NEWS OF THE LEGISLATURE
THIRD CLASS CHY
BILL IS AIRED
Nonpartisan Feature Assailed
and "Home Rule" Is
Urged
The Willson bill to take the non
partisan elective feature out ot" the
Clark third class city act and return
to the old party system of selecting
city officials, was given its final hear
ing by the House committee on mu
nicipal corporations and returned to
the lower branch of the Legislature
to resume its place on the third
reading calendar. No v otes against
this action were cast in committee,
but Duncan Sinclair, Fayette, gave
notice that he contemplated a mo- J
tion to cut out the provision that tlie ,
city treasurer should be elected by j
the people instead of being chosen
bv council. A week ago representa
tives of a dozen third class cities ]
opposed the bill and one man spoke
for it. Altoona had the stage all j
to itself yesterday and the inter
changes on the city which has the
city manager plan became so stir
ring that an executive session was
ordered and the room cleared.
B. J. Clark, former chief of po
lice of Altoona. was the high card
of the meeting and insisted on a_ re
turn to the party system because as
he put it "Bolshevism is the next
step from nonpartisanisnt as sure as
two and two make four." other Al
toonians disagreed with him.
The Altoona delegation consisted ,
of Representative Fred Bell, James
Craig, deputy secretary of internal
affairs: James Foust, Dairy and
Food Commissioner: Dr. J. P Find
ley, F. Woods Beck, City Solicitor
T. C. Hare. ex-Representative D.
Lloyd Claycomb, H. J. Seeds. J. ,
Emory Shute, Matthew M. Morrow. !
Charles Kutz and Mr. Clark. Mr. j
Kutz. speaking for the Central La- >
bor Union, opposed repeal of the j
present nonpartisan feature on be- j
half of organized labor. Dr. Findlev i
said he thought the present system '
best to retain until "all can get to- |
gether on a measure that will per- I
mit us to run our own affairs, ltep- I
resentative W. T. Ramsey, of Ches
ter, and the doctor had some discus
sions on the way the law lias
worked and the Chester man said
"Well, we have had some glaring
mixups under the Clark act."
Mr. llarc said that from a strict
paity standpoint, the bill is a mis
take because parties get shouldered
with responsibility for local squab
bles which sometimes have wide ef
fects. "The Clark act needs reforma
tion. 1 admit." said he. "but the'only
feasible plan is for each city to be
allowed to conduct its own affairs
as demanded by local conditions
with a few simple prohibitions." He
favored studying the matter and !
getting a plan which would give
more chance for local self govern
ment rather than a return to the .
old system. The subject of getting
u workable plan should be taken up
soon. Mr. Hare elaborated his idea
that parties were often encumbered
by local fights and said that funda
mental local matters should not be
taken into politics along party lines.
"Wo never bad factionalism in
m the Republican party in my • itv tin
til the Clark act came aloi - ■> id
now we have nothing but . out. n
•ion." remarked Mr. Ramsej is Mr.
Hare finished.
Mr. Clark modestly nounoed
that he represented the entiiaent
of taxpayers of Altoona and third
class cities. "Altoona has been
built out of the mud b> pa' y gov
ernment. The tax late •as ten
mills for a long time. Wli awe got !
nonpartisan govern:: nt went tip!
to 13." said he. Mr. t" , then said j
that advocates of repeal of the non- j
partisan act always got abused. "An '
Altoona paper is abusing Lieutenant- I
Governor Edward E. Beidlentan for
his attitude on this matter. He's I
the best friend labor ever had in |
Pennsylvar t." said he. "Take the
two week pay bill and the full crew !
bill. To- r lie's called a politician j
because o believes in doing what'
• will do th-> most people the most j
good."
In ;i'lirg the nonpartisan sys- i
teni r. Cturk said the State judge- I
ship went to the "highest bidder j
wh< an pay for advertising and he j
km ks the persimmon every time."
