The Penn's Grove record., 1908-03-06

HUDSON COUNTY.
passed, making it a crime to place glass
or other cutting substance on a public
highway or to fail to return any fine
collected under the law of 1906 within
thirty days. The senate also passed
Senator Hands bill, which creates a
department of inland waterways and
provides for the appointment of a COM
missioner to supervise the construction
and building of inland waterways. The
term of the commissioner will be for
five years at a salary of $1,000.
Great Interest In Local Option.
The local option bill before the house
committee on municipal corporations
attracted between 5000 and 1000 per-
sons to the public hearing on this
measure Monday. The attendance was
about equally divided between the ad-
vocates and opponents of the bill, and
Chairman MoXon of the committee had
much difficulty in REFRESHING the enthu-
siasm of the spectators during the
speeches. Rev. Charles l.. Mead of
the Newark conference of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church, who is president
Of the Antisaloon league in New Jer-
sey, made the opening address. He
said the bill stood for home rule and
rule by the majority of the people to
decide whether or not this traffic shall
be regulated in a suitable to
the will of the people. Many other
clergymen spoke in favor of the meas
ure.
Chandler w. Riker, former prosecu-
tor Of Essex county, was the first
speaker opposing the bill. He charged
first that the advocates of the bill
simply wanted to introduce prohibition
into New Jersey and cited statistics to
bear out his contention that prohibit
ton was a failure. Mr.. Riker stirred
up a hornets nest among the advo-
Gates of the bill by quoting from a
speech of Abraham Lincoln in which
Mr.. Lincoln had declared that prohibit
ton was an u%nwarranted interference
with personal liberty.
Rev. E. A. WATSON, an Episcopal
clergyman of Newark, followed Mr..
Riker in opposing the bill and said
that the advocates of the bill masquer-
AIDED under the banner of home rule
when 1t served their purpose. Several
other clergymen opposed the bill.
The speech of Governor Hanly of In
diana was greeted with prolonged ap-
plause and waving of handkerchiefs.
He prefaced his address with the re-
marks that the question was not only
a local n in New Jersey, but it is
paramount throughout the nation, if
not the world. The fight, he~said. was
not a temporary or transient one, but
was just beginning, and the nation
would be shaken before it was over.
He argued earnestly in favor of the
bill.
At the conclusion Of the hearing the
committee agreed to report the bill as
presented by Assemblyman Crosby.
New License Bills.
Many take the bill presented by
Senator Avis Monday evening az a
compromise measure. 1t provides for
revocation of licenses and is in line
with the recommendation of Governor
Fort in his inaugural message. The
bill gives the proposed board power to
revoke any license on complaint Of
any citizens, provided they are viola
tons of the excise law; the board to
consist of three members to serve at
first three, four and five years, and
then five years each; commissioners
Will receive a salary of $4,000, and a
clerk shall be appointed for a term Of
five years at a salary of $500; ex-
penses to be paid by a five dollar tax
on each license issued.
In the senate Tuesday Senator Rob-
bins introduced an administration Ii
cense bill. This measure fixes a mini
mum license fee at 5000 in municipali-
ties with less than 1900 population, at
$3.50 between 5000 and 10000, at $500
Except In first class cities) where the
population exceeds 10000 and not less
than 5000 in first class cities. The
closing hours of all licensed places are
fixed at midnight every night except
Sunday, when the placest shall remain
closed from IL o'clock midnight Satur-
day TO Q ., n. Monday. It limits the