6 HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH A XEWSPA.PER FOR THE HOME Founded 1831 Published evenings except Sunday by THE. TELEGRAPH FIUXTING CO. Telegraph Building, Federal Sguare E. J. STACKPOLE President and Editor-in-Chief F. R. OYSTER, Business Manager GUS. M. STEIN'METZ, Managing Editor A. R. MICHENER, Circulation Manager Executive Beard • . P. McCULLOUGH, BOYD M. OGLESBY, F. R. OYSTER, GUS. M. STEINMETZ. Members 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 pub lished herein. All rights of republication of special dispatches herein are also reserved. Member American Eastern e Gas' Building -I Chicago, 111. Entered at the Post Office in Harris burg, Pa., as second class matter. By carrier, ten cents a (mßKuyjSiß* week; by mail, $3.00 a year in advance. SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1919 Rich through my brethren's poverty— Such wealth were hideous! I am blest Qnly in what they share with me, In what I share with all the rest. —Lucy Larcom. HATS OFF TO SCHAFFER HATS off to Attorney General Schaffer! He has the true Pennsylvania spirit. His crisp reply to Postmaster General Burle son's ruthless attempt to override the laws of Pennsylvania with respect to the fixing of telephone rates will meet with the approval of all who have read Judge Kunkel's master ful opinion in that case, in which he clearly shows that the Postmaster General has no legal ground for the assumption of this unwarranted in terference with the laws of Penn sylvania. If Mr. Burleson had been sincere in the assertion that he desired to in crease telephone rales in order to meet increased expenses he could have formulated his schedules and submitted them to the Public Service Commission, in harmony with laws of Pennsylvania enacted in full accord with the constitution of the United States. But he did not choose to do that. He wanted to show his author ity. lie desired to thrust down the throats of Pennsylvania people tele phone rates in excess of those pro nounced reasonable and sufficient by our own Public Service Commission and higher than thought necessary by the companies themselves, if their own formulated schedules are to be regarded as satisfactory. No, Burleson's purpose had little to do with getting a fair return for the telephone stockholders. He is an arrogant, self-opinionated official who wants the government to own the lines, and he is doing everything in his power to discourage private ownership of public utilities and to force the government to hold the wire lines permanently. But he failed to take into consideration two such capable and devoted Pennsylvania officials as Schaffer and Kunkel, who may be depended upon to figlit the State's battle to the last ditch. COAL PROSPECTS POOR and more expensive coal is the prospect for the present generation of men, if we are to believe Floyd \V. Parsons, editor of The Coal Age. The best coal is mined first, he says, and thl finest quality Already has been marketed, he adds. And this leads him to the assertion of a belief that has been steadily growing in the minds of many men who have given thought to the matter of coal, which is that we shall be forced to relinquish anthracite as a household fuel, for the reason that it is fast becoming too expensive for the average wage earner who cannot afford to burn nine or ten tons of $lO coal a year. Mr. Parsons points out that "prac tically the only available deposits of high-grade steam coal lying with in reach of the Philadelphia and Xew York markets are in Cambria, Indiana and Somerset counties in Pennsylvania. Even in these few districts the undeveloped tracts are limited in area and will be rather difficult to develop, due to the thin ness and depth of most of the seams. The situation in regard to gas and by-product coals is even less favor able so far as the large Eastern markets are concerned. West Vir ginia contains a large supply of these coals, but freight rates again render these Southern fields quite inaccessi ble. Only a few small areas of gas and by-product coals are available to the New York and Philadelphia mar kets, and these lie in Pennsylvania. "Each year now witnesses the exhaustion of a number of high grade coal areas. Far more mines producing better grade coals are be ing worked out than there are new mines commencing to produce. Many investigators have reached the con clusion that the tonnage of high- SATURDAY EVENING, grade coal shipped from the low freight rate territory into the At lantic seaboard markets will not be increased beyond its present volume. These authorities expect a decrease in the shipment of such coal and an ticipate that the markets will have to be satislicd with a substitute in the way of lower grade fuel. The only other solution is that consum ers will have to pay higher freight rates, thereby bringing in coal from more distant fields." The fuel outlook is anything but bright, so far as prices are concern ed, and, unless the sooty, low grade coal can be translated into gas or electricity and distributed for house hold use in one or both those forms, prospects are anything but good for the "smokeless city" toward which many persons have been looking, and hoping and working. UP TO CONGRESS READ this from the current is sue of the Saturday Evening Post: The next Congress will be Re publican. It has a great oppor tunity to make that tag a much more distinctive badge of public service. Meanwhile, whether it lives up to that opportunity or not. the vital saving thing is here. There is in the United blatcs—unorganized and not dis tinctively represented as yet by any party tag—a great body of live, sound American opinion, prudent, sensible, yet progres sive; determined at bottom thut this nation, already offering to its. people the best conditions and the fairest opportunities that any great number of people have' ever enjoyed on this earth, shall push steadily on by rational ex perimenting until its conditions and opportunities reach the at tainable ideal: equally deter mined to take by the neck what ever crack-brained or malevolent enemies to peace, democracy and progress eome in its way. That ! saving American opinion demands reasonably honest. Efficient ser- j vice from its elected servants. | Irrespective of party tags Con- i gress must reckon with it. That is true, every word of it. Re publicans must conduct themselves in the next Congress as to merit the confidence of this rational, clear thinking, independent element in tlie country. If they do their party will be restored to prestige and power and the next President will be a Republican. If they do not he will not be a Republican and he may not be even a Democrat. The party tag hangs so loosely to the voter's lapel these days that it can be easily shaken off. The Democrats have fail ed. The Republicans are now on trial. It is up to the next Congress. A FINE CHOICE THE choice of William H. Ger man to be Scout Commissioner for Harrisburg places the Boy Scout movement in excellent hands in this district. Mr. German is a man of extraordinary energy, a great lover of outdoor life and in thorough sympathy with all move ments having to do with the im provement of boys. His painstaking, careful work in connection with Ro tary Club activities and war service drives the past year or two has at tracted the attention of all who have had the pleasure of being associated with him and have won him un stinted praise. He is modest and unassuming, but has a firm hand and determination sufficient to carry through to success any movement he starts. Scouting in Harrisburg will feel a quickening influence with the new commissioner in charge. The Scouts are fortunate in procuring such a man and Mr. German may feel com plimented upon being chosen for the work; those responsible for his elec tion are noted for their ability to pick winners. . A LESSON FOR US DR. PAZET, former ambassador from Peru to the United States, made a deep impres sion upon all who heard him speak here Thursday night. His plea for a better understanding between North and South American countries was from the heart. What he told us concerning enemy propaganda, both here and in South America, is true. German propagandists said to Americans: "Don't trade with those hateful South Americans. They detest you and are not to be trusted. Don't deal with them for they desire only to cheat you. They are a bad lot." And then they went, to South Amer ica and told the people there the same kind of lies about us. And we believed, and they believed, and the Germans carried home the bacon. It is time, indeed, that we waked up to the importance of trade and friendly relations between the peo ples of the only League of Nations that ever has been worked down to a practical, stable basis—the Pan-American Union, of which we, in this country, are a part. TOMMYROT THE hopelessness of the Demo cratic administration at Wash ington is illustrated by the asi nine remarks of the Congressman who made possible the taking over of the telephone and telegraph lines by the government. He admits that government control of public utili ties has been a failure, but lauds Postmaster General Burleson for his efforts and blames the whole dis mal falldown on the blunders of Republicans left in office by the Democratic organization. This iB such an absurd view that it would be scarcely worthy of attention were it not for the fact that it is spoken seriously by a man who will have a prominent place in the next Con gress. But our Democratic friend is right to this extent —that government con trol has caused a rapid crystaHzation of public sentiment against govern ment ownership, and the country well knows where the blame lies. The people will insist that the rail roads and the wire lines be returned eo their owners, but with Federal I supervision to' the extent of con tinuing the joint use of terminals, the direct routing of freight and such centralization of operating au thority as shall make the highways of commerce of the greatest service to the people. The old policy of starving the railroads, on the other hand, will have to give way to a more libertl plan of granting reve nues to provide for good wages for employes and to handle the volume of business that a nation with a $10,000,000,000 foreign trade bal ance lias to prepare for. Any other policy would be unpatriotic and detrimental to the interests of the whole community, and we suspect that our Democratic friend is simply preparing to get on the band wagon while blaming those who are al ready' aboard for pushing him off into the mud. fdlties u jCvcuua By the Ex-Committeeman