. H said that the first nonpartisan ,
I < ection-put Altoona into hands of
men Influenced by contractors and !
then Dr. Findlev, whom he called '
' .he nonpartisan bofes" got in a 1
council of businessmen who "are 1
giving the most expensive govern- J
men' we ever had." "They're men 1
bev ud reproach, but they selected 1
e dictator, a manager." said he. I
. -en more catigation of the com- 1
i .ssidn form of government Mr.
i'lark charged that Mr. Kutz lived in
.Logan township, outside of Altoona
iand yet. assumed to represent Al
jtoona laboring men. Mr. Kutz pro
jtested and Mr. Clark said, "You
jknow you live outside and you got'
(S<Mu
says \
When, the world
asked for more
delightfully fla
vored arvd more
substantial corn
flakes, it got
POST
TOASTIES
Your grocer sells them,.
WEDNESDAY EVENING,
SMITH BILL IS
BEFORE HOUSE
Joint City and County Office
Building Measure Reported
Favorably to House
j The Smith bill to authorize Har
j risburg city and Dauphin county to
unite in the construction of a joint
city-county office building front
ing on Capitol Park, as suggested
by Governor Sproul at the Chamber
of Commerce legislative reception,
was favorably reported to the House
last night. It passed first reading
J to-day and will reach the Governor
'soon after the legislative recess,
j There is no opposition to it and the
! purpose of the measure is generally
j commended.
Among the bills reported out In
the House just before the close of
! the day's sessions, were the bills to
j transfer to tlie State Police Depart-
I rnent, the duties of the State tire
j marshal! and reorganizing the Po
lice Force and adding one troop to
be located in or near Harrisburg and
creating the bureaus of fire protec
tion and records.
The Vickerman and Hickernell
mothers' pension bill* were both
reported out, together with the
Sterling bill for elective school
boards in Philadelphia and Pitts
burgh: Willson bill repealing the
third-class city nonpartisan law:
) Yare first-class city building bill:
I Golder ticket scalping bill: teachers'
minimum salary bill: physical edu
cation measure anil Palmer building?
j inspection bill for thlrd-c'ass cities.
The bill to require licenses for
! public dance balls also appeared, as
i did the Helt bill fixing salaries of
j counties treasurers in counties hai
ling under 150.000 population: Del
' aware. Chester and Montgomery
j counties fox hunting bill: making
| four years separation ground tor di-
I vorce: for civil service in boroughs
, and regulating constables' reports to
courts. • ,
Another bill reported was that or
Mr Curran providing that assessors
I shall make lists of men who served
in the war against Germany for
county records.
These hills were all on the first
reading calendar in the House to
day.
47.862 Yank Patients
in British Hospitals in
1918; Most Were 111
Txnulon April 9.—The total num
! bcr of American soldier patients In
hospitals in Great Britain during
'lfil< was 47.<>>2. About one-fifth
! 0 f ihrni were wounded or injured,
I the remainder ill. When the arm
istice was signed 9.310 Americans til
and wounded were being cared for
in American hospitals here, says an
American Red Onoss report.
When the United States entered
the war the only hospital beds avail
able for American soldiers were in
two or three American Red Cross
hospitals which were then being used
for British troops. So rapidly were
provisions made by.the Red Cross
that by the time American troops
began trt pour into France and Eng
land the supply of American hos
pital beds was ample. It was only
during the influenza emptdemic last
fall that the demand exceeded the
supply. Tn October and November
! many cases had to be sent to British
hospitals, whore at one time the
j number of Americans cared for
I reached 5.5? 4.
| The Fnitcd States army personnel
| engaged in American hospitals in
I Groat Britain numbered about 3.200,
i that of the American Rod Cross yvas
' about 400.
Military Tourists
Are Filling Paris
Paris, April 9.—Paris is full of
I military tourists, personally conduet
] ed though not by the usual profes
| sional corps of guides and tourist
' agencies.
