Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-04-04
PROGRESS
IN LEGISLATURE
All the important Bills Still
in COMMITTEES.
Especial Correspondence

Trenton, April with the
thirteenth week of the session al
ready started, it is evident that some
Of the delay, linger and wait"
methods of the legislators will have
to be abandoned, else the lawmakers
will be in danger of celebrating the
glorious Fourth" in Trenton. The
Republican majority in the senate
has hopes, however, of action on
some of the big measures" in which
the governor, and the people as we'll
are interested. The Democratic ma
jority in the House of the Assembly,
likewise, has some hopes.
While it is true that nearly all of
the important measures are still in
the hands of committees, yet much
work of a preliminary nature has
been dispatched, so that in almost
every case the big bills may soon be
disposed of. The Geran bill is really
making progress, slowly, it may be,
yet progress, nevertheless. With a
hearing on the bill this afternoon, at
which the merits as well as the OBJ
~jections were discussed by experts,
the committee in endeavoring to
shed as much light upon 1t as posi-
BILE.
Public Utilities Bill.
Assemblyman Egan is anxious to
get some action Upon his public util-
tiles bill. He would not object to a
provision for the continuation of the
present Public Utility Commission If
that would expedite the measure in
the senate. 81 am seeking a confer
ence on the BILL" said he last night,
land I am willing to meet the
tors half way On any proposition
hat is reasonable. | am only anx-
ious to see a real public utility bill
become a law"
Naturally, the fact that the work.
ingman's compensation bill, so ably
championed by Senator Edge, of At
lantic, Is still IN the hands of a com-
mittee, suggests that there are in
fluences at work to pigeonhole that
measure, If 1t Is possible to do so.
The corrupt practices bill Is also
slumbering so peacefully in commit
tee hat perchance the legislators
think it would be a shame to disturb
its rest. Be that as it may, there
are indications that these bills will
all be brought out in the near future.
If this is done there Is no reason
why they cannot all be disposed of
In good time, and in a way that will
meet with the approval of Governor
Wilson.
Republicans on Geran Bill.
The attitude of the Republicans
in the senate with reference to the
Geran bill is summed up in the ut
terance of a prominent state sena-
tor. He said: II think the majority
should honestly try to amend the
Geran bill, since it is q measure with
ZONE faults that ought to be reme-
died. Then, II this cannot be accom-
plished, 1t will not be charged
against the party that we did not
seek to perfect the bill. After hav-
ing made the effort, if not successful
we can then afford to vote for 1t, and
the Democratic party will, naturally,
have to take the responsibility of
its enactment"
That some concession VIII have to
be made with reference to the voter
who cannot read is believed to be
one of the possibilities before it will
become a law. Two of the Demo-
cratic senator's, Fielder, of Hudson,
and Osborne, of Essex, have both
declared that the bill should be mod
flied, since in its present form 1t
would disfranchise too many of their
constituents. If a provision should
be inserted whereby the ignorant
voter would be permitted to have
aid in the booth, it Is understood
that the opposition of the two Dem
ocratic senators would disappear.
Destroy Effectiveness.
The Republican senators point
out, on the other hand, hat the
elimination of this feature of the
bill would largely destroy it's effec-
tiveness, In the matter of corrupting
the ballot. The argument is ad-
vanced, and with much force. that
the minute a voter Is permitted to
take any one into the election booth
with him, then the door for bribery
is opened so wide that there is no
possibility of shutting it. There are
voters in the Republican party who
would probably find it difficult to
vote under the bill as it stands at
present, but there is little intention
on the part of the Republican sena-
tors to object seriously to the bill on
account of this provision. The Re-
publicans want it amended in other
respects, as do the Democrats. too.
for that matter.
The wiping out OF the county Or
ganization is a sore spot with the
politicians. And yet, there is a strong
possibility that the two parties may
yet have to accept this feature Of
the bill, Objectionable though it
may seem to them. Should this feat
ure Of the bill prove impracticable
and work serious harm, the next
session of the legislature might
easily remedy the trouble.
CITY NOT TIED UP,