The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-10
JOKE FOR GIRLS.
Dignifed Senators Become
Frivolous for State
School Pupils.
MORE MONEYFOR SOLDIERS
kindergarten Bill Provokes
Long Discussion in the
Upper House.
fsnecial 10 ..rhe Iersex city Newg.nl

bevy of fair maidens from the State
schools, in charge of two teachers ana
seeking practical knowledge OF legislative
procedure, visited the State House yester-
day. They graced the ladies' galleries of
the House for a while, and, finding that
branch of the Legislature rather dull,
crossed over the hall and visited the SEN
ate. The Senators endeavored to make 1t
interesting for the girls by giving them
an exhibition of Senatorial wit.
In the Senate, Bill SO, Senator Stokes
| ring-neeked pheasant and deer protection
bill, which has been the butt of many
jokes, came In for further entertaining
| treatment when its i~ntroducer offered
| several amendments. After their adop-
| ton, Mr.. Van Cfeef offered an amend
ment exempting from the penalties of the
act the possession of deer killed outside
the State.
II nave a friend he said, "who guns
in Maine annually and sends me a deer.
If this bill passes and l should lind a
deer on my table some day, l would say
to my wife, My dear, this is a deer meal
for u.s."
Il object to the amendment said Mr..
Pitney, unless the Senator gives us all
a share of the deer"
81 will share the deer" rejoined Mr..
Van Cleef, but not the dear" at which
the girls laughed so heartily that their
prim teachers felt called upon to rebuke
them mildly.
The bill was laid over.
The Senators then took up the kinder
garten bill which authorizing Boards of
Education in any school district to es-
tablish a kindergarten school, to be
taught by a teacher having a special GER
~tificate, pupils age to range from 4 10 I
years.
Mr.. H. w. Johnson, the introducer, said
that the bill was suggested by a Wom-
ans association and was approved by
the commission now revising the school
laws. He favored the passage OF the
bill.
Mr.. Martin spoke in opposition. He
said the bill would turn our schools into
nurseries and would further embarrass
local school authorities, who could not
now provide room for all children. This
bill would bring in large numbers OF mere
infants and crowd out children of more
advanced age 1t lowered the minimum
school age from 5 to- years, while the
real need seemed to be to raise the mini
mum age to 6 or Z.
Mr.. Pitney favored the bill as in line
with modern educational thought. The
kindergarten school was a step in adj
vance and was only keeping pace with
the action of other States and countries.
Mr.. Francis opposed the bill, on the
same grounds as Mr.. Martin and also be-
cause of the requirements of a special
certificate for teachers.
Mr.. Martin returned to the attack, say
ing that he knew it was becoming fash
ionable in some quarters not to have
children at all and when they were had
to get rid of them as soon as possible by
sending them off to school. If the inter-
ests of the children were consulted, they
would be better off to begin school at
seven.
Mr.. McDermott agreed with Mr.. Pitney
in his appreciation of the kindergarten
as an educational factor. He had seen
samples of its merits and value. Still he
recognized that this bill may embarrass
keep up with the demand upon them.
You will observe that the act is not
mandatory" said Mr.; Pitney.
.sbut I have never known a school priv
ilege accorded that our educational au-
thorities did not avail themselves of, and
/ would hesitate to cenSure them for do
ing so. They seem to think there is
nothing on earth worth considering but
education.
Mr.. Stokes admitted that from being an
opponent of the kindergarten system he
was coming to believe in its value AMI
thought 1t as least worthy of a trial. In
der this bill a number of children might
be withdrawn to the kindergarten from
the regular school, thus leaving more room
for older children.
The bill was lost-5 to 14-but Mr.. H.
w. Johnson had it reconsidered and
amended by raising the minimum age linz
it to 5 years. Thu bill was then ordered
re-engrossed. 1t is thought it will now
pass.
An attempt was made in the Senate to
kill the anti-store order bill which has
Rth aSoae 0 fhe e aTorsn Of Senator Sc sfo E STOKES and
Speaker Watkins. When the bin
came up Yesterday to nave
Mr. P fdtasy suggested the wisdom Of
having the subject considered by a con-
ference committee in order to frame the
bill so as not to embarrass many in
dustries while giving needed relief to the
glass blowers of South Jersey.
Mr.. Stokes replied that the Senate had
already discussed and passed on the gen.
eral merits of the bill. 1t was now only
a question of considering in the House
amendments. A conference committee
would drag along with no better results
than now.
The amendments were concurred in
II to l and all that is now REQUIRED to
make the bill a law is Governor Voorhees,
signature. That will be given to the
The opposition bill is said to have come
from the a~nti-Sewell combination of
South Jersey, which is jealous OF the
measure will give these two gentlemen
among the workingmen of South Jersey.
Both the Speaker and the Senator are
Sewell men and both are in active train
ing for the Gubernatoria nomination two
years from now. If the Ioudenslagers
combination is to amount to any thing it
cannot permit the Sewell men to secure
the next Governor and they are leaving
no stone unturned to thwart any such
plan. Very few believe that they will
succeed.
The House had a tussle with the soldier
pay question when the Ketcham relief
bill came up on second reading. Mr..
Bell, of Bergen, introduced an amend
ment providing that the soldiers receive
an amount. not exceeding $40, as com
pensation for their outlay for uniforms
and equipments and for the remunera-
ton for those of the soldiers who did not
receive pay for the time from their en-
rollment to the date of their being mus
tered into the service Of the United
States.
Mr.. Bell took the floor in behalf of the
amendment and made a ringing speech,
rendered by the volunteers from New
Jersey. He claimed no especial gift of
oratory, he said, and would bow to some
of the members in that direction. but
/ will not yield to any man in admiration
for the gallant fellows who gave up ev-
erything to answer the call of the coun-
try, and who sacrificed position and bust
ness to sustain the name of New Jersey"
said Mr.. Bell. He told of the men hav-
ing been charged for the National Guard
uniforms which they wore when they
went away and again for the regular uni
form of the volunteer army, and insist
ed that it was but a fair business propo-
sition that the men should have the
amount SO expended made good by the
State.
Mr.. Jones, of Essex, also spoke in ia
vor of the amendment, which he. said
was not In, the nature of compensation