Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-01-10
OPENING At TRENTON.
Legislature Ready For Actual
Business.
REMARKABLE FLORAL DISPLAY.

Both Senate and Assembly Organ
tied, Committees Announced and
officers Electcd-Good Feeling Pre-
wallis and Politics Temporarily Lost
Sight OF.
Especial Correspondence
TRENTON, Jan. 9.-Amid a floral dis
play that has rarely. if ever been
equaled in the history of New Jerseys
lawmaking body. the one hundred and
twenty-fifth session of the state legis-
lature was convened on Tuesday after
noon at 3 o'clock. There has been
growing tendency to make the floral
display each season a feature of the
opening day and this year the friends
of the legislators contrived to make it
the principal one.
Viewed from the galleries each house
resembled flower garden, the desks of
the senators and assemblymen fairly
Overlooking with bouquets and baskets
of flowers and floral pieces of innumer-
able designs. The scene presented was
certainly pretty picture. Republicans
and Democrats Jared alike in this dis
tribution of flowers at the hands of
their friends and few were forgotten.
OF course some were remembered to a
more considerable extent than others.
There was little business transacted
in either branch of the legislature 9th
er than the formal organization, at the
completion of which an adjournment
was taken in each house until Monday
night The senators and assemblymen
held informal receptions in all parts of
the legislative chambers, corridors and
wherever else they happened to meet
friends and constituents. Everybody
was happy and good natured and mo-
mentarily, it might be said, politics
was forgotten. The arrangements for
the organization of the legislature had
been previously settled and the pro-
gramme was carried out without the
slightest hitch or hesitancy.
The senate Organized.
In the senate the session was called
to order by Senator Charles A. Reed
of Somerset, who first presented the
certificate of Secretary of State NNurts.
testifying as to the hold over senators.
He then offered the certificates of cleo
ton of the following new senators:
Wakelee of Bergen, Haines of Burling-
TON Hand nj Nov TTuHcTotI of
Hudson, Gebhardt of Hunterdon.
Strong of Middlesex, Mckee of Passaic
and Martin of Sussex. In the tenn
porary organization of the senate Sena-
tor Cornish DEM of Warren was
named for president pro tempore, and
Walter Edge was selected as tempo
rary secretary. The cath of office was
administered by the temporary presi-
dent to the newly elected senat,. ~~ofsa.
rali was called. and thy, sst nro.
ceeded to the election of parn,onont
officers.
Mr. Reed. who is to be the les.la,. of
the senate majority, placed in nominal
ton Mahlon Pitney Of Morris for presi-
dent, and Mr.. Martin, Oem.), named
Johnston Cornish of Warren. Mr.
Pitney was elected by a party vote
After taking the oath of office Mr.
Pitney assumed the chair and in
neat speech gave expression of his
appreciation of the honor of presiding
over the senate of his native state
and asked for q continuance of the
same friendly cooperation and support
from senators of both parties which
had during the past served to tighten
the labors of his predecessors in the
chair
Referring to the criticism to which
the legislature is subjected during the
early weeks of the session relative
to the alleged waste of time, President
Pitney said it was hardly iustitiable
The time, he said, was consumed in
carefully preparing and closely scruti-
nizing proposed legislation ana in weed
ing out that which is undesirable. Com
paratively few new laws are now indis
pensably necessary. notable eXcep-
ton being the topical revision of our
existing statute law. He also referred
to the advisability of amending the
state constitution with respect TO the
organization of our courts of justice.
which. he said, We're now so overbnr
dened with work as to require that
some remedy be shortly applied.
Following are the other senate Off
GERS chosen: Secretary, Walter f.
Edge, Atlantic; assistant secretary. J.
Frank Lindsey, Morris; journal clerk.
Robert A. Waterbury, Union; sergeant
alarms. John J. Garwood, Salem; as
sistant journal clerk, William II
Fischer Ocean; assistant sergeant-at-
arms. Arthur Bedell. Camden; super
visor of bills. Jesse r. Salmon, Essex:
assistant supervisor of bills. James
Shoemaker, Cape May: ill Cler'-. L.euis
IT Reed. Somerset: calendar clerk.
Robert e. Bustard, Passaic; doofkeep-
ers. Jere Corson and John DEM, Ctm-
berland: Charles Lynch, Burlington:
Samuel Schltheis, MiddleseX; Ellwcod
S. Adams, Gloucester.
The senate Committees.
The following are the mo important
standing senate committees:
Agricultural. Hutchinson, stanger, Gebhardt.
Annropriations Stokes, Hutchinson, Gross, Cor
-nish. 49,.
Banks and Insurance. = Johnson Mccarter'
itrong. ,,.u...,
Boroughs and Townships. Reed, Hand, Martin
CORPORATIONS -Stokes, Mckee, Gcbhardt
Commcrce and Navigation.-Hand, Evans, tieb-
hardt.
Education. Francis, Evans, Martin
rdaral Relations Miller McCarter, Iludspet
Finance-Evans, Francis, Hudspeth
Game and Fisheries.-Stanger, Francis Mckee.
Judiciary-Reed, McCarter, Martin
Labor and Industries. Smith johnson, Corr 81
Militia ZHaines. Hand, Strong.
Municipal Corporations. MeCarter, Jeh7sto'
Strong. 80.
printed Bills Stranger, Hutchinson, Corr
pubic Health. .-Wakeiee, Haincs, Gebhsrdt.
railroads and Canals Miller, Wakelee, Cornish.
Revision of the Laws-Cross, Reed, Gebhardt.
R;oarian Rights.-Hand, Smith, lludsPeth
The senate joint committees follow:
Commerce and Navigation Evans, Geb-
hardt.
Industrial School For Grls--Ilaines, Wakelee,
Gebhardt. ,
Stranger, Hudspeth
public Printing-Johnson, Hand, Martin.
Reform School For Boys Evans, Cross, Wake
lee. -. ~,
sinking Fund-Stanger, Hutchinson, Mckee.
soldiers, Home.-Stokes, MeCarter, Strong
state Hospitals.-McKee, Francis, Martin
e*.te 7 ;l,rarv johnson, Strong, Mckee.