If . J Except for the eternal discussion of the Philadelphia situation, poli tics in Pennsylvania has joined in the master vacation of the Legisla ture and members of the two Houses are at their liomcs preparing for the wind up of the General Assembly which it is now expected will be delayed at least one week beyond May 15 as a result of the recess. Some of the legislators have been justifying the recess as a ponveni ence which enables them to catch up with affairs at home, but some unfavorable newspaper comment is heard. When the legislators return to Harrisburg, there will be consider able action, no less than half a dozen big hearings are scheduled for April 22, including the conference on the compensation amendments, but there will not be many after that time, as the majority of the big legislation has been threshed out in the newspapers and little more can be gained by yards of pub licity. legislators are commencing to call for action and disposal of the numerous bills which ore clut tering calendars and committee lists. The policy of passing bills along to the Senate is not meeting with as much favor as formerly. —From all accounts, Governor William C. Sproul is improving nice ly at Hot Springs, but is not giving any attention to State affairs, lie indicated what he was going to do with the numerous bills in his hands and the Legislature will be notified in due season. Meanwhile appoint ments and other matters are held up. —More copies of the legislative bills to consolidate the State Game, Fish eries, Water Supply and Forestry Departments into a proposed De partment of Conservation and pro viding for a State fishermen's license have been sent out from the Capitol the last few days than any other measures. Interest in these two lines of activity has taken the place of all the game and flsli bills which have been presented and which would change the two codes so that they could scarcely be recognized. While these measures are being con sidered, the committees will get to gether on amendments to the exist ing laws, which will be rather few and about as outlined from time to time. The fishermen's .license bill will be considered in the House after Easter recess and it is believed that it will go through, as strong repre sentations as to necessity of provid ing revenue for the extensive plans of the fisheries officials have been made and some of the men who lined up against, the bill through uncertainty about powers, have changed their minds. Meanwhile, the fisheries authorities are going ahead with their plans for big ad ditions to hatcheries and for the most extensive fish stocking pro gram ever known. Commissioner of Fisheries N. It. Duller says that the State can furnish the fish if the money is provided. —The' Conservation hi'l is going to have some rough sledding. —lt is understood that the Wal lace third class code amendment bill was recalled from the Governor, in accordance with action just an nounced. so that changes could be made which would not raise sala ries. A number of other matters are said to be booked for adjust ment. There are over a score of changes in administrative matters in the bill, which was drafted by city solicitors and representatives of the third class city league. —One of the odd changes made to a bill on the calendar is that the penalty was taken out of the Stadtlander bill giving preference to returned soldiers, sailors and ma rines in making appointments to places in the State Government and on public works. This bill was amended while in the' House Judi ciary General Committee. —The Dawson bill regulating elections in third class cities is out of Ihe Municipal Corporations Com mittee. If passed it would prevent any elections of couneilmen this year, putting off such elections until 1921 when every third class city would elect two men for two years and two for four years, the candi dates polling the two highest votes to get the long terms. In 1923 and thereafter biennially two council men would be elected for the full four year terms. A Highway Monument There should be erected to the memory of Colonel Roosevelt some great outstanding monument, which shall endure through the centuries and be wholly devoid of any com mercial aspect; but at the same time a monument Worthy of his name and his achievements, worthy of the wealth and power of this country, should be built which, while honoring him, would benefit man kind. A monument of this kind might well find expression in a superb highway, built as solidly as the Ap pian Way, one which would stand through the centuries and be known a thousand years hence as the Roosevelt Highway. It should be built as thorough, so. broad, with such deep foundations, and be beau tified with trees as the highways of Franco are, that it would be worthy to rank, as an honor to the Nation. It is probable that If Roosevelt could give voice to his own wishes, he would prefer it to any other monument which could be erected to his memory.—From the Manu facturers' Record. Explained at Last The expression, "the higher the fewer," refers to eggs in most fami lies.