Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-03-25
Several of that Party's LegisIa-
tors Holding OutAgalnstAmend-
lng the Bishops Bill.
STATE PROB is OPPOSED.
Big Struggle Is Impending on Pro-
posed Insurance LegislatiOn-Civil
Service Measures Up This Week
About ZOO Bills Have Been Intro
duced and Ten of Them Have
Reached Governor-Twelfth Week.

TRENTON, Mar. 25:-The twelfth
week of the legislature, which will be
opened tonight will be preceded this
afternoon by a caucus for democratic
majority in the house and the demo-
cratic minority in the senate.
Assemblyman ~Klenert, leader of
the democrats in the house, has call
ed the caucus primarily to whip into
line such of the members who are op-
posed to any tinkering with excise
legislation this session. Having talk
ed and voted against the Blohm
"open Sunday" bill, Mr.. Klenert feels
that it is incumbent upon him as
leader, to obtain the enactment of a
measure that shall please the brew
cry and liquor interests of the state
and the liberal population of the
large northern cities, where the strin-
gent regulations of the Bishops ex-
else law are not in favor. To this
end he has introduced bill prepared
by Senator Silzer, of Middlesex coun-
ty, for the re-enactment of the Bish-
ops act, with the elimination of its
strongest provisions, including the
exposed barr section. 1t has been
found that Sunday selling has been
practically impossible with screens
and curtains drawn aside. This
would be a return 10 the conditions
existing under the old Werts act,
when Sunday selling was winked at
by the authorities and screened from
view of the public.
Favor Silzer's Bill.
Hudson, Essex and Passaic demo-
Gratis are practically a unit in favor
of the Silzer bill, now that the Blohm
bill has been buried beyond hope of
resurrection this session, but the
democratic members from the rural
districts are less enthusiastic in the
matter of catering to the liquor in
terests and the demands of the for
eign population of the big cities.
Other matters to receive attention
in the caucus will include the rail
road and other reform bills now pend
ing and the plan of Senator Silzer for
an investigation by the house of the
various state departments that have
been under republican control for
so many years. 1t is likely that all
of Assemblyman Wright's drastic
railroad bills will be made caucus
measures and that they will be rush
ed through the house and then put up
to the republican senate.
The democrats, however, are not
a unit in favor of Senator Silzers in
vestigation scheme. Some of them
fear that an investigation will reveal
everything in good order in the diff
ferent state departments and in that
way result in republican, rather than
democratic gains next autumn.
Republicans to Get Busy.
The republicans in the state are
likely this week to take up the seven
drastic insurance bills introduced by
Mr.. Hillery as result of the insur-
The Prudential and other life insur-
ance companies have filed objections
to these measures and have asked for
amendments. Some of the proposed
amendments may be made, but on the
whole the bills are distasteful to the
insurance companies and there will
be a lively battle when they are
brought out on the floor for action.
Another bill which will attract
much attention is the Colby civil SER
vice measure, which will come up for
final passage this week. This bill
has been much amended, but it still
provides for many changes in state
and municipal government.
Thus far about seven hundred bills
have been introduced in the legisla.
ture and sixteen of them have beer
passed by both houses. Ten of these
bills have reached the governor ant
he has approved nine of them. The
tenth, the Hoboken investigation
measure, he filed without his approv
al, and it became a law by default.