The Penn's Grove record., 1904-01-08

semblyman Thomas j. Hillery of Nor
ris was about the only occurrence of
interest during the several weeks inter-
vening between election and the forma-
ton of the legislative body to add any
excitement to the antelegislattve sea
son. The two young assemblymen
fought to the very end over the posi-
ton, but the representative from Els
sex marshaled the stronger force, and
his opponent from Morris was forced
to admit defeat, which he did most
gracefully and with the best of feeling.
Frederick Lehlbach of Essex was Sc
lected by Leader Colby as chairman Of
the steering committee, the other men,
bers being: Mr.. Hillery, Harry s. Sco-
vel, Camden; II. G. Henry, Middlesex;
Thomas C~olclough, Jr., Mercer; Thorn
as G. Elvins, Atlantic, and Louis FL.
Miller, Cumberland. This committee
will have the political business of the
session to look after and keep the ma
jority party off the shoals.
John Boyd Avis of Gloucester has
been selected by the majority as speak
er and will be formally elected next
Tuesday. He is a fair minded, clean
young man, according to the reports
which come from the southern part of
the state, where he is popular, and
there is predicted for him by his
friends a successful and satisfactory
administration.
Upton s. Jefferys Of Camden will
succeed himself as assistant clerk of
! the house. Robert S. Terhune of Es-
sex will be journal clerk. George A.
Grover Of Essex will succeed himself
as supervisor of bills, and George B.
Lutts of Atlantic will do likewise as
sergeant at arms. The first assistant
sergeant at arms will be William s.
Dey Of Middlesex. The other officers
will be Bill Clerk Edward Totten of
Morris and Assistant Bib Clerk John
King of Passaic.
Speaker Elect Avis will probably
name as his private secretary William
HI. Albright of Woodbury., Camden
county.
The apportionment Of the minor Of
fees among the several counties by the
house steering committee is as follows:
Atlantic, n page; Bergen, first assist
ant supervisor Of bills and one door,
keeper; Burlington, assistant to the
clerk of the assembly, n doorkeeper
and one gallery keeper; Camden, two
doorkeepers, one gallery keeper and
III page; Cape May, assistant to the
journal clerk; Cumberland, assistant to
journal clerk, two doorkeepers and one
gallery keeper; Essex, second assistant
supervisor of bills, second assistant SER
geant at arms, two doorkeepers, eight
pages and two -postmasters; Gloucester,
n doorkeeper; Mercer, two doorkeep-
ers, n gallery keeper and one page;
Middlesex, two doorkeepers and one
Dage; Morris, one d~oorkeeper, one gal
lersy keeper and n page; Passaic, two
dooriteepers, n gallery keeper and one
page; Salem, n gallery keeper and
one page; Ocean, gallery keeper and
one page.
Murphy's Campaign For Economy.
Governor Murphy has publicly de.
clared himself in favor of cutting down
the expenses of the state in the mat
ter of legislative Offices. The execu-
tive has given out that there are too
many officers on the payroll during a
legislative session and that this GUS
tom has been in vogue for years. He
means to have the matter of excessive
clerks, pages and doorkeepers thor
oughly investigated this year and will
probably have something of interest to
say in his annual message to the legis-
lature. 1t is a known fact that in
past legislatures doorkeepers and pages
as well as committee clerks were
appointed and made their first and
only appearance during the legislative
term on the opening day or when the
pay checks were given out, then de-
camped with their ill gotten gain and
without the slightest idea of making
good" to the state in the way of serv-
ices. Last year a gray bearded man
turned up for a pages $500 check,
which he received and then refused to
serve in the position to which he was
appointed along with several beardless
boys. But he pocketed the check new
ertheless, and there was a vacancy in
the force of pages.
Morris Canal Abandonment.
Perhaps h most important legisla.
ton to be taken up by the legislature
at the approaching session will be the
matter of the Morris canal abandon
ment, which affects every part of the
state in a financial way.
The school law is another important
matter which will occupy the attention
OF thel~ lawmakers. The Colby bill, pass
ed at the special session several weeks
g because the courts had upset the
Mckee act of two winters ago. has
served all purposes in the interim, but
there are said to be some important
amendments needed, and it is not un-
likely that the entire school bill may be
revised.
Inc consumptives' home project has
the backing of the governor, and he
will probably be somewhat strenuous
in his references to this proposition in
his annual message.
SHE plan to establish a normal school
in north Jersey will likely be one of
the first measures to make its appear
ance. 1t has the support of the execu-
tive and the entire north Jersey dele
cation and will probably go through
this year.
A plan for a greater Newark is being
talked of, and Paterson wants a new
charter and to be classed with the first
class cities this year.
There will be the usual attempts to
raid the state treasury, but it is just
a bit too early to outline the special
Or extraordinary propositions which
will be advanced to relieve the state of
some of it's cash.
A FREE PATTERN