I Americans, nglish soldiers. Can
! adians. Australians and New Zeal
i unders provide the chief member
! ship of the sightseeing parties.
| Large sightseeing automobiles term
, ed in tourist vernacular "rubberneck
I wagons." swerve through the streets
j of raris always filled with overseas
' visitors.
t
a candidate for mayor you can't
nominate." Mr. Kutz endeavored to
reply, but Chairman W. F. Stadt
lander ordered "no personalities."
An executive session was then or
' dered and the room cleared.
NO FISHING ON
THE SABBATH
House Votes Down the Ring
ler Bill; Long Afternoon
Session to Clear Decks
The Ringler bill to permit Sun
day fishing, a biennial visitor to the
Legislature and put in this year by
a Reading member, was defeated
yesterday afternoon in the House by
150 to 35. The Rev. Dr. T. T.
Mutchler. secretary of the Sabbath
organization, who defeated the
Rorke bill, was the man who caused
the rout of the Sunday fishers when i
the bill was reached.
Mr. Williams, Tioga, declared that
the law against Sunday fishing had
been long on the books and should
not be changed. No one spoke for
the bill, which was sponsored by Mr.
Ringler, Berks. This bill has ap
peared biennially for many sessions.
Immediately afterwards the fish
erman's license bill, defeated Mon
day. was reconsidered and then
placed on the postponed calendar.
The Wallace bill providing for a
system of auxilliary game preserves,
was passed in the House without
opposition at the afternoon session.
The House also' passed the bill
declaring a closed season on stur
geon in the Delaware until March
1, 1924. the hill being contingent on
legislation passed by neighboring
States. Other game and fish bills
passed were: Regulating advertising
for closing of lands and prescribing
means of taking carp by nets and
seines.
Administration Rills
The administration bill designed
to relieve the Governor of the du
ties of auditing accounts and settle
ments of various departments of the
State government, was passed final
ly just before the House adjourned
for the night session. Under the
terms of t his bill, the Governor
would pass only upon contracts and
other important papers.
The House also passed the Reber
school code amendment relative to
institutes which are made optional
with the county superintendent:
Dithrich bill providing for separate
damage actions where more than
one person is involved in a claim
for damages growing out of negli
gence. and the Cans bill forbidding
offering of eggs as fresh which do
not belong to that class.
The bill reorganizing the Depart
ment of Agriculture, also an admin
istration measure, passed second
reading.
When the bill Increasing the sal
ary of the Superintendent of Public
Instruction to SIO,OOO was called up.
Mr. Benchoff. Franklin, asked the
reason. "The bill was drafted at the
suggestion of the Governor, who
wants to get the best man avail
able." said Mr. Ramsey. Delaware.
No one voted against the bill.
The Se nat e bill authorizing
cjiurcbes and cemeteries to sell or
lease coal under lands was sept to
the Mines Committee at suggestion
of Mr. Fowler, T^ackawanna.
The Griffith bill providing for an
increase of supervisors' pay was de
feated. after remarks by Mr. Mal
lerv. Venango.
After a debate between Messrs.
Wells and Dunn. Philadelphia, the
bill to admit to the Philadelphia city
employes' pension fund. State em
ployes and permitting those leav
ing city employ to continue as con
tributors. was defeated, the vote be
ins 57 ayes to 73 noes. Mr. Dunn
said the plan of the Wells bill was ;
unfair and remarked that 9970 men -
are now contributors. There are 20;
pensioners, with $332,390, in the,'
fund.
The act for a commission to in- 1
quire into industrial accidents was
sent to the Appropriations Commit- |
tee on motion of Mr. Ramsey, its |
sponsor. Tt is expected that action
will be taken soon on the eommis- j
sion to study health insurance.
The bill amending the bull frog
law so that frogs may be hunted at i
night with light, was passed with
two votes against it.
Other bills passed included:
Providing for licensing of con
cerns and individuals candling eggs.
Regulating education of the blind
in institutions in Pennsylvania.
Placing trolley freight business
and contracts under Public Service
Commission control and setting
aside any restrictive contracts now
existing.
