Harrisburg telegraph. (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, August 24, 1918, Page 6, Image 6
6 HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH A NEWSPAPER FOR THE SOME Founded 18S1 Published evenings except Sunday by THE TELEGRAPH PRINTING CO. Telegraph Building, Federal Square EL J. STACKPOLEJ President and Editor-in-Ohief F. R, OYSTER, Business Manager GUB }f. BTEINMETZ, Managing Bailor A. R. MICHENER, Circulation Manager .Executive- Board 7, P. McCULLOUGH, BOYD M. OGELSBT, F. R. OYSTER, GUS. M. STEINMETZ. 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 papor and also the local news published herein. . All rights of republication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. 1 Member American _ Newspaper Pub paP? llshers' Assocla- Vjfrlgl tlon, the Audit tttM Bureau of Circu it ECJ3* latlon and Penn saiffvß sylvanla Assocl- BQQj M ated Dallies. BESfii Hi Eastern office, sea Hi Story, Brooks & BBS ni Flnley, Fifth ES3H Avenue Building, flffiß NF New York City, SS3* Western office, SBtK Story, Brooks & SStC Flnley, People's "--W Gas Building, Entered at the Post Office In Harrls burg. Pa., as second class matter. By carrier, ten cents n week; by mall, $5.00 a year in advance. SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1018 Make my mortal dream* com# true With the work I fain would do; Clothe with life the weak intent. Let me he the thing I meant. — John Wiiittikb. PATRIOTIC DEALERS THE milk dealers of Harrlsburg have patriotically agreed to the zoning system prescribed by local food administration. This means more than a mere change of route. It involves the giving up of customers some of the dealers have been serving for years and the rerouting of all the retail milk dealers In town. None of the small dealers will be disturbed, so far as the operation of their wagons Is concerned. Each will bo permit ted a number of customers sufficient to consume the average number of quarts of milk ho has been selling each day. A few of the larger milk dealers will be able by the now ar rangement to. reduce the number of their" delivery wagons, but the amount of milk they are selling will be the same, which will bring them returns in the economies effected. Indeed, in the loi\g run, with the federal food administrator's guar antee of pay behind them, the milk dealers will be all the better for the change. But, like every other transi tion in the business world, the change will be accompanied by mis givings and a certain amount of un happiness. The milkmen realize this, hut they realize also the neces sity of conservation and they have •unselfishly agreed to do what Is deemed best to meet the situation. They are to be congratulated upon their patriotism. "The United States can win In 1919 with 3,600,000 men," says general March. Then by all means let's have 'em and cut short the debate. A DIFFICULT TASK TAKE thg enemy firmly In hand and be steadfast In prosecuting the war," is the Kaiser's latest advice to his troops. But, BUI, dear, have you consid ered how difficult It is to take an "enemy firmly in hand," whan said enemy has you firmly by the scruff of the neck and Is using the point of a number ten hob-nail trench shoe upon that portion of one's anatomy best designed to accommodate the same? France decorates Halg, says a cablegrarq, and Halg has decorated the Bavarian Crown Prince—with a black eye. FARCICAL DECLARATION FROM the safety of a warship an chored a ralf-mlle or more from shore, beneath the friendly guns of Kjondstat, Trotzky and Lenlne, the two erstwhile leaders of the Bol shevlkl In Russia, solemqjy declare war on the United States. That they are themsolves little better than ex iles, that they so far mistrust the Russian people that they have trans ferred their capital from Moscow to the narrow confines of a battleship with steam up ready to flee at a moment's notice, and that they can no longer command the armies of the Soviet government to do their bidding, make atpolptely no differ ence to this pair of pro-German ad venturers. That they have no sol diers back of them does not pre vent them from declaring war upon the most powerful nation on earth, for their declaration Is Intended for political purposes only and with no thought of an armed conflict The Bolshevlkl leaders have be come simply German tools. They j will do what Germany bids and nothing more, and Just now It Is tot Germany's Interests to make It ap pear before the world, if possible, that the Russian people are antago nistic to the effort of Amerlaa and her allies to frustrate German plans for what practically amount* to the 1 ' x SATURDAY EVENING, annexation of that empire. That Is, that can come of this lat est ' Lenlno manifesto. The Bolshevlkl loaders are un done. The •world 1b not yot certain If they are ltnaves or merely chil dren In International politics, but It suspects they are Bomewhat of both. They started out by promising all manner of Impossibilities. They ap pealed both to the Impecunious and the unscrupulous. ''We aim to cure every evil of which humanity Is the heir," they told the world. Every thing was to be lovely. Care was to be