—From the Boston Transcript. HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH AFTER THE FIRST OF JULY By BRIGGS What One. Soldier Thinks [From an American Soldier's Letter in the Christian Science Monitor.] My mind is burdened by the many foolish statements that are published here about what many well-meaning, and others not well meaning, are doing in the old U. S'. A. to settle the future of the country and the ar.ny. Particularly am I worried about tho attitude of my country over this League of Na tions idea. Judging from certain statements that I read, there are many that are not taking kindly to the idea. Why? As llashimura Togo would say, "I ask but to in quire!" I believe that some are moved by an honest desire to cling to the Monroe Doctrine. Germany is as watchful as ever, and more so, because she has got to fight to save what she can from the wreck. This fighting is largely being done by the one enormous force of her previous ranks thftt re mains intact. The force of the pro pagandists! They are as strong to-day as ever, both here and in America. How are they fighting? They are fighting with every means our alli ance with England and France, which is, in the main, the founda tion of the League of Nations. They are fighting this 'league through our own dear senators and congress men. It is this fact that started me to write this epistle to a Brook linite. To-day I see Senator Borah is about to stump the country against the League of Nations. A noble man I trust. Frank enough to admit that he is backed by sev eral wealthy western men, but whose names he refrains from dis closing! Why should men who have honest intentions be so mod est about the disposal of their for tunes? I wonder if their reasons would bear a very close inspection? Is it possible that they might be Germans with a touch of pity in their kind hearts for their brethren across the Atlantic, who are about to be deprived (if the league is actually created) of an opportunity to repeat their dastardly perform ance of 1914? I do not like the idea of mixing up in European politics. Who does? But are they European politics? All our high-speed efforts have done for us: they have internationalized the world! The only way to pre vent it is to sink all our high-speed ships and aeroplanes that will soon be crossing the ocean in 40 to 50 hours! Such methods of communi cation are bound to ally us to the rest of the world. If we are de pendent on the rest of the world, then, why not help hold the rest of the world together? This is the logic of tho League of Nations. Who opposes it? Germany! The Bol shevik!! Birds of a feather flock together! Germany created this particular bird herself and now he is trying to come home to roost. Why should we help Germany keep this bird from doing so until Ger many shows us that she is sincere ly interested in paying her debt to the world? Germany has not yet done so and I do not belie\o that she will. There are many petty ways of carrying on this propaganda that I see here on this commission; for we are working with the Germans and I have evey opportunity to observe their sly ways of trying to make us turn our backs on England and France. 1 could fill volumes with what I have seen and heard since I have left home, ahd I am return ing to America with an awakened sense of duty toward the ballot; for which I am grateful. LABOR NOTES New York state forbids women in the core rooms of foundries to lift more than twenty-five pounds. The Republic of Uruguay recently enacted a law requiring the mana gers of all stores, shops, pharmacies, factories workshops and other es tablishments to supply chairs for the use of female employes whenever their work permits. Women constitute 24.5 per cent, of India's factory workers. Nearly 1,000 telephone girls are on strike in Buenos Aires. About forty per cent, of the annual lumber cut is not worked by plan ning mills or factories into finished products. There are 34,000 sawmills operat ing in the United States all engaged in manufacturing lumber for one use or another, and the annual cut of lumber runs into many billion feet. ADMIRAL SIMS A REAL AMERICAN [From the New York Times.] NO man cares for the "lime light" less than Admiral Wil liam S. Sims, but the Amer can people should understand that the commander of their naval forces in European waters, who came home yesterday, rendered invaluable ser vices during the war, and is one of the great sailors and leaders of an age when navies have reached their highest development.. It would nev er be known from Admiral Sims himself what he accomplished on the other side as naval commander, strategist, administrator, and dip lomat, for he is the most silent, of men about his own performances. He has cared nothing for personal distinction, but lie 'has cared a groat deal about the improvement of tho United States Navy and he has been supremely concerned about the suc cess of the Allied cause. The Brit ish know the value of William Snow den Sims as a. war commander; his initiative, his thoroughness, his indefatigable industry and tireless activity, his strength of character, his magnetic leadership, his readi ness to assume responsibility, his cheerfulness and confidence, his tem pered resolution, and his unfailing tact. The truth is they envy the United States Navy the possession of Sims. As a practical seaman the admiral satisfied the most searching British tests, and for enterprise and spirit and the faculty of doing the right thing at the right time