Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-04-02

tai amendments At hearing on the
bill Monday afternoon it was opposed
by a number of Republican leaders
from various parts of the state.
A futile attempt was made by Sena-
tor Hudspeth Monday night to amend
the child labor bill SO as to make the
minimum age for the employment of
girls sixteen years instead of fourteen
years, as recommended by the senate
committee on labor and industries. The
amendment was defeated and the bill
fixing the age for boys and girls at
fourteen years passed.
A vain fight was made in the house
by Assemblyman Swackhamer of Som
erset county to have the house COM
mittee on railroads and canals re-
lieved from further consideration of
the bill calling for the placing of three
men in the cab of every Wooton or
camel back engine. The house declined
to relieve the committee.
Fun with Nurses.
An amusing scene occurred in the
senate chamber Monday night when
the Scovel bill requiring nurses to take
out licenses came up on final passage.
A hundred trained nurses who favored
the bill occupied special seats on either
side of the presidents rostrum. When
the vote was taken on the bill, to which
no one had offered the slightest objec-
ton, every senator when his name was
called voted against it. The nurses
gaZed in amazement at the senator's
They had been given to understand
that the lawmakers in the upper house
favored the bill. The nurses astonish-
ment was short lived, however, for
scarcely before they realized that the
bill was apparently doomed the SEN
ators rose en- masse and called for the
secretary to change their votes from
the negative to the affirmative, the bill
being thus unanimously passed. The
negative vote had been prearranged to
give the lobbying nurses little shock
Governor Murphy on Monday night
gave the legislature another of his sur
prises by sending a special message
urging that the bill providing for the
appointment of a commission to in
quire into the Morris canal abandon
ment scheme be passed. Governor
Murphy's idea was to have the mat
ter thoroughly looked into In the
house Leader Boyd presented a resolu-
ton embodying the governors sugges-
ton. The Passaic and Union county
Republicans Joined forces with the
Democrats, and the resolution was de-
feated.
For Greater Camden.
The Greater Camden bill annexing
to the present city of Camden the city
of Gloucester did not make its appear
ance Monday night, as anticipated
This proposition promises one of the
most interesting fights of the closing
days of the session.
The senate has passed S. 276, repeal
ing that portion of the public school act
requiring children employed in facto-
ries to attend night school; H. 263, pro-
viding for toll bridge over the Della
ware at Martins creek Warren; H 264,
providing for bridge across the Della
ware at Carpentersville; III. 345, au-
thorizing governing bodies in second
class cities to provide by ordinance for
the election of city collectors for three
years.
An interesting hearing was given a
few days ago on the Morris canal bill
Richard c.. Jenkinson, former president
of the Newark board of trade, present
ed resolutions adopted by that body in
opposition to the proposition to aban-
don the canal until commission had
thoroughly investigated the subject.
Newark wanted the canal abandoned,
but wanted the rights of the people
safeguarded.
Roderick Byington of Newark was
the principal speaker against the aban-
donment bill He charged that the
owners of the canal had not lived up
to their charter and it should be for
feited He also declared that the bill
was unconstitutional, as it changed
the fundamental character of the cor
poration, deprived the state of valuable
rights and invaded private rights in i'm
posing new servitudes without provid-
ing compensation. Former United
States Senator James Smith of New
ark was in attendance at the hearing
and expected to speak against the bill,
but the hearing had taken up too much
time when Byington concluded, and the
adjournment was taken before he was
given an opportunity.
La caucus a few days ago the Repub-
Iican assemblymen decided not to make
the railroad codification bill caucus
measure, but to let it take it's chances
VI the floor of the house.