banished and sin abolished. Human depravity was to be legis lated out of existence and life In Russia, if not for the whole wide world, henceforth was to roll along merrily as a purling brook through a pleasant landscape. Land was to be taken from Its owners and given to the landless. Th® rich were to be made poor and the poor prosperous. It was a big dream, but like most dreams it was Impossible of realiza tion. The Bolshevlkl leaders forgot that two or three men might want the same piece of confiscated land and that those who had been required to give up their holdings would bo loft in the same hopeless state as the landless ones who were bone fitted by the new order. The Bolshe vlkl tried to bring about the mil lenium by rule of government and to enforce their ultra-democratic rulings by force of dictatorship. They took to themselves more centralized power than the Czar himself ever possessed, and the end of the para dox of an advanced socialistic dem ocracy, bossed by two self-appointed servants of a foreign autocracy, was doomed to failure from its Incep tion. The next step In Russia must' be a popular government, or series of local governments, created by pop ular will and owing allegiance to a central government, somewhat after the manner of the United Sfates, having the backing of allied armies intent only upon restoring Russia to the Russians. Sanity must follow the folly of the past year or the great nation will fall to pieces. The mightiest force for good in Russia to-day is the unselfish Influence of the United States, against the dying Bolsheviki have raised their palsied hands. Bill and his fellow-cutthroats are showing signs of distress, but the Allies are not through yet. LODGE'S PEACE TERMS THE allied peace terms laid down by Senator Lodge in the United States Senate yesterday doubtless were not intended to bo regarded so much as a new peace program as they were to constitute a warning to Germany that the President's po litical opponents are If anything more far-reaching in their war de mands than the President himself. Bastcly, there is not very much difference between the fourteen es sential points enunciated by Presi dent Wilson and those of Senator Lodge, save that the Senator is more emphatic, and he leaves no doubt as to how far he would go before laying down the sword. With his assertion that there can be no peace short of a German mili tary defeat, and that the war must be carried to German soil, there can be no doubt that he has voiced the opinion of a vast majority of the American people. To that end we a:-e pledged and to that end wt u>-e willing, one and all of us, to lay down our lives, for to make peace before the German military machine has been shattered beyond repair or to permit the present German gov ernment to have a voice in the framing of peace terms would be to Invite another war, to be waged at Germany's own pleasure and # upon terms vastly more favorable to the Central Empire. Such a peace would be Intolerable and would be far from guaranteeing the President's dictum that we are fighting to "make the world safe for democracy." No, tho President a#B Senator Lodge are not so far apart as the difference in their stated war alms might indicate on first reading. If the President desired any guarantee on tho part of the minority party in Congress that he would have Its unstinted support in carrying the war to a successful conclusion, ho has It In this statement by Lodge, spokesman for the Republicans on the floor of the Senate. That the latest demands are more vigorous and more definite than the Presi dent's own peace tenets is merely a pledge of utmost sacrifice, If need be, to place the world upon a per manent peace basis and to Insure the principle outlined by the Presi dent as essential to that end. Senator Lodge's terms of peace are those of the American people. The melon-chollo days have catfie. CREELING GEORGE CREEL says that peo ple are flooding the depart ments at Washington with let ters asking all sorts of questions about government business. He thinks that If they would read his J official bulletin they would And the Information they seek. It is our guess that If all the people of the country read the official bulletin they would find so many things to arouße their curiosity thafc they would write twice as many letters of Inquiry as they do now. The people will stand for no gouging for heat or light, and It would be unwise to attempt It. • Lk By the Ex-Commltteeman What many men who follow polL tics in Pennsylvania will regard as the final notice of Judge Eugeuo C. Bonniwell, candidate of the Demo cratic voters for governor, to the bosses of the party that he will run his own campaign and have no rela tions with the official organization of his party appears In the Phila delphia Record to-day. The Record has been the organ of the judge and has minced r.o words at any time in assailing the Federal jobholders who are in charge of the machinery of the party in the state. In announcing that the Bonniwell headquarters will be opened in Phil adelphia to-day the Record says: "Anticipating little assistance from the Donnelly-Palmer