The Penn's Grove record., 1912-03-22
Senator Davis Letter on Legislation,
State House, Trenton, N. j.
March 20, 1912.
To the Residents OF Salem County:-

he pressure OF work is and the bills ale
being rushed through now or defeated
with a rapidlty not known bsfore dur
ing his session.
This week has been especially busy,
since 1t is the time Of appointments and
the corridors have ueen constantly Till
ed with possible appoIntees and their
friends. Tie Governor EN- to the Sen
ate to-day a number OF appointments,
III fact, all OF the larger appointments
TO be made this yeal, chef among
whom is the office OF Secretary OF State,
10 he filled by David S. Crater Oh Mon
mouth county; Clerk Supreme Court,
Joseph z. Tunlulty OF Hudson county,
and The Commissioner vi Banking anu
Insurance, Henry Jones Ford, Mercer
county. Tue last named gentleman Is
d professor OF Princeton Unllersi y,
over which The Governor presided be-
tore Ills election. The Governor seuL
also a few names 10 the Senate To-
members OF The different county tax
boards, among whom was hat OF Clay
ton l.. Batteu for Lhe County OF Salem.
None OI these appointments nave YET
been confirmed 10y The Senate and are
now avail ing action thereon.
The Senate as d body, made a cali
on he Governor some time ago and Ie-
quested The appointment u Senator
Ieorge .. SllZer from Middle eX county
as SeereIAy OF 5 ate, and 1t Was with
regret ana dISa pom ment That IL Was
leaned hat MI. Crater was TO be ap-
pointed instead. Senator Sllzer is d
young man who as served With mark
cd abltiLy III tne Senate DUNG The last
tx Years ana thele WAS some taik
trlong the papers aud at The SAFE
House oil refusing 70 confirm Tie ap-
%puInUnenJ tor Secretary OI Safe, but
That las now vanished and all OF the
appointments VIII Ue confirmed. Nv"
4eais ago Senator SllZer WAS prOmln-
emily mentioned tor the GoHelnSllpa and
many delegates Tad been lined up IUr
ann, but lie mOdeStly retired III favor vi
the present Governor.
There is now d plan on foot 10 have
him appOlnted Vice Chancellor, Ii IL
Is nolat all improbable that within a
short time ii VIII be Vice Chancellor
Sizer instead Of Senator Sllzer. He
has had IA wIle experience III The prac-
uce OF law generally and especially III
the Count Ot C~hancery.
Vice Chancellor Walker was appoint
ed Ibis week 10y the Governor, chan
cellor OF The Stale. TINS was an APP
pointment strictly upon merit and from
every quarter IL is stated That he ap-
pointment was the most popular which
the Governor has ever made.
There were three bills which We're
voted on this week, all of which were
lost, but which have OccaslOned. more
aud longer debd.e thau any others
which have been before The Senate this
year. They were bills upon women
suffrage, local option and automobile
reciprocity; the first OF said bills Ie-
ceiyed thee votes, the second six votes
and the thld elghJ v0 es.
The Senate passed Assembly bill 404
which makes ii Unable 10 sell cigarettes
TO minors under eighteen years Of age.
Tue previous law made it a nlisde-
mean0r punishable by a line moi exceed
ing $50, OF Imprisonment no. exceeding
three months OF boLh, lie present. bill
imposes d fine not eXcee ing $40 for
the first otfense and S25 for the second.
IL was felt that the Old law was too
severe AID consequently convictions
could not be secured hereunder.
The Democratic Senators on Monday
evening of this week sent a letter to
Richard Fitzherbert, the Senator from
Morris county, requesting him to send
his resignation to Governor Wilson forth
with. The Democratic Senators have
not been concerned about returning a seat
and a vote in the Senate, but have been
concerned about securing a fair and I'M
partial trial to one OF their colleagues
charged with a grave ana serious ~offense.
They desired that lie should have the
fullest opportunity without the suppress
sion of a single fact either for or against
him to prove himself to be innocent if
possible. At the conclusion OF the trial
tley felt that he had not been proved
guilty and voted accordingly, feeling as
they do they voted against his expulsion.
While his colleagues feel that Senator
Eitzherbert las not been guilty of any
real and intended wrong dong, yet they
believe that he was indiscreet and has
become involved in a very unsavOry
transaction which has absolutely destroy
ed his usefulness as a Senator. This fact
practically leaves Morris county without
representation. Under these circumstan-
ces it would be unfair to Morris county
for Senator Fitzherbert to remain i'll the
Senate, consequently they asked him for
his resignation. They have tried to be
just both to Morris county and to Sena-
tor Fitzherbert, who may at this time re-
tire, not under charges, but because he
has loolishly destroyed his usefulness.
l introduced d bill on Monday to abol-
ISL the County Board OF Taxation as at
present composed and provided in said
bill that the Assessors themselves of the
county should compose a board who
would sit at stated times for the purpose
oil equallzing taxation III the county and
to hear and settle disputes, etc. The bill
provides that the board shall elect a
President and Secretary, and that the
members thereof shall receive pay for the
actual days which they are sitting.
A bill passed the Senate tonight max
it lawful to shoot any and all kinds of
ducks until one hour after sunset. The
law as heretofore provided that black
ducks might he shot until seven O'clock
and all other kinds of ducks until sun
set. A bill was defeated a short time
ago which provided that it should be UNI
lawful to shoot any kind of ducks after
sunset, this bill which passed tonight
WAS a comprimise.
There has been quite a feeling over the
State with regard to the bill of Assembly,
GIL which repeats the law requiring ex-
animation for graduation from the Gram
MAJ school and enterance into the high
school. This law has been favored on the
one hand by the State board of Educa-
ton, and opposed on the other by the
schools generally throught the state. The
bill passed Assembly to repeal the pres
ent law, thus aboliShing the examina-
tious. II viii come up in the Senate for
final passage within a day or two. The
advocates and opponents OF Assembly,
man ellis bill to repeal the law are lined
up in battle array against each other.
The bill which | introduced last week
giving the Water Supply Commission of
tl,o Stata autl,ntjtv tn nrrobocn tho