Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-03-10

sngs. This rs to cover a court decision
in which it was held that wages were
not the same rs an income. Mr. Van
Blarcom presented another bill amend
ing the election act relative to the time
of meeting Of registry boards. BY this
new bill there is no possibility of the
old election board holding one registry
day and the new election board anofh
er registry day, this mixup having be
fore occurred.
Governor Murphy has sent to both
houses of the legislature the report Of
the northern New Jersey food commits,
sion. The report recommends, in or
der to prevent a repetition Of disas-
trous foods in the Passaic valley, the
erection Of reservoir at Mountain
View, about six miles west of Pater.
son, to gather the waters from the
tributaries of the Passaic river in time
Of floods; also the purchase of the big
Pierce meadows in the vicinity of
Mountain View, to be utilized for
draining the waters of the Passaic
water shed. These improvements will
cost about $3,000,500. The report also
recommends that state engineer of
waterways be appointed
Members of many county boards of
elections of the state came to Trenton
early this week in the interest of
amendments they would like presented
to the primary election law. The only
member of the primary election COM
mission that they were able to see was
former Senator e. G. Stokes. The
matter will be taken up later. The
board members are greatly interested
in the bill placing in the hands of coun-
ty boards of elections the election ma.
chinery. This bill win probably be
given a hearing next week.
Legislators Threatened with Arrest.
Members of the legislature have re
ceived this week letters from j. J..
Brush of the Civic league threatening
them with arrest If any of them voted
for house bill No. 26, introduced by
Mr. Miller Of Cumberland, which re.
quires stockholders of companies to
obtain the consent in writing of 20 pei
centum in interest of the stockholders
of such company, alta meeting called
for that purpose, before bringing any
action at law or in equity against such
corporation. The author of the letter
claims that the bill was introduced in
the interests of the steel trust. A sim
liar measure passed the house last
year, but was locked up in President
Hutchinson's desk in the senate, and
the power Of large lobby could moi
bring it out A caucus of the majority
Monday treated the leagues threats
and insinuations with contempt
Governor Murphy in discussing early
this week the story from Washington
that he was to be the chairman of the
Republican national committee would
not deny or affirm the report. "Any
talk" said the governor, as to the
chairman before the committee that
names him is selected must necessarily
be speculative. Anything that might
be said on the matter at this time is
premature"
JJIstice Bennett fnHSSyckel, wig was :
recently reappointed to the supreme
court bench after long service, dating
from the sixties, has resigned. Candi
dates for the position are multiplying
daily
The Military Bill.
The present outlook for the new state
military bill is that it will not get
through the legislature in its present
form. So strong is the opposition to
provisions of the measure among the
enlisted men that open threats have
been made that should the new bill be-
come law entire companies will be
disbanded. One of the objections to
the measure is the provision in accord
with the Dick law, which allows the
president to call the state guard into
the service of the government. While
it is argued that national guardsman
should not hesitate about swearing al
legiance to the United States and being
subject to the call of the president, yet
it is contended that man should be
allowed to volunteer his services to the
government in case of need, as many
things might transpire from the time
of his enlistment to prevent his volun
teering Immediately. 1t is of course
expected that In case Of trouble the
national guard would go into service,
and, while not denying this, many Of
the guardsmen say that they would
rather be allowed to volunteer their
services than to be forced into fight.
New Jersey guardsmen are as patriotic
as other state guardsmen, yet many of
the DIRECTORS to the bill say they would
rather enlist outright in the regular
army than remain In the state guard
after the passage of the new law.
Canal Abandonment.
1t is understood that the report of
the commission ON the abandonment
of the Morris and Essex canal will
probably be in the hands Of the gov
ernor by next Tuesday, but after the
report has been received it is as yet a
matter of conjecture what will be done