Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-02-16
SOLONSAND THESTORM
The Blizzard Interferes With
New Jersey Lawmaking.
MANY GAME BILLS INTRODUCED.
Proposition to Enact Uniform stat
utes Bearing ON Hunting and Fish
fnE-Appointments to BE Made-The
Pay of Volunteer Soldiers.
[speclal Correspondence.


as If this legislature might duplicate
the experience of the session of 1888
The blizzard of that year caused an in
terregnum of q whole week. The storm
came on. as may be remembered, dur
ing Sunday night beginning the second
week in March, and when Senator Rue
of Mercer and the Trenton assembly
men went to the statehouse Monday
evening they found themselves alone.
Adjournment took place till Tuesday.
when two or three other members put
in an appearance. So it continued from
day to day till Friday. when nine sem
ators and 20 assemblymen were in their
seats. This was still two short of a
quorum in each house, and those pres
emit threw up the sponge and adjourned
till the Monday following.
The blizzard of this year found the
legislators enjoying Lincoln's birthday
at their homes. as there was no Mon
day session slated. But yesterday
(Tuesday) morning when the hour for
converting arrived only the Mercer SEN
ator, MIR. Hutchinson. was at his place
in the senate. The Mercer assembly
men were alone in attendance in the
afternoon.
BY afternoon Governor Voorhees, and
Senator Cross of Union had reached
Trenton, and 10 or - assemblymen
were in their places. Each had a tale
of strange adventure to tell. There was
a long wait in the hope of quorum ar
irving, but it was finally decided to adj
journ over to today. At this writing
the quorum mas not materialized. but it
is thought that there will be enough
members here during the day to hold
a session The main line of the Penn
sylvania railroad is in operation, but
the side roads, on which some of the
members live, are still blocked.
This Years Game Bills.
A feature of every legislative session
is the number of game bills introduced.
Year after year attempts are made to es-
tablish some sort of uniformity and per-
manence in the statutes bearing on fish
ing and gum ng, but the task seems to
be a hercuIean one. if not an absolute
impossibility This situation of affairs
is due largely to the conflicting wishes
of north Jersey and south Jersey sports
men. If the open season for game is
made early, it doesn't suit conditions in
the southern part of the state and If II
is made late the northern gunners COM
plain that the game will have left their
end of the state before the sport begins.
Then. If two separate seasons are estab-
Iished. the arrangement is unsatisfac-
tory to central New Jersey. Hence the
constant tinkering with the laws. Then,
too. the interests of the sportsmen and
of the farmers often conflict, and this
makes fresh trouble. The state fish and
game commissioners have devoted days
and nights to the solution of the vexa-
tiors problem without satisfactory re-
suit up to date.
The Essex County club. which con-
tains many sportsmen, is trying to Sc
cure some amendments this winter One
thing asked is fuller protection for the
white bass, white perch and channel
catfish, species recently introduced in
the state. Prohibitory legislation is also
sought against what is known as the
Lake Hopatcong spinner. a contrivance
which fairly bristles with hooks, and
also against the taking with nets Of
striped bass, a fish that affords lots of
sport with rod and line
Senator Stokes, who is spokesman for
the south Jersey sportsmen. wants ring
necked pheasants protected for three
years and deer for five years, imposing
severe penalties on any one who guns
for either during the prohibited time
A somewhst similar bill was defeated
last year through Governor Voorhees,
The Objectionable feature
which was that it included owners of
preserves. has been stricken out in the
present draft. Senator Hutchinson has
a bill pending which makes an open sea
son for woodcock, partridges, quail and
rabbits from Nov. to Dec. 10 yearly
and adds September to the open season
for squirrels. He is DESTROYS of stopping
all cunning in October and claims that
he speaks for a large contingent of
A north Jersey sportsman
is quoted as saying:
1.-The bill will suit the people in the
central portion of the state. but in the
northern part there viii be opposition
to the woodcock season as suggested on
the ground that woodcock generally
leave these parts during the last full
moon in October. 1t will be argued that,
according to Senator Hutchinson's bill,
the people up here will be compelled to
take care of the birds all during the
summer for the benefit of the soiith
Jersey gunners, who can kill them in
1t is seldom that woodcock
get farther south than the southern
part of the state before the middle of
The bill viii also meet with
opposition from the southern part of
the state. where the gunners prefer
season opening on the 18th of November
and closing about the middle of Janu-
airy. Down there the people argue that
rabbits are not fit for the table until
December"
Assemblyman Steelman of Cumber-
land county presented bill the other
day which will hardly stand the fire of
opposition. Its purpose is to prevent
the killing Of game except as sport pure
and simple. The bill provides that no
rabbits, quails, woodcock, squirrels or
cartridges taken in this state either by
means of trap or shot in the open sea-
son shall be offered for sale in New Jer-
Bey. This will be antagonized by those
who gun for living. Assemblyman
Wakelee of Bergen county has bill
permitting suckers to be taken with net
from Dec. is to Jan. Is.
Some Appointments.
Among the appointments which Gov
ernor voorhees, viii make this winter
are those of successors to Fish and
Game Commissioners George Pfeiffer,
Jr., Parker W. Page, H. o. Frothing-
ham and William A. Halsey. The game
commissioners, in their desire to enforce
the game laws. have authorized some
during the year that have
made for them enemies, and this may
prevent reappointments. However. the
have the backing of
many who believe in a strict application
Of the law. The governors stand in the
matter remains to be seen.
Governor voorhees, has made a dis
position Of the Essex county prosecu-
torship which seems to have been a
happy conclusion to what threatened to
be bitter party strife. Major Carl
LEM. one of the most active Republic
ans in the state. was the recognized
candidate of his party for the place till
upon the assembling of the legislature
it was made apparent that he had ere
aleu- HuitiLuae OF enmllleS. dls
strong craftsmanship was assigned as a
conclusive argument against his ap-
pointment to place like that of prose-
cutting attorney. The majors reputa-
ton as lawyer was attacked also. and
the Lawyers club of Newark decided
on an investigation. In fact, the skies
We're very cloudy indeed. when suddenly
there came the announcement that Gov