he had no superior in the British Navy. His destroyer flotilla was so well trained and so skillfully handled that it took its place in the submarine patrol without the loss of an hour. On shore, as well as afloat, the Ameri can admiral was always equal to the emergency and bail a solution* for every problem. It seemed the ob vious thing to do to make Sims the commander of the Allied forces in Irish waters during the absence of the senior British officer. The Amer ican admiral always got on famous ly with everybody in authority, sol dier. sailor, or civilian, and lie was so fair in his judgments and so generous in his tributes, which was second nature to him, that there To Buy Old American Toys The hundreds of buyers of toys from all parts of the country who are in New York City at this season buying for their Fall and Winter stocks are without exception de manding the American-made toys, so thoroughly did the country be come aroused during the agitation over tjie receipt of the large cargo of German-mude toys just before Christmas. The toy indusry in the United States means a gross retail figure of $40,000,000 annually, ac cording to a statement of F. D. Dodge, Secretary of the Toy Manu facturers of the United States, which held a meeting at tho He- Alpin Hotel a few days ago. Mr. Dodge said that before the war American manufacturers were able to supply about 60 per cent, of the demand here, but during the war the industry received a great im petus. He said that there is no scarcity of American-made toys. An invitation has been received by the manufacturers from the Smithson ian Institution at Washington, D. 0., to prepare a complete exhibit of all the American toys thnt were popular during the war. This will become a permanent exhibit at the institution. A committee was ap pointed t6 prepare the collection of toys. A label, or identification mark, for American-made toys, has been udopted by the manufacturers. Tills will Be placed on all cartons and on the toys themselves where pos sible. It bears a picture of Uncle Sam with a little boy and girl in each arm, and tho lyrics: AMERICAN T V S The pennies spent on ♦pys For Uncle Sam's own g. . I boys In turn, of course, go back again To our own loyal working men.— American—the Workman's Hand American—'twas Built and Planned American—in Spirit, too, America's Toy Gift to YOU. Mr. Dodge said that the boycott of German toys, while a good idea, is not sure to be a lasting thing, BO the American manufacturers have decided to keep up a strong cam paign for "Buy American Goods," which, he considered, would outlast any boycott scheme. was no limit to his popularity in England. Vainglory was foreign to him. He was a stickler for the truth, and he never hesitated to give our allies full credit for their efforts in tho war; nor did he ever exagger ate the American contribution from a false sense of loyally to his own set vice. The truth was in Sims, and it always came out. No man could be prouder of the United States Navy, but he could see and acknowl edge the big things our allies were doing. It must be with a peculiar satis faction that Admiral Sims returns to America wearing the laurels of his success. Four years before the war he predicted what was coming —his foreenst is of record: and he committed the glorious indiscretion of declaring at a I.ord Mayor's ban uqet in London on December 3, 1910, that if the British Empire was ever seriously menaced by an external foe "you may count upon every man, every dojlar, every drop of blood of your kindred across the sea." The consequence was an official repri mand by President Taft, who was perhaps not so unsympathetic and severe as his letter to Secretary Meyer seemed to indicate. Admiral Sim's next detail will be the reorganization ol the Naval War College on modern lines, as prompt ed by the naval lessons of the war. In his new field lie cannot fail to distinguish himself, for he has not only been the most progressive of ficer of the navy, but the most fear less in urging improvements and re form. The bureaus learned to dread his busy typewriter years ago, and he would go to the verge of insubordi nation, as he has confessed himself, to make his point. He taught the navy how to shoot when it marks manship was deplorable, and he helped to revolutionize naval con st! ucticn when our ships had defects that greatly impaired their useful ness. Admiral Sim's motto, "Cheer up and get busy," has given him a strong following in the navy with the rank and tile, for he has always lived up to it himself. Able, effi cient. fair-minded, and loyal, he has found his golden opportunity in the war, and tho American people can not give him too warm a welcome. A Wild Flower Garden Oh, come to spe my Burden Where all sorts of wild things grow: Anemones, hepaticas. And bloodroots white as snow; And violets white and violets sweet, And striped ones and spurred; And yellow ones and purple ones- All names you ever heard; Spring beauties in their striped skirts, And Mayflowers white and sweet; Arbutus —just a little patch— All tangled at your feet; And bishop's caps and coral bells; Houstonias bright and blue, And, hiding underneath a bush, Some orchids plashed with dew. And there's perula's fairy bell, And star-grass white and tail; And harebells, blue as blue can be, Trailed on a bit of wall; Sea-holly with its prickly flowers; Sabbathia —oh, you know Sabbathia owns the fairest pink The flower hearts ever knew. Come later on and you will find Bane-berries' crimson stems, And foam-flowers, and a hundred things All in their diadems; Lobelias blue, both greut.and small. And, by the arrow-heads, The jewel-weeds and monkey flowers. And fireweeds dusky- red; Then the gentians fringed and gen tians closed; Helentums reaching high,. And spathes of violet dragon-head Held up to sun and sky. . . . And yellow stars lie under foot; And partridge-berry flowers, And lots of little trailing things That come with summer hours. Lobelia cardinalis?