The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-03-03

ACTIVITY
Lawmakers at Trenton Dispose
Of Much Business.
State Hospital Managers Reap-
pointed = Soldiers Want Too
Much Money-Labor Bills in SEN
ate ChiIdrens' Homes Question
-Pitney as Presiding officer.


-Pitney as Presiding officer.
TRENTON, March 2-If the Legisla
ture will keep up the activity developed
recently, final adjournment will be
question of but two or three weeks. The
law makers got down to work in real
earnest this week, and vast amount Of
business was disposed of.
On Monday night Governor Voorhees,
reappointed the following as managers
of the State hospital at Morris Plains:
John g. Eisele Of Newark, George Rich
ards of Dover, Dr. Romeo F. Chabert Of
Hoboken and Rev. DIR. James NJ Buck
ley and Patrick FarrelIy of Morristown.
Other nominations sent in to the Senate
during the week are: For Judge of the
First District Court of Newark Elwood
@. Harris, to fill the vacancy caused by
the resignation Of Judge Thomas ". Nc
Carter, Jr.; for State Board of Medical
Examiners, E. L. B. Godfrey, Charles
A. Groves and Davis P. Borden; for
managers of the State hospital at Tren.
ton, John Taylor and G. d. w. Vroom
of Trenton. With the exception of Mr..
Harris, all are reappointments.
The activity of the soldiers of the
Spanish war in presenting
their claims tothe Legislature and the un-
firing energy displayed by them in urg-
ing the passage of Assemblyman Kings
One hundred and twenty -five-dollars a.
man or nothing bill has had the effect Of
lessening to no little degree the gratitude
which the people of the State hold for
the men who rallied round the Stars
and Stripes when the call to arms was
| sounded. Patriotism is ever to be ad-
mired, and every Jerseyman has felt
proud of the fact that four regiments of
volunteers went forth from this State
last summer, ready to die, if necessary,
to uphold their country's honor. But
the conduct of many of the boys in blue
in their eagerness for financial gain out
of the Golfers of the State is producing
undesirable results among the people
generally, and the soldiers themselves
are the greatest sufferers; and all because
they are displaying greed for gold that
scarcely goes with patriotism. The
soldiers have had committee on guard
at the State House during the past few
weeks, and they have been lobbying
with much determination. This de-
tachment of watch dogs have secured
three separate hearings before legisla-
tive committees.
Notwithstanding their vigorous pro-
tests, the Senate on Tuesday afternoon
passed the Ketcham bill. In advocacy
of the measure, Senator Ketcham said
that after consultation with the military
authorities it was concluded that the
bills provisions were just and practicable.
1t entails an outlay of over $3.50, 900,
which amount was Just, and as much as
the State could well afford at present;
and especially when this extra pay was
the same as given the soldiers in the
civil war. He called attention to the
Morris Plains State hospital, where
new building was in process of comple-
ton, and an appropriation would be re-
quired for that purpose. Then there
was the Railway reformatory and other
uses for the expenditure of public
moneys.
Mr.. McDermott opposed the bill and
Mr. johnson of Bergen, the Republican
leader, advocated it. The latter said
that the State could not afford larger
appropriation than the bill called for,
and the fact should not be lost sight of
that the volunteers were receiving recog-
tion similar to that given to the soldiers
of the civil war
The Ketcham bill gives each married
soldier who enlisted in the New Jersey
regiments So per month during the term
of service, and the unmarried men
get $4
Mr.. Ketcham's companion bill to the
one providing for the soldiers pay, which
provides for the presentation to each
officer and private in the four New
Jersey regiments of a medal, was then
taken up and passed. Senator McDer-
mott opposed the BILL saying that it
merely paid a tribute to vanity. He
was willing to vote for the expenditure
of 80, 200 for sword for Admiral Samp-
son, but he could not vote for the
medals.
Senator johnson replied that there
was just as much merit in being private
as in being an admiral.
~
Senator Pitney championed the Stanger
1 Fortnightly Payment bill when it came
before the Senate Monday night. He
said that the measure amended the act
of 1896, which, while requiring the pay
ment of wages every two weeks, had a
saving clause permitting special con-
tracts to the contrary to be entered into
( by employer and employe. The present
bill ratifes contracts of that kind now in
existence, but prohibits the employe
from entering into such agreement
hereafter. The bill passed by vote Of
t6 too,
When Senator Stokes bill, No. 81,
bearing on the same subject came up a
few minutes later, there was breezy
debate between Senators Stokes and
McDermott The latter opposed the
bill because it was not general enough
in its provisions, and did not include
employees of railroads and other corpora
tions. The bill was passed by vote of
10 to 1, Mr.. Martin voting in the mega
tive.
The States dependent children bill
was another matter which engaged the
attention of the legislators at some