The Penn's Grove record., 1912-01-12

responsible and economical, seems to
be one of the first and most manifest
duties of government. Next to that
is the duty in a self-governed country
of making the representative body
from which legislation proceeds in
fact representative, as nearly as pos
sible a mirror of the character and
opinion of the communities of which
the State is composed. 1t seems to
me of the first consequence, therefore,
that the promise we have made the
people of tn State, that we would at
once take the initial steps necessary
to effect a return to a system of AS
sembly districts in place of county
delegations to the Legislature should
be redeemed, and that a constitutional
amendment for that purpose should
be submitted to the vote of the people
at the earliest possible time.
1t is equally imperative, as it seems
to me, that the use of the courts of
justice by the people should be simpli-
fed and facilitated. Our legal proce-
dure is too technical, too complicated,
too expensive, too little adapted to the
use of the poor and unschooled. With
splendid courts o undoubted integrity
we nevertheless feel that the rich liti-
CANT a tire the poor litigant out,
and that the common run of men
have good reason to dread litigation
and doubt its outcom. We are proud
of III bench; why should we not put
ourselves in a position to be equally
proud of our administration of justice
as based upon the best reformed mod
els? A little expert advice will put
us in a way to discover the right legis-
alton for this purpose, without waiting
for amendments of the Constitution.
1t is not the courts we wish to change
so much as the methods of procedure.
Both parties are pledged also to
take up the matter of jury reform; to
consider in particular the methods by
which grand juries are chosen in or
der to devise, if possible, a process of
choice by which abuses of a serious
kind which have arisen to the scandal
of public opinion may hereafter be
prevented. l recommend this deeply
important subject to your very earn
est consideration.
We have done much toward secur-
ing justice and safety for the working
men of the State in our factory laws,
our tenement house legislation and
u Employers Liability Act, but we
have not done enough. Our workmen
very justly demand further legisla.
ton with regard to the inspection and
regulation of factories and workshops,
and / recommend legislation of this
kind to your very careful and earnest
consideration. / recommend, more
over, the passage at an early date of
an act requiring the railways operat-
ing within this State to provide their
trains with adequate crews Our sis
ter State of Pennsylvania has adopted
legislation of this kind, and the rail-
ways whose lines cross from Pennsyl-
vania into New Jrsey actually carry
full crews to the border of this State
and then send their trains on through
New Jersey with diminished crews,
to the jeopardy, as l believe, of life
and property, requiring more of the
small crew than it can safely and
thoroughly do.
The abolition of grade crossings,
too, as rapidly as possible, under the
direction of the Board o Public Utili-
ties Commissioners, is an imperative
necessity, if the lives of our citizens
are to be properly safeguarded. How
ever difficult it may be to effect the
changes needed in this matter, / feel
it to be a question of the very great
est moment. The loss of life at grade
crossings in this State has been very
great, quite inexcusably great, and
there is no reform which public opin-
ion more clearly or more justly de-
mands than this.
Possibly it is not necessary to draw
your attention to this important mat
ter to which the public opinion of the
State has been now or so long a time
turned. 1t is not to be wondered at
that opinion has grown very critical
and very impatient of the delay in
dealing with it.
The report of the Commissioner of
Public Roads urges some changes in
the Road Law, for which I bespeak
your very careful consideration. They
r intended to render the present
system of administration more efici-
ent, to remove the care of improved
roads entirely from politics and to
establish a definite system of high
ways. The changes in the conditions
of road traffic in recent years certain
ly render many alterations in the ex-
listing law very desirable, if not i'm
perative.
These are all matters of serious bus
mess, and it will be a great pleasure
to me to be associated with you in
trying to fulfill our obligations in re-
gard to them in a that will
satisfy the just expectation of those
who have intrusted to Jul are the
interests and the welfare Of this great
State.
CHINESE REVENUES IjP S371 000-