The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-20
The WEEKS WORK
Legislature Promises to Get
Down to Business at
Once.
FINAL ADJOURNMENT TALK
Much Perplexity Over Billy
Thompson's Double Bar Bill
-Sewe1l's Reception.

planned Dy the 1TeIllOH hSpupitCdIs Wit
bring together a large number of promi-
nent Republicans tonight. The function
is in honor of United States Senator W.
]. Sewel and United States Senator-elect
John Kean. 1t is given by the Trenton
Republican Club.
The Republican member of Congress.
State Senators, Republican Assemblymen,
Governor VOORHEES,, State officials, Chair
man Franklin Murphy, members of the
State Committee, and State and county
leaders nave been invited to meet the dis
tinguished guests of the evening.
On account of this reception the night
session of the Legislature will be short.
1t is stated on good authority that the
Legislature will adjourn on March 10; that
the steering committees of the two
Houses will be requested to sort over the
bills now pending and pick out such bills
that in their judgment ought to be passed.
An effort will be made to get the two
Houses to return after W~ashingtons
Birthday, and do at least one days work,
n the week following there is to be four
days session.
There viii be an interesting fight in the
Senate during the coming week over the
several bills which are aimed at the store
order system that prevails in many parts
of the State, and particularly in South
Jersey. Senator Edward c. Stokes, OF
Cumberland. has a bill in the Senate
which he will insist on passing. Senator
Stanger, of Gloucester county, has an
amendment to the bi-weekly bill On the
statutes books. In the House Speaker
David O.. Watkins has a bill almost
Identical with that bearing Senator
Stokes name in the Senate. At the pres
emit time both Senator Stranger and Speak
er Watkins are candidates for the Sena-
torial nominations this fall in Gloucester
county. and both are counting on the pas
sage of their bills to be of material help
to them.
Senator Stanger's bill provides for the
payment of wages every two weeks III
lawful money of the United States. A
Violation of the law is to be construed as
q misdemeanor, punishable by a hne OF
not less than s5 and not more than sloo
for each offense. The act will not pre-
vent the payment of wages at shorter IN
tervals. The factory inspector must make
the complaint against employers violating
the law, and the county prosecutor must
prosecute for the State.
Assemblyman Bell intends to push his
bill providing for State supervision OF
building and loan associations, notwltn-
standing that nearly all the delegates to
the league meeting on Friday declared
against State supervision. He declares
that he heard enough at the meeting TO
convince him that State supervision IS
needed.
= But for the snowstorm the Legislature
would have held several meetings last
week and transacted a lot of business. 1t
is said to be the intention of the law
makers to devote the balance of the ses-
sion to hard work, that lost time may pc
made I'M. and some showing presented,
so that public criticism for hardness may
he in some measure avoided. Certainly
very few previous Legislatures have
made such a poor record for business or
wasted so much time as the one now IN
session. The remarkable fact is that DUR
ing six weeks not even one Dill mas
reached the Governor for his consldera-
tion. Perhaps, after all, this do-noth1ng
record is in keeping with the programme
mapped out by the Republican leaders.
1t is surmised that they do not desire
much legislation this winter, and tnat III
the enactment of the small volume con-
templated the greatest caution must De
exercised, so as to prevent mistakes ana
blunders.
The Solons may show some activity the
coming week and keep it up for three OF
four weeks. and then effect a final ad-
journment. According to old-time custom
the bulk of the work will probably pc
confined to the last two weeks OF the
session. when bills will be rushed through
at railroad speed, and a pile OF them
dumped into the Executive Office at the
last moment. 1t looks very much as II
that course will be adopted. The Cover
nor does not view such a prospect Win
Measure. and he would like to have IL
otherwise. But as he is helpless in the
matter he must bow to the will OF the
Legislature.
The pleasure park licensing bill is
still the leading topic for discussion
while ministerial unions and temperance
organizations are opposing the Dill, yet
there is a feeling tina it will go through
the House all right. Among it's oppon-
ents there seems to be a lack of knoWl-
edge as to the real provisions OF the
measure. Some of them believe that the
licensing power is conferred on corpora
lions and persons outside of the courts.
There has never been any foundation
for such a belief. The bill simply con-
fers power upon the county courts 70
grant more than one license for parks
and such resorts. That is all there Is
to It. with the exception that a manda7
torv provision is inserted provided all
applicants are law-abiding citizens.
There is some opposition to the bill from
the upper end of the State, where the
owners of parks are now required TO
nav only one license for doing business
In large parks several bars are required
to accommodate the public, and the bill
nroyides that on each one a license must
be paid. A prominent politician SAID
last week thai the bill would receive
every Democratic vote in the House, and
that the required number to pass 1t
would come from South Jersey Republic
cans. Still, it is evident that q hard
6ght is on between both sides. A climax
may be reached this week.
Another subject which is engrossing
much attention is as to the amount of
COMPENSATION to be allowed to the volun-
teer soldiers of the recent Spanish war.
The soldier boys are demanding some
recognition, and their friends are very
.~...au aAn Ranp AnEMne