state commit tee and • the Donnelly-owned city committee, the friends of Judge Bon niwell have been insistent that he conduct his own fight A city com mittee will bo organized and the gu bernatorial fight will be carried Into every ward and division in" Phila delphia. Within a few weeks meet ings will be held and representatives chosen from the forty-eight wards in the city. No attention whatever will be gjven to the Democratic out fit at Tenth and Walnut streets, which has done everything possible to embarrass Judge Bonniwell in his fight for governor. A complete state organization will also be formed. Every county will be represented and competent committees wi'l be named to take charge of the con test in many counties. Judge Bonni well will campaign in each of the sixty-seven counties and, beginning next week, he will tour the state." I —State headquarters have not had any word from State Chairman McLean, regarding the data for the meeting of tho state committee, but people at the windmill are now in clined to think that it will be around the first week of September. It was learned yesterday that when the state committee meets a final effort will be made to have ex-Congressman J. Washington Logue jvithdraw as a candidate for lieutenant-governor. Mr. Logue and Judge Bonniwell hold entirely opposite views on the liquor question and the Philadelphia Rec ord says "those who have at heart the interest of the party are unani mous in the opinion that the former Congressman shpuld withdraw." Logue, however, does not intend to quit, says the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. —All Republican roads in Eastern Pennsylvania led to Neff's, near Al lentown, to-day as the state candi dates are to be the speakers. It will be the opening of the Lehigh cam paign and start things moving. —W. Harry Baker, secretary of the Republican state committee, is at Eaglesmere for a few days' rest. —Philadelphia is a regular politi cal bubbling spring these days. The Inquirer says that It has been dis covered that "needless city 'em ployes" keep up the tax rate, while the Bulletin notes that women drafts men are being appointed. The Pi-ess announces that the members of the Recreation Board who Incurred Mayor Smith's jlispleasure have final ly resigned as a protest, while the Record hammers the city adminis tration because the real estate men had to go to Senator Vare to see about keeping down the tax rate. And in the midst of it all John P. Dwyer, secretary of one of the local draft boards, batters district appeal board No. 2, which is supposed to be .close to the throne, because in his opinion It has failed to meet the re quirements. Mr. Dwyer Indulges in an attack to-day that makes some of his other efforts in that direction seem tame. —lt is said to be unlikely that Governor Brumbaugh will permit any more changes to be made in the Game or Fish Commissions, although some *of the little fellows up the state have been getting busy again in efforts to wreak spite. —Reading people-are getting to gether to have a nonpartisan drive to defeat Representative James H. Maurer for re-election. —Recent appointments of Justices In Allegheny and other western coun ties have all been made upon rec ommendation of Highway Commis sioner J. Denny O'Neil. ■ —Grave doubts whether the next Legislature will not be called upon to make an appropriation for main tenance of the state highway sys tem beyond the revenue from the automobile and other motor vehicle licenses are being expressed here. This is one of the problems brought about by the war and Highway Com missioner J. Denny O'Neil says he thinks it may have to be done. In come from automobile licenses this year will aggregate $4,000,000, but owing to the curtailment of produc tion, wearing oiit of cars and prob able storing because of cost of op eration, tho revenue next year may not be as great. Mr. O'Neil sayß that labor and material have risen Immensely and that they will be high next year, while due to the constant changes work is some times hard to handle in rapid time. Wear and tear due to army truck traffic and the great amount of motor travel brought about by the railroad situa tion; the difficulties attending get ting men to operate stone plants and to keep constantly on the highways to patch holes are other factors, while at least 200 miles of toll road, practically all of which needed im mediate repairs, were bought in the last year and a half and 300 miles more nyiy be acquired in the next eighteen months. The second class townships of the state are going to ask for almost $2,000,000 to pay up the arrears due on the cash road tax bonus and the construction pro gram will call for heavy appropria tions unless the $50,000,000 bond is sue is adopted. Bids received lately have been at almost prohibitive fig ures, but some sections of road call for prompt repairs, especially wherd counties are willing to co-operate with expense. This Would Appeal to Her (From the Toledo Blade.) One good woman wants us $0 start an anti-tobacco campaign as soon as alcohol is put out of busi ness. We are thinking of writing her a personal letter, asking her to •Join us in fighting an anti-tea cam paign to u finish before attacking tobacco. " HAKRISBTJRG TELEGRAPH THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS ARE THE HARDEST? • By BRIGGS . ■ 1 J | fIM CAN GET ofF TVi€ ) f~OH AL6CK- I MADg] . VoO ARK ,5HA*iM<iY first Tee at owe ocuofik/ -tq - vumat'ci. ' / iv fio"A * Ah,D & rf ,TH A < BS A ' T " V i - AWO~~X ( ri I ThBM POR TH.E. OL.D \ / ' ' \ V / <SGT AUJAY lWl THE V J„ W A Lfc <H& , 1 • ? < WOVAJfiR. -*■ COM(S. OM ( V KAVI* J / -Q. ikf/" u- Tnf=\* ALL \ HyNPnCV EARLY \ ©OYS AM& HAMS OrviC I \ 86AUTIRUU - WAN"reJ> Me To TELL'EM / Cool- AM & viwous imiwKS \ A GUY THAT \ 7s 7 \ about my 79- awd I ,/ A ,F e ' V__ y-> / S\ J2.V A wScy/I4AKST r ~yy \£k E^^ao^ Prussia of the Balkans [From American'Revlew of Reviews] In July, 1915, the Bulgar General Angeloff issued a pamphlet, "The Hour of Bulgaria." We quote: "Besides the signal services which Germany renders to us by the de struction of France and Russia, she shows us also the unique way where by we can realize the hegemony in the Balkans. The nation which as pires to hegemony must prepare to fight against all her neighbors. The German example shows us that we cannot attain to hegemony except by violence. If we do not obtain it we cannot be true Prussians of the Bal kans." What Bulgaria longs for is a thor ough Prussianization of her institu tions. P. Oswald, a German publicist, writes: ' "The role of Bulgaria in this war has consisted in joining Turkey to Germany. As the road from Ham burg to Bagdad goes through Sofia, and as Bulgaria forms the link be tween Orient and Occident, she can now profit by her geographical posi tion and fulfill her destiny in the world." The Nazodnl Prava of May 19, 1910, gives the alms of Bulgaria in a true light: "It may be that the Bulgarian dip lomats will be soon summoned to give their opinion at the peace con ference, after the war. They must expound the theories at the founda tion of the Bulgarian claims—claims already sufficiently consolidated by force of arms. They will discuss deti* nite plans as to the future of Serbia and as to our relation to our neigh bors. On these questions, "especially on the question of Serbia, our veri table enemy, our diplomats must be instructed to be above all severe and inexorable. They must put aside all sentimentalism, every humanitarian consideration, and every softness of heart. The existence of a Serb state under whatsoever form that may be is equivalent to a prolongation of troubles in the Balkans. This state, which since its Independence has not ceased to be a nest of disorder and dissensions, must be exterminat ed from the face of the earth. It is a superior necessity for humanity, and especially for ourselves and our allies." Paper Saving Campaign [From Easton Daily Free Press] The War Industries Board is about to promote a new campaign for sav ing paper. Publishers, stores, homes, hotels and factories will be asked to co-operate. Few other commodities have risen in price as much as pa per. But there really is plenty of pa per stock in the country, if the public will only help to conserve it. People have felt that paper is a material of so little value that it is not worth any one's time to try to save it. Now when they attempt to buy paper for business or personal use they are the results of this policy of waste. The paper item is a big charge not merely on the business of publishing newspapers, but on prac tically every industry in the coun try. An enormous amount of good pa per is wasted in wrapping parcels needlessly. A large part of the ar ticles sold in stores could just as well be taken home without wrap ping. But if you ask the clerk if you shall not take your purchase home unwrapped, he (gels that the article would not presert an appearance that would be cremtable to his store. Customers should insist that paper be not wasted in ways that serve no useful purpose. All old newspapers and circulars and booklets should be carefully saved and sold to the ragman, or contributed to some society that is collecting papers as a money earn ing proposition. Most households col lect large amounts of papers in the form of letters, circulars, handbills, etc., that are commonly burned. They should be neatly folded so that they cgn go in with the saleable bundles of papers. 1 Unless the public shall be educated up to the form of economy. It Is in evitable that all kinds of paper for business and personal use shall rise to higher prices. Also that newspa pers and all other periodicals will have to sell for more money. Just the Way We Feel (From St. Douls dlobe-Democrat) Don't be too sanguine that the war will end soon, we are advised: but we can't help feeling pretty san guine when we have got the enemy to wishing it would. Amid Pleasant Surroundings (From the Syracuse Post-Standard) The Missouri mule will feel at home in Bray, The Heroic Czecho-Slovaks (By Walter Littlefleld) THE declaration of the British government last Tuesday recog nizing the Czechoslovaks as an allied nation—as a geographical, po litical, and military entirety—not only creates a belligerent state in the heart of middle Europe