Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-01-25

: / 1VuALyt CACiupt4h6 QoAiCctAtc ]ltH
I farm laborers from the provisions of
the new employers liability act. This
action was taken on the claim that the
new law is working great injury to
the agricultural interests of the state.
If the Gaunt bill shall become law
farmers will be exempt from damages
for accidents to their laborers, except
the damages be recovered in Court
under the old statutes.
The State Board also adopted reso-
lutions favoring the abolition OF the
limited trolley franchise, asking for
legislation permitting trolleys to
carry freight; advocating the parcels
post; more stringent legislation for
the protection of dairies and declaring
in favor of legislation giving farmers
relief from excessive taxation for
/ road repairs The report of State
Motor Vehicle Commissioner j B. R.
Smith was endorsed This report
showed that good road, repairs have
jumped from 100000 in 1907 to ST.
565 900 in 1911, and that $2,500,000 will
be required in 1912 to keep the roads
from being ruined. He charged au-
tomobile traffic with being responsible
| for these outlays.
The officers elected were as fol-
lows: President, former Senator Jos.
S. Frelinghuysen, of Raritan; vice.
tPresident, John T. Cox, of White
House Station; secretary, Franklin
Dye, of Trenton; treasurer, A. J Ri
der, of Hammonton; Executive Com
mittee, George E. DeCamp, of Rose
| land; Theodore Brown, of Swedesboro
and J. Harvey Darnell of Masonville.
Assistant Attorney General Nelson
B. Gaskill has rendered an opinion
that holders of railroad passes can
not be compelled to sign agreements
absolving the railroad companies
from responsibility for any accidents
that may befall the holders of the
passes while riding ON the trains of
the companies. The decision is the
result of an attempt by the railroad
companies to compel pass hunters to
sign such agreements. The first pro-
test against the order was made by
the members of the Fish and Game
Commission, who asked the Attorney
General to pass on the question.
An important meeting in the inter-
ests of the public school system of the
state took place today in the Laurel
in-the-pines, Lakewood. Those pres
ent were the members of the State
Board of Education, DR.. Calvin y.
Kendall, State Commissioner of Edn
cation; his three assistants, J. Brog-
nard Belts, George A. Mirick and AL
bert B Meredity and all the county
school superintendents. The meeting
was called for the purpose of gem
eral discussion of school matters with
view to systematizing and stand
ardizing school affairs and generally
to improve school conditions Com
missioner Kendall has discovered
what the Senate school investigating
committee pointed out year ago.
namely, that various systems are be
ing practiced in different counties ard
that there are scarcely two counties
throughout the state working under
the same general method of conduct
ing school affairs. 1t is the intention
of the school authorities TO correct
this lack of uniformity.
The establishment of system Of
state highways is provided in q bill
introduced in the Assembly by Repub-
Iican leader George w. Whyte, of
Camden. The measure proposes to
take over the most important roads
in the state, particularly between
county seats, the ocean highway and
the proposed Delaware River Boule-
ward from Trenton to Port Jervis.
The proposition is to take these main
roads from County Superintendency
and place them under state control.
The plan involves large issue by the
state which would have to be, passed
upon by the voters at the polls next
November. WiIlful damage to roads is
to be punished by a fine of from $40
to $40 and railroad lines are to use
roads only with the consent of the
State Highway Commission.
Two additional orders regulating
trolley fares have just been issued by
| the State Utility Commission. One or
der compeIs the Public Service Rail-
way Co. to charge not more than 20
cents fare one way between Paterson
| and Hoboken. The other order dis
misses the complaint of the Maple
Shade improvement Association of
Camden County against a 10 cent fare
charged by the Public Service Co.
| from Camden to Maple Shade on the
ground that the fare is not unreason-
able
Senate President John D. Prince,
of Passaic County, was acting Cover
nor several days last week during the
absence of Governor Wilson on a
speaking tour to Michigan and other
points West Senator Prince came 10
Trenton Thursday morning and took
the oath as acting Governor before
4 Assistant Attorney General Gaskill.
While the Governor was out of th !
State, acting Governor Prince attend
ed to the necessary executive busi-
ness.