— Oh, you should come and see The scarlet of its banners, Its gorgeous panoply; And where you see the butterflies Go circling round in rings Tou'll find the weed that bears their name Decked with some painted wings;— And there's a bird sways singing; And there a bird speeds by. And round about in places Birds trill a lullaby. —George Kllngle in the Christian Science Monitor. APRIL 12, 1919. ! VICARIOUS PALSIIIP I never thought Joe Briggs was such a much; lie sorto' seemed to me a reg'lar dub. I never thought worth while to keep in touch With him or with his gawky half grown cub. But lately Joe and me has been in clined To pal when we connect up any where. He's quite a decent animal, T find— His boy and mine were bunkies over there. I used to sidestep Joe at every chance. He never pulled a thing I cared to hear. He tlirowed my talking powers in a trance Whenever I discovered he was near. But recently I've flocked with him a lot. He's gottin' brighter every day, I swear! Ain't nothing like the nutty thing T thought— liis boy was my boy's buddy over there. I s'pose if there had never been no war Acrost the ocean I'd have never known That Joe was not the dub I took him tor- Why. he's got notions nearly like my own! We understand each other right along: 'Most anything we've got we glad ly share. So far as T can cee there's nothing wrong With Joe —our boys was buddies over there. —Strickland Gillilan in the Satur day Evening Post. Answer Doktors of Kulliir [Hrom Harvey's Weekly.] A unique light is cast unon what we may call the incorrigible Hun nishness of the Hun by the recent mesauge of the universities of Leip zig and Heidelberg to all the uni versities of France, asking the re sumption between them of the re lationships which existed before the war. This almost Incredible piece of Hunnish effrontery is of course os tensibly based upon the theory that there are no racial or national de marcations in the world of intellect, but that science and truth are uni versally the same. That theory is correct, but misleading. It depends on the professors. It is notorious that the university j professors of Germany, and the so called "intellectuals," have long been foremost in supporting the infamous designs of the Hohenzol lern dynasty, and in promoting that "kultur" which is a German euphem ism for savagery. In the face of those things, what colossal impudence, what indescrib able effrontery, what monumental lack of sense of common decency, were involved in this recent request of the two Hunnish universities. The response of Bordeaux Univer sity to this Hunnish missive is worthy of reproduction and remem brance. It requested the German professors to ask the people of the battle zone in France what they thought of resuming relations With the Germans and declared that the whole German people were guilty of atrocities and crimes, and did not in this generation deserve the resump tion of relations with the civilized wor)cl "Perhaps," it added, "we may change our mind regarding the next generation." That the Ger mans do not generally take any such view of the case, that they do not appreciate the enormity of the moral wrong committed by their universi ties and intellectual leaders, is one of the most scathing indictments that can be framed ugainst them. Here 1 Wander in April Here I wander in April I Cold, gray-headed; and still to my Heart, Spring comes with a bound. Spring the deliverer. Spring, song-leader in woods, chor ally resonant; Spring, flower-planter in mead ows, I Child-conductor in willowy Fields deep dotted with bloom, daisies and crocuses: [Here that child from his heart I drinks of eternity: . . . :—Robert I.ouis Stevenson (From "New Poems and Variant Kead i ings," published in 1918). iEbetttttg (£f|al More contracting firms accustom ed to handling- big enterprises, have bid upon construction of State high ways this year than ever known be fore, 'among those which submitted figures for the sixty-two and a hall' miles on which bids .were openpft yesterday, being one which Tiad built buildings and roads in some of tho army camps during the war. Other firms had built, many miles of rail road and street railway, while still others had been engaged in general construction and on building roads in New York and various States. As the State plans the most extensi\e road improvement program of any in the Union, and now has more I miles of road undeF contract than any other, it is expected that some of the biggest concerns in the high way line in the country will bid. Including the sections on which bids will be opened next month, the State has 200 miles of construction