amid Ger man Austria, Magyar Hungary, and Prussian Germany, and recognizes the legality of three armies, one in Siberia, one in France, and one in Italy, but the prestige of the power uttering it, whose protecting wings have through the ages shielded po litical refugees from Bohemia and Moravia, is such that it deals a vital blow at the very foundation of the fabric of which the Dual Monarchy is composed. It is worth while, if merely as a text, repeating in full: "Since the beginning of the war the Czechoslovak nation has resist ed the common enemy by every means in its power. "The Czechoslovaks have consti tuted a considerable army, fighting on three different battlefields, and at tempting In Russia and Siberia to arrest the Germanic invasion. In consideration of its efforts to achieve independence, Great Britain regards the Czechoslovaks as an allied nation and recognizes the unity of the three Czechoslovak armies as an allied and belligerent • army waging regular warfare against Austria-Hungary and Germany. "Great Britain also recognizes the right of the -Czechoslovak National Council as the supreme organ of Czechoslovak national interests and as the present trustee of the future Czechoslovak government to exercise supreme authority over this allied and belligerent army." t One of the most ill-advised phases of the international policy of the Allies was, for a long time, to assume the status quo ante of Austria-Hun gary as a political integrity to be dealt with after the war. The Pa%t of Rome, April 9-11, changed ail that. Here not only the Jugoslavs received official recognition but dele gates of the Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Rumanians and other subject races of the Hapsburgs pleaded their in diviflual causes and were heard. The debate at Rome cleared the air. It had been different in 1848, when all had been, fighting at cross-purposes and were played off against each oth er by Budapest and Vienna until German Austria and Magyar Hun gary reconstructed the empire In 1867 and divided the subject races between them. Then they fought blindly and with mutual jealousies. Now. thanks to the Pact of Rome, they are not fighting blindly. They are fighting to destroy the dual I Only Way to Win the War (From the Kansas City Star) There are two ways of prosecut ing this war. One way is to make every possible effort to do it now, and the other is to proceed some what more leisurely an< do it late. The obvious advantage from every standpoint, social, military, indus trial and economic, Is to put forth every effort in this country and win the war as soon as possible.—From Secretary Baker's statement before the House committee on military af fairs yesterday. Rightly spoken, well said! So good, trsdeed, that the country has wondered why Secretary Baker didn't say it a year or more ago. There is only one way to win the war—and that is the way Mr. Baker recommends. There are not two ways. The theory that it can be done by "proceeding In a leisurely way and do it late." all but cost the Allies defeat. We tried that way and found it disastrous. Now that we have found the right way, Secretary Baker will find the country squarely behind him in every plan to follow that way with all the force the United Sta'es can command. t Maybe It's the Brain (From the Kansas City Star) It is feared some of the Kansas City girls have very weak constitu tions or will powers or something. A girl on a Treost car was heard yesterday to say: "Gee, I'll be glad when I get home and can take this fiink sweater oft and put on some hlng cool." Other Things to Think Of It is a desperate undertaking at this season for any ambitous candi date to seek to arouse popular inter est in politics.—From the New York World. 3, realm of the Hapsburgs, and thanks also to the asylum offered by the Al lies their directorates have debated and have agreed to postpone the in ternal questions, which annihilated their common purpose in 1848, until after the war. • • ♦ Theoreti cally Bohemia was and is still an in dependent kingdom, and Francis Jo seph even promised to be crowned King at Prague: but Bismarch's in fluence, prevented this. Since then the Czechs have maintained a eon-1 stant struggle against the Hapsburgs and the ruling races in Austrfa, as well as against the influence of the German Empire, which regards them as a great obstacle to its plans. The bulk of the nation long fought for antonomy within a federalized Austrian Empire and under the Hapsburg crown, but the reign of terror with which the people's reluc tance to take part in the present war was met strengthened those who demanded complete independence. Thousands of military executions, great numbers of confiscations and arbitrary imprisonments angered the people, whose soldiers were already going over to the Russians and Serbs in great masses. Finally, in Novem ber, 1915, a committee of exiles in Paris demanded complete independ ence and unity of the race, and this policy at once received overwhelm ing support in the Czechoslovak countries. •The Czechoslovak National Com mittee, which was thereupon organ ized in Paris, consisted of Dr. Thomas G. . Masaryk, professor of philosophy at the University of Pra gue, president of the committee, and probably destined to be the first pres ident of the Czechoslovak Republic: Dr. Edward Benesh of the University of Prague, and Dr. Milan Stefanik, a noted astronomer, now a colonel in the French aviation service* Branch es of the organization were estab lished in the various European capi tals. and another branch in the United States, where the Czechoslo vak population strongly 'supported the national movement. Dr. Mas aryk has been in Washington for the last few months. France recognized the independ ence of the Czechoslovaks and the authority of the national committee as a provisional government on July 1. The example was followed by Italy, and now by Great Britain. The end of the war should see the Czech oslovak people free for the first time since 16201 Their international policy at present Includes a close alliance with the Poles and Jugoslavs, and they will undoubtedly welcome the establishment of a league of nations to guarantee the freedom of the peo ples of Europe. A Word to Mothers (Froyi the Phila. State Journal) We doubt if there was ever a time in all the history of the world when there was so great a need for moth ers of girls to exercise a watchful outlook as right now. The mother of a girl in her teens in this period of great war must be very much "on ' her job," if you will excuse the slang, In order to make sure that her daughter is developing into fine, sweet womanhood. The dangerous influences are in numerable, and only, a few of them are directly connected with the war. There are, of course, the tempta tions that come from the proximity of camps, the mistake of the girl's attempting war work for which she is unfitted, etc.. etc. But there are also the more insidious dangers aris ing out of the very spirit of our age. It is a very fast age. We are all doing more, getting about at a swifter pace. There is more cafe dining. There are more reasons or excuses for young girls to be seen on the street. And the downtown streets are not good places for young girls who have no definite business there. And then, too, we literally travel faster, by our motor-driven vehicles. And that fact constitutes the- young girl's worst menace/ An automobile or motorcycle ride within a comparatively short time can take the young girl much too far from home for safety. The mother of a girl has some difficult problems to solve, and much dependseupon their right solution. Might Send Wife's Relatives (From the Boston Globe) The kaiser now has an opportu nity to reward prominent subjects whom he does not like, or with whose behavior he is more or less displeased, by appointing them to diplomatic posts in Russia. AUGUST 24, 1918. The Fish Hog [The Lancaster Examiner] The following clipping from a newspaper was called to the atten tion of The Examiner by George W. Hensel, of Qqarryville: "The newspapers of the country have almost everwhere been a pow erful force in crystallizing the senti ment for the protection by proper laws of fish and game as important recources of the Commonwealth. "A New Jersey editor, a thorough sportsman, says Wild Life, recently received from a reader who desired to take fish by questionable means a letter that contained this request: " 'Please advise me how to dyna mite a stream.' "The newspaper man sent the fol lowing advice: " 'Four sticks of dynamite are sufficient. Tie them securely round your neck, attach fuse, light it, and run as fast as you can away from the water, to avoid injuring the other snakes and reptiles.' " OUR DAILY LAUGH ' SINGLE PURPOSE. h, His praise the / umimWßVl;itf\ world \ Is glad to tell ( C Who does one I ILi 1 •*- does it IT WOULD. It would save a lot of trouble. xgi What would? |F If we were all as honest as we expect the other fellow to be. r xlllv CON- How did they entertain you last evening? Patriotically. I don't under- They didn't servo a thing to WONDERFUL. Turtle—My, I Ky never saw any- lij Vfil thin* to eqilal the agility of 11l those skyscrap- vj er mechanical 3amtitto (Eljat The State street bridge over the Pennsylvania railroad was built In 1874 and ever since the city and the railroad have been trying to move about the icsponsibllity for Its con- £ ditlon with a few tiyers toward mak lng tjie trolley company the burden bearer. At last accounts the city seemed to have been given the job. At any event for over forty years the - officials of the municipality and the company have been wishing it had never been built. One time lp the days of the old select councl' an eminent attorney, representing the company, was informing th city lawmakrts that the company had nothing to do with the bridge, whereupon one of the council bland ly asked the lawyer if he had his initials on his handkerchief. "Of course, of course, now that's a fool question," he replied with a wither ing glance. "Oh. very well, I Just noticed that the bridge bore the in itials 'P. R. R.' and I thought that meant ownership," came back councilman. "No. sir," retorted the lawyer, when he got his breatK, "That's where you're wrong. The 'P. R. R." up there is to indicat* who gave the bridge to the city." That same idea of "passing the buck'- went on for years and finally tfco city fathers found they had to pay for repairs about once in five years and if the railroad wanted anything real bad the councilmcn would man age to get It to bear part of the cost. When the trolley line was run out State street and over the bridge the traction company began to get tag ged. Of late years the city has had to pay for most of the replacements of I-beams corroded by gases from locomotive stacks, and every tin># the job appeared to be well done some new structural weakness wouljJ be discovered and things would have to be done all over again. City coun cilmen declined to discuss the bridge with any degree of equanimity to day and said that theii. hoped the new monumental viaduct would be provided for as soon as the Legisla ture of 1919 could enact the re quired statutes and arrange for the sh{tre of the state. State draft headquarters Is rap idly getting; to the point where it can take care of any situation which arises. Between answering inquir ies as to whether there are vacan cies for chefs in divisions on the fir ing line to quieting the fears of one legged men that they may be in the next draft the staff of Major Mur doek is able to cope with anything. Yesterday afternoon the wife of a draftee arrived at the headquarters with a desire for specific informa tion and a restless baby. She landed beside the desk of L. K. Lafean. the chief of inductions, and the baby joined in the discussion. Before she left one of the members of the staff was at hand to take care of the baby, remarking that she had had some' experience in that line. About the same time Chief Clerk Keenan was out front trying to convince a gen tleman' that what he wanted Was brassards not an article of apparel sounding something like that, but .not worn on the arm. Pennsylvania's blackbird season, the first of the fall seasons for small game, opens on Monday, September 2, although the first day of Septem ber is the. real date under the new game code. As Sunday hunting is forbidden- the gunners will have to start out on Labor Day. Blackbirds may be sho£ without limit and from all reports there will be plenty to shoot. "Reports coming here are that there is an unusual number of blackbirds and that they have got ten together in immense flocks," is the statement made at the Staae Game Commission offices, In the northern tier the birds are still about and in southern counties they have • become a nuisance in oats and veg etable fields. Their numbers and activities have caused some men to suggest that it would be a good plan to start the blackbird season on Au gust 1 to thin them out for a few years. The season used to begin in October,, by which time the black birds were safely in the southern fields, but September 1 was agreed upon. There are now plenty of birds and they are in great flocks in agri cultural regions. State wardens have been sent to Greene county to in vestigate the shooting of robins by some people who got mad and pro ceeded to kill off blackbirds because of the damage they were doing. These people did not secure a per mit from the State Game Commis sion officers, where it could have been had for the asking, after filing a statement of damage, being done. In other sections farmers have been given the right to kill the black birds. • • • Col. Maurice E. Finney, who was commander of the old Eighth regi ment when it went to war, and who is on the advanced lines in France, has sent to friends in this city a Ger man helmet and other trophies. They are placed In the Harrisburg Clu\j. | WELL KNOWN PEOPLE —Col. T. J. Keenan. of Pitts burgh, is chairman of the commit tee to arrange for instruction for drafted men in that city. The colo nel is a member of one of the district boards. —John W. Cramer, city clerk of Johnstown, has been given charge of the new municipal bureau of in surance. —Public Service Commissioner William A. Magee will return from Canada next week. —\Villiam P. Ennis. regular army colonel, advanced to be brigadier general for the war, is a son of Gen eral William Ennis, stationed hero some years ago as recruiting officer. —General C. T. O'Neill, who re cently reutrned from Camp Wads worth, is taking prominent part in war work. —General R. L. Howze, recently promoted, was formerly stationed at a camp near here. —W. H. Dithrich, well known to many legislators, has been commis sioned a lieutenant in United States cavalry. He .lives in Pittsburgh. —Mayor Smith, of Philadelphia, is taking a firm stand against the proposed government tax on muni cipal bonds. —George Harrison Fisher, promi nent Phtladelphtan, is in Maine. —Lieutenant R. S. Davis, who is doing things as an aviator, is the old State College football manager. —F. A. Howard, Chester City food administrator, says that his job has many strenuous features. DO YOU KNOW | —That Harrisburg steel is being nsed for some of the new gov ernment warehouses at ports? HISTORIC HARRISBURG —Blast furnaces in this city were making iron for cannon balls when Leeis scouts were on the J. her side of the Susquehanna. ,