The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-04-09
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1901.

CRITICISM on the failure to pass the
cranberry bill" has aroused those whom
the shoe fit, and letter has been received
from Assemblyman Horner, who refutes
all imputation that the personality of the
drawer of the bill had any weight with
him. The bill was in imperfect shape
when it reached him, and he attempted to
right it by offering an amendment. We
had no intention of nlisrepresenting Mr..
Homer, and with pleasure accept his state
ment that his sympathies were with those
who endeavored to secure protection under
the proposed law. At the same time his
letter got here, the Enterprise, of Burling
ton, jumped into the field and defended
the members from this county in general,
but more probably, Senator Haines in
particular, and in order to do SO, puts the
responsibility on Governor Voorhees, who
is quoted at length, using words that it is
doubtful if the chief executive ever ut
tered, for he certainly knows better than
the Enterprise makes it appear Senator
Haines introduced this bill early in the
season-it was No. TO- 1t went to a COM
mittee where it was allowed to rest, as
there twas measure of more preten-
tons" likely to go through. When it
was discovered that 1.-THE more preten-
tious" was not to be pushed, Senator
Haines hurried his bill out of committee
and had it passed. Nobody knew or at
least intimated that there was anything
wrong about the bill. There are many
able lawyers in the Senate Reed, Pitney,
Hudspeth, Wakelee, Gebhardt, Strong,
Mckee, Martin, Cross, and last but by no
means least, McCarter, who engineered
the electric light deal in which Mount
Holly did SO well Cor otherwise). The
bill went to committee composed entire
ly of lawyers Yet it took the legal &C
umen of the House to discover it was
wrong. The question very naturally arts
es, did the bill reach the Assembly cham
Der in the shape it left the Senate, or was
1t printed as 1t was drawn Whatever the
answer, there is not the slightest doubt
oAAOAO W 90 all PIC blluC lOl bAC lAOIOQuCCl
of this bill to carefully scan it and remedy
any defects. But instead of this being
done it was left to quietly slumber until
the last moment and then it was too late.
Objection seems to have been taken to
our statement that the identity of the
drawer of the bill might have had some
influence, yet there is not the slightest
doubt that the remarks on that subject
were forcible and uncomplimentary.
Neither can it be denied that the bill went
to Burlington to stay over night, and
when it got back next day, with the ap-
proval of local lawyer, some of the re-
marks were withdrawn with apologies.
We have not seen anything to cause
change in the opinion that there is much
to criticise in the manner in which this
bill was handled. No matter of more i'm
portance was before the Legislature. Its
value may have been more beneficial to
Burlington county than to other locali-
ties, but it was of vast Importance Every
year fires are started, through revenge
mainly, and before they are quenched
much valuable property is destroyed.
The criminals are not deferred by fear of
punishment-it is too light to have any
terriers for them. Had the bill in question
been given the attention it deserved,
early in the session, defects that seem
to have been fatal could have been
discovered and the suffering cranberry
growers would have been able to gei
some redress Delays are dangerous,
and the delay in this case has been
very detrimental to a class of men who
have thousands of dollars in business
which is annually jeopardized by set of
people who laugh at the law as it now
stands.