hamilton, Canada, Trades and Labor Council lias proposed that the government should nationalize the railways and coal mines. One million workers have register ed with the United States Public Service Reserve. They are willing to undertake any work that may be required of them. Tn view of the urgency of the housing problem at the close of the war, the British government con templates suspending the city by laws so that heap houses may be built. An investigation is being made by the Federation of Swiss federal of- employes and workmen into the appllation of the federal law re lating to the hours of labor in the operation of railroads and other transportation establishments. An early abolition of the remain ing private labor contracts at the New Jersey slate prison and the in troduction of such state use industries ns have been reommended to take their place, is advocated in the an nual report of the prison labor com mission. , OUR DAILY LAUGH 1 w — 7-zr r ~ r itm left ner I>A RFC A 8 TO [Safety -rfllP on the young jKBj bride last night a and found her jflflSgir Oh, dear. And V\ w&Sßjferal jj 1 tliougTit she had such a good jn/ Wjj was the match WIXTEf, HISTORV. * JJfc In nineteen liun- Some gray- Jm beard old I Will talk of Jff The one we're w Hfrl having now. cljj jl THW REASON. "Jimmy Bass seems very prosper ous!" "Yes, he joined a grand opera com oan v." _ -*5- . CAN'T BE DONE. Bug Conductor—Hey, step lively there if you want this carl, fEbnting (ttljat One of the things which the late Dr. Samuel G. Dixon, State Com missioner of Health, who was buried to-day, had in mind for Harrisburg was the creation of a metropolitan sewage district. This plan, to which the Commissioner referred several times in addresses and interviews given in this city, was really one of vast dimensions and while a project for the future, one in which every one COuld take a big interest for it meant making the Statb Capital dis trict a model in sanitation as well as a long stride forward in freeing the Susquehanna from sewage. Firmly believing that some day Harrisburg would stretch up to the mountains afid that the boroughs on this side of the river would be solid to the Swatara and that the West Shore would be similarly occupied by smaller municipalities, Dr. Dixon foresaw the time when the drainage of so many people would bo serious pollution of the river and that if the capital district was to be looked up to by other cities where the Com monwealth must call f.or sewage dis posal it would have to be a worthy pattern. It was the idea of the Com missioner to have Harrisburg and its neighbor boroughs, construct sewer connections and unite in the erec tion of a great disposal plant, pre ferably on one of the islands near Steelton to get the advantage of the fall, while Middletown and High spire would have to pump to it. Such a public plant, he held, would make the Susquehanna water better and enhance efforts to add to its beau tificat ion which have been worked out along our river front and which needless to say Dr. Dixon ad mired very much. The working out of this plan to make the Susque hanna clean may come before many years, possibly at an earlier date than its originator thought. Some Harrisbiirg people may be interested to learn that the Be'tlile hems, now united in one third-class city, have adopted a plan for getting rid of duplicated and oddmames for streets. The two Bethlehems and some of the boroughs around them had names which were duplicated and as some of them were cherished and more or less historic, the city fathers went at it in a practical way. They studied Pittsburgh, wliere there was a consolidation and other cities. Finally they adopted the Washing ton plan which will enable anyone to tell where a place is located. In cidentally it will get rid of sonic names as ill adapted as is Bluebird alley in our city. • • • According to what the seedsmen say, they are having their own trou bles to get the farmers and the war gardeners supplied with the seeds required. The conditions last year were not. favorable to stocking up seeds, but heroic efforts have been made and except for corn the seeds men say that they will be in fair shape. The railroads have begun to move the seeds more freely, thanks to the lifting of the embargo and the middle of March should see a fail supply in Harrisburg, say seedsmen, although they admit prices may be high. • • Parsley is commencing to be found under the snow and ice. The other day in a sheltered spot a wo man who has a kitchen garden that is productive of many odds and ends discovered some parsley in good condition under snow. One of the early snows had covered it and the leaves were tender and green and when washed was good as ever for kitchen use. * • * The late Archbishop Prendergast was one of the men keenly interested in the building of the Cathedral in this city, a work which was under taken soon after his friend, the late Bishop Slianahan, came here from Philadelphia. The archbishop was a great administrator and builder and very desirous of having Harrisburg, the seat of a diocese, adorned with a handsome church. He visited the cathedral and greatly admired it. * * * Several days of sunshine have brought hundreds to the parks ot the city. River park has many visitors, and in Capitol park there are scores of citizens, enjoying the springtime atmosphere. The rain several days ago helped materially to remove the snowbanks and the city presents a springtime aspect to the tourist and sightseer, as well as to the tired Harrisburger, who seeks refuge among the trees. Squir rels and pigeons in Capitol park arc running about gaily, evidently con fident that spring is here, or on the way, at least. • • * It is interesting to note that ex cept for what men may be called to make up for shortages, due to phy sical rejection of men when exam ined by the surgeons at the canton ment, this part of the state has furnished all of the men summoned under the first draft call. Harris burg and Lancaster have been con gratulated by people from many sec tions and their examples pointed out in niafiy parts of the country, be cause enlistments saved them from any call. What is now interesting people here is, whether they will get off as well under the next call, which will come in the spring. It should not be forgotten that men inducted into certain arms of the service are credited to home dis tricts. 1 WELL KNOWN PEOPLE ~ —Dr. J. P. Kerr, Pittsburgh coun cilman, is in Washington arranging to enter government service. —Dr. Newell Dwiglit Hillis, who spoke here some time ago, is to bo speaker at patriotic meetings in Western Pennsylvania. —General A. J. Logan, who re turned recently from Camp Han cock, was the speaker at the West ern Historical Society meeting in Pittsburgh on the soldiers in camp. —Edwin H. Stine, Alientown banker, has resigned to devote his time, to his legal business. —Dr. W. L. Estes, South Bethle hem hospital man, has been com missioned in the United States Army. | DO YOU KNOW —Tlint Harrisburg is manufac turing log gins for soldiers? HISTORIC HARRISBURG This place's first three churches were located within four blocks of ea9h other. Turkish "Conservative" Commander Locker-Lampson, M. P., who had charge of the British armed car squadron in Russia, says that in the fighting 'on the Mush plain his orderly found a Turkish 1 rlsoner wearing a swallowtail coat, on the buttons of which were the words "Conservative Club."— From the London Time*
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers