Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-02-19
FOR REFORM OF
He GRANDJURY
Important Measures for the
Legislature This Week.
fFrom ths NEWS Correspondent

from the NEWS Correspondenf.J
Trenton, Feb. 19:-The question
of grand jury reform, which has re-
ceived little attention in the Legisla-
ture the past two OF three weeks,
will be one Of the big propositions
to be taken up by the lawmakers this
week. The Republican leaders will
have a conference on the question
for the purpose of e~ndeayoring to
get together on a grand jury bill
which may be made q party measure
and thus be certain OF enactment.
There have been two reasons why
the jury reform question has lain
dormant for awhile. One has been
the disposition to sift out the IN
important measures and dispose OF
them first, leaving the larger bills
until later when they could have
careful consideration. The other
reason for delay on this question has
been the fact that the Republican
Legislators have not been a unit on
the provisions to be put In the mea-
sure.
Leavitt Grand Jury Bill.
The Leavitt grand jury bill, which
was introduced January 8, provides
for the drawing OF grand jIries by q
commission composed of the SUI
preme Court Justice, the Common
Pleas Judge and the Sheriff, a ma
jority vote OF the three to settle any
disagreement as to the placing of
any name On the list. This provision
is opposed by some OF the lawmak-
ers, particularly In North Jersey,
who want the drawing of the juries
left In the hands of the sheriff, sub
ject to the revision of the court
1t Is to reconcile differences of this
character that the conference will be
held this week. tits practically GER
tain that some grand Jury reform
Legislation that will meet the pres
ent abuses will be enacted by this
Legislature, as both parties are
pledged to 1t. The only other grand
jury bill in is the one drawn by
Sheriff Wedin, of Hudson county,
which provides that the sheriff shall
prepare a roster of 500 names for
the grand jury and the grand Jury
must be drawn from this list, twen-
Ity-four new names to be added to
the list after the drawing of each
grand jury.
For Congressional Districts.
The redistrictfng of the state to
provide for the two new Congress-
men is another question that will re-
ceive the attention OF the Republi-
can leaders this week. The redis-
tricting bill la ready with the keep
tion of drawing the lines for the
Ave districts to be provided In Es-
sex and Hudson counties. AS al
ready stated in these dispatches the
First, Second. Third and Fourth
districts will not be disturbed. War
rem county will be cut from the
Fifth district, leaving 1t to be COM
posed of Union and Morris coun-
ties. The Sixth district will be re-
constructed to include Bergen, the
northern end OF Passaic. Sussex and
Warren counties.
The remaining portion Of Passaic
county, being it's most p%opuIous
part, will make the Seventh dis
Newark and Jersey City among the
remaining five districts, has been
left largely to the local Republican
leaders IN those cities and 1t Is ex-
pected this work will be completed
this weeK. Then the finishing
touches will given the measure and
1t will then be- submitted to the con-
ference OF the state leaders and the
Republican legislators, or at least a
part of them. After this final look
ing over 1t will be made q party eau
Gus measure and viii De passed.
b64 Bills Have Been introduced.
The number OF bills introduced Is
5b4, besides several resolutions.
Eight measures have passed both
houses, three of these have reached
Governor Wilson and two OF these
have been approved, making them
law. One OF these is the Holloway
plank road bond bill and the other
is the Hand bin validating bonds is
sued for road purposes. Many bills
OF q minor character were advanced
last week and SO there will be quite
a grist OF second and third readings
this week, besides a lot more meas
ures tc be reported.
Public Hearing This Week.
Several important public hearings
on important measures are to take
place this week. This afternoon the
hearing is being continued on the
Edge bill limiting the hours of fe-
males in factories, stores, restau- |
rants, etc. to ten per day and eight |
per night. It is very probable that |
this measure will be amended so as
to provide that women shall moi be
to work In such estab-
iishments more than sixty hours a
week. This will permit them to
work IN stores OF Saturday night. |
Tomorrow afternoon at 4 o'clock the
Senate Committee ca Public Health
will give q hearing on Senate bin
T5, by Mr.. Colgate, regulating the
practice 81 pharmacy anu prohibit i
ing the adulteration of drugs. This
bill raises the standard Of the state
examinations and has 9th
er stringent provisions. It Will meet
with strong opposition. Two other
hearings are In progress this after
noon, one on the Watson riparian
measure, and the other the
continuation OF the argument Of the
Morris Canal abandonment bill.
Tomorrow morning at IL o'clock
the Assembly Committee ON Judic~
larry viii give a hearing on the
Beard sewage disposal measure. and
tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock the
Judiciary COMMITTEES will
grant q hearing on the bill by ar
prohibiting railroad
from slIumfnaEiua their
passenger trains with acetEleH as. ]