in sight. Probably 400 more miles will be contracted for if conditions are favorable. Active operations on some of the largest of the contracts let, are about to start. • • • Joseph Kalbfus, secretary of the State Game Commission, says the value of the general closing of the State to shooting of grouse last year, so that tho great game bird may have a chance to increase, haj been demonstrated by reports re ceived here. "The wardens have been reporting to me that they have seen many birds and I consider what they report, as an excellent indica tion or this fall's sport," said he. "I asked for reports in districts where we had taken pains to distri bute what grouse wo could apportion and the birds seem to have gotten through the winter very well and to have increased. Some counties, which have not had grouse, now re port them and the people generally are taking good care of them. I wish 1 could say that the quail out look is good. I cannot do so now." Dr. Kalbfus said that he still had hopes of getting more quail from Mexico. Some shipments are looked for this month and will be distri buted at once. * • • What is the reason no one will go | to the trouble of even asking for , one of the excess fare slips allowed by the llarrisburg Railways on eacli j six cent fare. The conductors carry hales of them in their pockets, but no one wants them. For a time people were inclined to be rather stiff about it it and to tuke the slips, even going so far as to "bawl out" conductors wlicn they did not offer them. Then the company issued notices that passengers were en tilled to tho slips and should insist on getting them. Now a conductor seldom offers one and when he does | it is very, very rarely taken. ! . Talking about this failure of the | riding public to take excess far slips ja conductor said last night: "Wl\at's| j the use of handing out the slips?" i The people won't take them most of | the time and fellows that do, tear | them up and throw them on the floor for ine to sweep out. There's no fun In that. These people reared up over a six cent fare and all ed slips, but they got tired and when any one asks for one 1 almost fall off tho car." And yet, under certain contingen ' cies, the slips would bo worth one | cent each. • • "Higher prices for cigars have made smokers darned critical" aver red one of the city's best kViown/ cigar men to-day. "When wo had to put up cigars to si cents, people were sore and wouldn't buy. When we had to go to seven they came back after fooling with old 'twofer' stuff, but. they were awful fussy" was the way he put it. i "What's the reason'?" was asked. "Well, so long as they are paying more they want to get the right stuff. Some of my regular custom ers paw over a box now that they pay seven cents or eleven cents ami they never used to do that. Why I have had to tell them, back in the nickel days, not to take some cigars that were not well made. Now they all have their eyes peeled and noth ing that Is the least bit defective gets by them." . . , Among llarrisburg visitors was | General <\ T. O'Neil, who command, led a brigade of Pennsylvania's Na | tional Guard at the Mexican border and who was In command of one of | the camps during the war until re j tired. The General came over from | Allentown to visit friends at the Capitol and met a number of mili [ tary acquaintances. WELL KNOWN PEOPLE " ■ —P. M. Sharpless, who threatens to move his plant from West Ches ter because of a controversy with tho town council, is a millionaire farmer and authority on dairying. —Judge O. B. Dickinson, who Is sitting in the telephone rate injunc tion proceedings in Philadelphia, is a Delaware oountian. ——Georg9 S. Speaker, new head of the State Gas Association, is a Leba non man. —F. G. Hastings, the Milton edi tor, has been chosen a member of the borough council. —Congressman H. W. Temple is endeavoring to arrange for a parade of Western Pennsylvania troops in the county seats of their home coun ties. | DO YOU KNOW —Tliat llarrisburg typewriter machines are used In govern ment offices all over the coun try? HISTORIC HARUISnURG The River Front was used as an encampment ground for troops from this section during the War of 1812. Urges More Church Ads •. The proposition of putting religion on a business basis to the extent of directing the attention of the lay man to his ecclesiastical duties through the columns of the press will be advocated at the Presby terian General Assembly in St. Louis tho week of May lu to 22. News paper advertising in every com munity in which there is a Presby terian church will be urged by James It. Wootan, director of Presbyterian publicity In the United States. In urging church advertising in the newspapers Mr. Wootan says: "The newspaper is the most in sistent factor in modern life. It enters our affairs every morning, noon and night. It is the one force that finds an open door at every house. It is our companion at meals, on trains, in street cars, at the club and in the home.. It is a moldcr of public opinion and often private opinion, because primarily it is the chief purveyor of information. Politics, science and business can not do without It. nor can that great est of! all institution, the Church,' —From the New York Sun.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers