Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-02-08
LITTLE ACCOMPLISHED THUS FAR
Executives Nominations Are Sent In
Promptly, but Legislative Matters
VIII be Crowded Into the Last
Month of the Session.
lsnecial corresnondence.l

promptly, Dut LeEistatlFe HAatAAcEe
VIII be Crowded Into the Last
Month Of the Session.
Especial Correspondence
Governor Voorhees, is giving the leg
islators good example in disposing of
his share of the winters work by send
ing in his nominations rapidly. Scarce
ly a day passes that Private Secretary
Tuttle does not appear at the senate
doors with sealed communication
from his excellency. The senate con
firmed a large batch of nominations
this week as follows:
President judge, Mercer county courts
John Rellstab, to succeed Judge
Woodruff (Dem).
Judge of the Second district court
Newark-Thomas j. Lintott, to sue
coed Judge Frederick Guild, resigned.
Member of the board of managers of
the Home For Soldiers, Sailors and
Their Wives John Shields of Hunter
don.
Members of the state medical board
-Drs. John E. Wilson of Essex, John
w. Bennett of Monmouth and John j.
Bauman of Hudson.
Prosecutor of the pleas, Burlington
county Samuel A. Atkinson.
President judge, Somerset county
courts Lewis H. Schenck.
Member of the state board of educa-
William Fl. Morrow of Warren
county.
Trustees of the Reform School For
Boys at Jamesburg Nathaniel S. Rue
and David w. Lawrence.
The nomination of George w. Mae
pherson for judge. district court, Tren-
ton, to succeed Judge Rellstab, was re-
ferred.
Convicts and Lunatics.
Novel methods of dealing with con-
victs, looking to their reform. are in
vogue now in various states, and New
Jersey is rapidly following suit. The
parole law, embodying the old ticket
Of leave system, was introduced few
years ago, and the prison officials claim
that its operation has been highly sue
cessful, only very small percentage
of the paroled convicts being returned
for further Incarceration. Another
rather radical measure is embodied i'll
a bill which Senator McCarter has in
troduced by request of those interest
ed in prison reform. This bill pro-
poses to do away with striped clothing
in the state prison and other peniten-
tiaries unless when it is imposed on a
prisoner for misbehavior. The lock step
is also abolished The idea is that
existence tend to degrade the men for
life 1t is also provided that prisoners
shall not be punished for breaches of
discipline except after a written com
plant has been lodged with the head
keeper and the offending prisoner has
had a hearing. Convicts are also tc
have the privilege of addressing sealed
letters to the governor, the chancellor
or any judge of the higher courts.
Prison officials may not read such let
tiers. Upon discharge, convicts are to
be provided with clothing suited to the
season and not less than so in cash,
besides transportation to their homes.
In addition each one is to receive 50
for every year he has served in excess
of two years. There is apt to be an in
teresting discussion on this bill if it
ever reaches the calendar for passage.
Another innovation with respect to
state institutions is attempted in the
bills offered by Senator johnson of
Camden wherein he provides for an
additional state hospital for the in
sane to be under homeopathic man
sgement The building is to be erected
on the state hospital grounds at Tren-
ton. 1t is to be made suitable for the
accommodation of 800 patients and to
have a medical director of its own.
Provision is made for the appointment
of two additional members on the
board of state hospital managers those
two to be homeopathic physicians.
This measure is sure to provoke oppo-
sition from the allopathic physicians
of the state. Senator johnson intro
duced the new bills by request.
Another bill favorable to prisoners
which Senator McCarter has introduce
persons convicted of misdemeanors and
fined to go at large with or without
bail for a definite time or till the fine is
paid. Still another measure provides
for the appointment of probation Off
GERS in the various counties to look aft
err prisoners on parole
Republicans Confer.
Several conferences were held this
week by the Republican majority of
either house. On Monday night the
senators were behind closed doors for
two hours discussing their course with
respect to certain proposed new laws.
One of the interesting topics concerned
the movement to abolish spring cleo
tions. This proposition comes from
the northern end of the state, where
there are many voters who do business
in New York state and lose interest in
purely local issues 1t Is believed
their votes would be secured at the fall
elections when state and national ques-
lions claim attention. Senator Nc
Carter, it is said is the most strenuous
advocate of such change. but nobody
has presented a formal bill yet In
many of the counties especially in the
rural communities, considerable oppo-
sition has developed to any interference
with the purely local elections. No