Increasing' sa'aries of mine in
spectors to $4,000.
A bill requiring lights on all ve
hicles. except agricultural machin
ery, wagon loaded with hay or wheel
harrows, when on reads, was intro
duced by Mr. Willert. Erie at the
afternoon session of the House. No
vehicle is allowed to pass a srteet
car that has stopped to take on or
leave off passengers and slow mov
ing vehicles must keep close to right
hand curbs. The penalty is made
fine of from $2.50 to $3 or five days
in jail.
Mr. Benchoff Franklin, presented
a bill repealing the clause of the act
of 1595 requiring refusal to admit
unvaccinated pupils.
Other bills presented were—
Mr. Galder, Philadelphia: Regu
lating appeals from magristrates' de
cisions in Philadelphia.
Mr. Wallace. I-awrence: Making
owners of motor vehicles personally
liable for damage or injury caused
by vehicles.
Mr. Davis. Cambria: Providing for
two county detectives in counties
having between 150,000 and 250,000
| population.
Mr. Fox. Forest: Authorizing pur
| chase of the Cook tract of primeval
forest and appropriating $719,453.60
therefor.
| Mr. Kennedy. Beaver: Regulating
! legal service on foreign fraternal
i and similar societies in Pennsyl
| vania.
i The House quit at 7 p. m.
Execute Bolshevists
For Plotting to Seize
the City of Warsaw
Warsaw. April 9.—Thirty-three
Bolshevists were executed at Pinsk,
on the eastern frontier of Poland.
Saturday. They were charged with
plotting an uprising for the purposes
of overpowering the weakened gar
rison and seizing the city.
Colonel Francis E. Fronczak,
health commissioner of Buffalo, who
was in Pinsk for the Red Cross, said
that, according to the military offi
cials. 200 Bolshevists were discover
ed plotting in a hall on the outskirts
of the city Saturday afternoon. The
building was surrounded, but a ma
jority of the Bolshev.ols managed
to make their escape. About 70
were captured and inarched to the
city market place, where every sec
ond one was shot. '
HJLFLRISBTXRG TELEGRXPR
MANY HEARINGS
OF LIVELY KIND
Liquor Bills Arc Debated and
Third Class Cily Legisla
tion Much in Evidence
Half a dozen hearings, more big
affairs than held #n legislative hails
on any day this year, enlivened the
Capitol yesterday and some were
very diverting. They brought many
people here for the sessions.
The House Law and Order Com
mittee heard Wayne Wheeler, coun
sel of the Anti-Saloon League, dis
cuss the prohibition bills and he re
ferred to the billion dollar fund of
the brewers. This hearing was a
good bit of a cross tire with Repre
sentative W. T. Ramsey.
The House Education Committee
had a strenuous session on various
education bills and furnished plenty
of thrills for men interested in
changing conditions in the larger
cities.
Members of the House Health and
Sanitation Committee were told by
Colonel Edward Martin. State Com
missioner of Health, that they could
save the State of Pennsylvania a lot
of money and make the Department
of health well nigh useless if they
passed the various anti-vaccination
measures. The committees had a
tield day for vaccination measures,
speakers from Erie and Waynesboro
being heard. The opponents of the
\ ... and with the everyday mar
j§ " Warn ? j$ At the Capitol Building in Washington, at the
Waldorf-Astoria in New York and at scores
these sales are, they're but a "drop in the
*> ' bucket" compared with the MILLIONS of
-.^ Fatimas smoked every day by the big, plain,
|k "you-and-me" public.
wf FATIMA
A_Sensible Cigarette
N'OTK—It Is this fact, more than any other,
that shows how well' Fatima's quality ami *
moderate price "size up" with the common- , >v
sense man who doesn't want a fancy box or
gold tips, but wants full, honest value.
vaicinution laws wete sharp in their
discussion of theni, one saying that
vaccination was the property of the
"alloputhic trust" ami another call
ing it "the tyranny of medical autoc
racy." Colonel Martin replied that
he spoke of vaccination only front
a standpoint of one assured of its
value.. He declared that vaccination
is a general protection and. that as
a health officer, he maintained that
no single individual had a right to
jeopardize a community.
Objections from Senators and
building and loan association men
and bunkers enlivened the hearing
held by the Senate Hanking Com
mittee on the proposed banking code
and the committee received sugges
tions of numerous amendments. Sen
ator \V. D. Craig, of Beaver, said
it made the commissioner of banking
an autocrat, especially in liquidation
when he deents it necessary. Hank
ing Commissioner John S. Fisher re
plied that he was suiprised at the
Beaver man's remarks, as most of
the provisions he referred t
such alarming tones, had been in
the State laws for twenty-four years.
Several speakers said that they had
no fears as regards Mr. Fisher and
Senator Morris Einstein, of Pitts
burgh. said that he did think the
powers were extraordinary. Mr,
Fisher rejoined that he had voted
for the creation of the State Depart
ment of Health with some misgiv
ings, as he thought the powers too
great. They had not been abused,
however, he considered.
"How about Dr. Royer during the
influenza epidemic? Did he not
abuse his powers?" asked the Pitts
burgh Senator.
"Probably he did. but he did not
last long,' replied the Commissioner.
"The best way to make military
training un-militaristic. is to asso
ciate with cur democratic public
school system," declared Prof. R. T.
Shaw, of the West Philadelphia
High School, at a hearing before
the Senate Committee on Appropri
ations. concerning the Daix bill,
establishing military training' in the
public and norrnal schools of the
State, including 'those colleges re
ceiving State aid.
Prof. Shaw told of the formation
of a volunteer boy's military corps
at the West Philadelphia High
School, which later was incorporated
into the curriculum of the school
after the boys themselves had circu
lated petitions in its favor. Governor
Sproul was named among the sign
ers of the petition. Prof. Shaw said
that the system of training as used
in the West Philadelphia High
School, was more than popular with
the students themselves.
Harry J. Stone, member of the
legislative committee of three of the
P. O. S. of A., spoke for the meas
ure on the grqunds that we must
not again be caught in a position of
unpreparedness such as that in
which we found ourselves at the be
ginning of the European war.
"War," said Mr. Stone, "as has been
shown by the history of the world,
is inevitable. When the great war
came, we were not prepared to pre
serve our honor and our homes. We
should not be caught napping again.
In time of peace, let us prepare
for the inevitable."
"The sentiment of the War De
partment." said C. R. Mann, of the
War Department's Bureau of Edu
cation, "has changed toward ntili
| tat y training in the public schools.
I am delighted to see that Pennsyl
vania is about to take this advanced
I step; for we have found that mili
fcnty education has distinct educa
tional advantages, not to be secured
by any other subject."
John A. McSparren. master of the
Pennsylvania State Grange, argued
I against the measure for the country
I hoy's standpoint. Mr. McSparren de
| dared that the country boy's day is
already fully occupied and that he
would have no time to devote to
'military training in addition to the
j regular school curriculum.
[use McNeil's Cold Tablets, Adv.
APRIL 9, 1919. *"*
I. O. O. F. ANNIVERSARY.
Mount Wolf, Pu., April 9.—Mount
Wolf Lodge NO. 1196, I. O. O. R, Is
arranging to celebrate the centen
nial anniversary of the order, with
special and fitting exercises, on the
eventr.K of April 25. The anniver-
Children wake up with
a Clean Tongue, Sweet / Jvrzl
Stomach, Clear Head. All 'VgJ"*
Feverishness, Biliousness
and Constipation Gone!
Delicious Laxative!
sary of the Institution of the Odd
Fellows' Lodge occurs, however, one
day later. A committee composed
of E. A. Gretman, J. R Buser, Will
iam M. Hoover, Harvey Rohrbaugh
and C. T. Kinports, has been ap
pointed to perfect the arrangements.
7