The Penn's Grove record., 1911-03-31
LEGISLATORS LIVELY DOINds.
Local Option Defeated. A Hearing TO
Re Held nm the Geran Election Bill.

Local Option Defeated. A Hearing 10
Be Held on the Geran Election Bill.
The Senate defeated the Local Op
ton bill on Monday night by a vote OF
Ia to 6. The vote was as follows:
AYES Ackel man, Grant, Nichols
and Plummer, Republicans: Gebhardt.
Democrat.
Nays-Brown, Edge. Frelinghuysen,
Leavitt, Lewis and Prince, Republl-
cans; Cornish, Fielder, F1tzherpert,
johnson, Low, Orborne, Price ana
Silzer, Democrats.
Not voting-Hand and Bradley, Re
%publicans.
Senator Gebhardt spoke for an hour
in favor of the bill. No other spoke in
favor of it and no one against it.
The bill provides that not less than
80 Der cent of the voters may petition
the court, which shall order a special
election, at which shall be permitted
the people the question whether intoxl'
eating liquors shall be sold legally in
that municipality.
MI. Gebhardt said that he knew of
a no more American plan. He had
heard nothing against the principle anu
he believed the people should have a
right to decide instead of a single
Judge. A liquor dealer had told him
that 16 of The 81 counties would go dry
and within a year those counties would
make the state 60 dry. That is why
the liquor interests are against local
option. In the public schools the
children are taught the effects of alec.
hol. They will put it down, because
thew know more about it than we do.
The senate passed the joint resolution
committing The state to an expenditure
of $500, 600 for the purchase of a right
of way for a canal across the state be
tween the Delaware and Rattan rivers,
which is contemplated, that the federal
government will construct as part OF
the inland waterway system.
The Geran election reform bill which
passed the house last week has struck a
mag in the Senate. 1t has been an.
nounced that Senator Nichols and an
other Republican would vote for the
bill, but since Gov. Wilson turned down
Mr.. Nichols choice for Sheriff of Cum
berland county to fill a vacancy caused
by death, Senator Nichols says he has
changed his mind, and is willing to
abide by his party's caucus A public
hearing will be held on the bill next
Tuesday. The passage Of the bill
through the Senate does not look as
bright as it did.
The House passed Assemblyman
Whites bill providing for the steriliza-
ton of idiots, imbiciles and ,habilual
criminals. The one speaker for the
measure was DR.. Ramsey, of Middle
sex, who explained that it was a mo-
mentous question, requiring the serious
consideration of the members of the
Legislature. 1t was not a new idea OF
a fad, but represented the results Of
fifty years Investigation by eminent
physicians who are aiming for the inn
provement of the human race. The
necessary authority is vested in a com
mission composed of the State Commits.
sioner of Charities, a n%eurol0gist and a
surgeon. The proposed law has the
hearty endol ST ment of the foremost
students of criminOlOgy and sociology
in the country.
Favorable action was taken by the
Senate on tue Prince bill to establish a
uniform standard of weights and
measures and to create a state depart
ment for the supervision of the same.
A number Of positions are created and
range from $500 to 1920 annually.
The bill giving permission to the State
Fish and Game Commission to es'ab-