Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-03-12
STATE LEGISLATURE.
Especial Correspondence !

on the third day of the week anC
which the rural members desired t.
attend. This is the first time in the
history of the oldest hanger OH abou
the statehOuse that the usual Monday
night session has ever been dispensed
with excepting OH account of holidays
The fact that the legislature adjourn
ed until Tuesday night because of the
elections in the country districts i;
taken by some as an indication tina
the members generally are not in ear
nest in their attempt to finish up the
term and bring about sine die adjourn
ment by Friday of next week. Govern
or Murphy is alleged TO have said tina
the lawmakers cannot get away be
fore April l, and it seems quite likely
that the session will last until Marcel
81, or three weeks longer at least.
There are yet many important mat
tiers to be disposed of by the two
houses, perhaps the most important o.
which is the primary reform measure
which has been peacefully sleeping il
committee since early in the session
and which for a time looked to bt
doomed to perennial slumber 1t has
been decided by the Republican mem
bers of the senate to hold a caucus t.
have the bill thoroughly explained by
the commission by which it was draft
ed
Senator Wakelee has introduced {
bill the provisions of which are iden
with Doncnr-oIf Low in Non
York state in reference to the polling
of voters by directors of corporations
Under the bill, which is an amend
ment to the corporation act, severa
directors can turn their proxies ovel
to another person to vote for them
There now exists a doubt among the
lawyers of this state as to whether
the New Jersey law permits this Il
be done. Senator Wakelee says the bill
is not in the interests of corporations
but is purely lawyers bill. Nearly
all the other states have enacted {
similar law.
According to bill by Senator Haines
presented a few days ago, it is desired
to have the state pay officers of the
national guard for their uniforms. L
is provided in his bill that dismountet
officers shall get $25 a year and mount
cd officers $40 for clothing. The bill is
new departure in military matters
and is likely to cause some commen
from all parts of the state. Such Off
GERS are required to be fully uniformed
ard equipped as required by the regu
lations. and they must have performed
so per cent of all ordered duty an6
been in commission for period moi
less than one year.
The senate sat as committee of the
whole on Wednesday morning to heal
arguments OH the Passaic pollution bill
which passed the house last week anG
is now before the upper branch of the
legislature. There was a brilliant ar
ray of talent on each side, and force
full arguments were heard for and
against the bill
The Appropriations.
The joint appropria tons committee Il
having busy sessions these days listen
ing to the various demands made upoI
the state treasury for funds to conduc
the business of the several state de
partments ard for hundred and one
outside projects in which the state Is
one way or another interested. The
committee expects to have its work il
pretty good shape this week, so thai
in case the legislature should decide tt
buckle down to work and finish up its
labors by Friday week the committee
could complete its work i'll Il couple Of
days and present the annual appropri
ations bills a few days before the date
of adjournment.
The committee has many knotty prob
lens in the way of appropriations tt
deal with. The demands on the states
strong box are heavier than usual, ant
the committees task is not the easies
in the world The commission appoint
ed a year ago to represent the state a
the Louisiana Purchase exposition a
st. Louis next year. of which former
Governor Voorhees, is chairman, has
asked for an extra appropriation Of
$4,000 for the proper representation a
TIE IAN anu " BiCt thN 4'cOfOVC oP
propriated last year from lapsing. the
postponement of the opening of the ex
position rendering it impossible for the
commission to use all of the funds pre-
viously appropriated by the commission
until next year.
The Morris Plains asylum wants $50,
600 extra, over and above the usua
100000 for maintenance, which extra
amount will be used for the purchase
of additional grounds, the construction
of an elevator i'll the main building e
much needed improvement, the cree
ton of slaughter house, Il dairy barr
and a new bakery
Jersey City wants the state TO pay Il
that municipality the amount of $50,
600 collected by the state from the Erie
Railroad company number of years
ago for taxes on the Fries grain ele
vator, the property being taxed by the
state and local boards, the courts re
Gently having determined that the city
was entitled to the tax, which had beer
paid to the state.
Professor John B. Smith, the state
entomologist, has requested the com
nittee to give him the $4,000 provided
ter in a bill passed last winter, whicf
item was not included in the annua
appropriation bill. Tic money is want
ed for the determination of mosquitoe:
in the state.
Three Men In a Cab.
At a recent hearing on the bills be
fore the senate providing for third
man in the engines used by railroads
to prevent accidents a number of EN-
gineers appeared and told the commit
tee that they did not desire an extra
man in the engine and pointed out that
the responsibility would be thus divid-
ed and that instead of being helpful il
would be a hindrance, as there would
be too great an excuse for the extra
man to talk to the engineer and that
the attention of both of them would
thus be distracted, and the engineer
could not give his whole mind to his
business. 1t had been represented to
the lawmakers that the bill was want
ed by the railroaders themselves and
that the railroad companies would have
no special objection TO the passage of
such bill, providing it was modified
to the extent that the third man would
not have TO be full fiedged engineer.
1t would appear as if the legislature
had caught the pension fever as well