The Penn's Grove record., 1904-01-08
JERSEY LEGISLATURE.
Many Important Measures
Await Decision of lawmakers.
wAKELEE SENATE PRESIDENT.
Cross of Union Minority Leader-Ev-'
eritt Colby leader of House-Leh1-
bach Chairman of Republican
Steering Committee.
Especial Correspondence

bach Chairman of Republican
Steering Committee.
Especial Correspondence.1
Trenton, Jan. 7.-When the on-com-
ing legislature which will onyen in
regular session next Tuesday after
noon, Jan. II, gets fairly under way
and the matter of organization is once
disposed of, there should be no excuse
for the failure of a prompt getting
down to business on the part of the
lawmakers.
The governor had his eye closely on
the legislature last year and was not
at all particularly pleased with the dila-
tory tactics pursued and the oversight
of so many important matters in the
rush to get away. Included in the mat
tiers which were neglected by the legis-
lators last winter were the following:
An appropriation for the c~onsumptlyes'
home, the appropriation for the exter-
mination of mosquitoes in this state,
the appropriation for a new normal
school in the northern part of the state,
the Long Branch charter bill, which
was incomplete and consequently in
operative when it came from the hands
of the legislators; the appropriations
for the building of an addition. to the
state schools at Trenton, and needed i'm
provements in the state library.
This latter oversight may mean that
in the course of the next few years and
possibly this year the state will discard
it's old and antiquated library in the
top of the capitol building and provide
a separate structure on the statehouse
grounds for the library exclusively. 1T
this is done this winter, it may mean
that the state will probably acquire
sufficient ground to provide for a gov
ernor's residence, which seems to be
the hearts desire of Governor Murphy,
who in the closing months of his term
of office thinks that the state should
have a proper residence for its future
executives. This matter was recon-
mended IN the governors message last
year, but it did not seem to find favor
with the powers~that controlled the
lawmaking mill.
The organization of the>two houses
next Tuesday afternoon will be large
ly perfunctory, the officers OF both
branches having been selected a couple
of weeks ago, and all that remains VIII
be to formally nominate them and b
elect the chosen ones, the majority dis
carding the minority ticket n by one
until the end is reached.
Makeup of the Senate.
President Hutchinson will probably
call the upper body together at the
stroke of 3 by the %statehouse clocks,
and after the selection of a temporary
secretary the business of organization
will be proceeded with. Senator Ed
mund w. Wakelee of Bergen has been
chosen as the presiding officer in the
higher branch of the state legislature.
The progress of Senator Wakelee's ca
reer in state politics has been steady
and certain, and although one of the
youngest men who have W. held this
high homer in this state he is conceded
to be in every way deserving of his adj
vancement.
Senator Joseph Cross of Union, who
has been in the state senate since 1894.
will be the minority leader in the upper
house. Walter E. Edge of Atlantic
will succeed himself as secretary.
There was a little opposition to Edges
reappointment early in the campaign
from his own county because of some
reported political entanglement, but
Senator Lee of Atlantic, in placing Mr..
Edges name before the recent caucus,
paid high compliments to the candidate.
This is Mr.. Edges fourth term as SEN
ate secretary.
Howard L. Tyler of Cumberland will
be assistant secretary and Isaac r.
Pierson of Morris will be supervisor of
bills. The other senate officers will be
as follows: Journal clerk, Merchant
Meeker of Union; assistant journal
clerk, J. Howard Sprague of Ocean;
calendar clerk, Robert e. Bastard Of
Passaic; bill clerk, David A. Mcintyre
of Essex; sergeant at arms, e. Hart
Cunningham Of Mercer; assistant SER
geant at arms, George w. Mount of
Burlington; assistant bill clerk, Joshua
D. Watson of Camden. Senator Brown +.
of Monmouth has been given the nam
ing of the assistant supervisor of bills,
and that official will probably be James
Gillen of Monmouth. Senator Jackson
of Middlesex has the naming of the
clerk of the committee on printed bills,
but his selection has not been announc-
ed. 1t has been decided not to appoint
an assistant to the secretary of the
senate.
The allotment of the minor senate
to the various counties as decid-
ed upon by the steering committee is
follows:
Atlantic, one clerk to committee;
Bergen, secretary to president; Bur-
one doorkeeper, n page; Cam
den, one doorkeeper and n committee
clerk; Cape May, one clerk and one
doorkeeper; Cumberland, doorkeep-
er, n page; Essex, s~tenographer,
Dne clerk; Mercer, one doorkeeper, one
clerk; Middlesex, n gallery clerk and
Dne page; Monmouth, one clerk and two
pages; Ocean, two clerks; Passaic, one
doorkeeper; Union, one clerk; Morris,
bne page.
Organization of the House.
The house of assembly will be called
to order by the old veteran, Clerk James
Parker Of Passaic, who has presided at
the clerks desk with no little skill for
the past several years and who will be
sound in his accustomed place another
ear. So closely has SIR. Parker be-