Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-04-04
POLITICS AND COMMENTS FROM
STATE CAPITOL.
Continued from Page One.)

lawmakers being too jaded to pay at
tention to what was going on, the
Legislature wound up its work last
Friday night and took recess until
Wednesday of next week. By this
method of adjourning there was ample
time to give due attention to every
bill that was taken up. The session
was noted all through for its business
like handling of legislation, and the
greater celebrity with which the legis-
lation was enacted For the first
time in years the sessions were OPEN
ed on time, and the lawmaking work
was given the attention its importance
warranted.
Several of the biggest bills before
the lawmakers were not enacted and
in their places were passed resolu-
Mons providing commissions for an in
vestigation and report next year.
Among these were Grand Jury reform,
the question of reorganizing and re-
forming the taxing system of the State
and the question of the abandonment
of the Morris Canal.
*****
The principal bills killed were: Lo-
cal Option; Woman Suffrage; inte-
terminate franchises; for a state high
way system; the bill permitting box
ing; the full crew bill; increasing the
salaries of the Supreme Court Justices
and Chancellor and Vice Chancellor;
regulating of electric and gas rates
and abolition of death penalty.
So
- ,,,,,o-topk 10 urs
enacted by the Legislature were: for
the removal of grade crossings, which
will mean the elimination of one dan
gerous grade crossing for each thirty
miIes of track operated. Several bills
giving further protection TO factory
workers; the bill giving women ten
hour day; the Stickel automobile reci-
procity bill which was reconsidered
and passed after the Senate had de-
feated it; the Gaunt fifty year fran
chise bill, which was vetoed by the
Governor, passed by the Senate over
his veto and is still pending in the
Assembly; several bills reforming and
simplifying court practice, freeing the
toll bridges across the Delaware Riv-
er; several election bills changing
the Presidential primary from May %
to May IA; increasing the limit of
population in municipalities under
which personal registration shall not
be required from 5000 to 10000; per-
mitting volunteers without compensa-
ton to transport voters to and from
the polls; changing the school law of
last year so that promotion in the
schools may be upon merit instead of
solely by state examination.
Despite the strong opposition to the
appointment of Professor Henry J.
Ford, of Princeton, as Banking & In
surance Commissioner the Senate
with the aid of four Republican votes
confirmed the nomination. The four
Republicans who voted with the Dem
ocrats to confirm were Colgate, Mich
OILS, Pierce and Smalley. Among the
other important nominations confirm
ed were David S. Crater, of Mon
mouth, Secretary of State; Joseph p.
Tumulty, of Hudson, Supreme Court
Clerk; Charles E. Hendrickson, Jr. of
Hudson, and former Senator Isaac
Barber, of Warren, to the State Board
of Assessors; Joseph Mccormick, of
Hudson, Supervisor of the State Pris-
on; State Tax Board, Colonel Alfred
II. Holly, of Bergen; Commissioner of
Charities and Corrections, Joseph P.
Byers, of Essex; State Board of
Health, Senator Jacob G. Price, of
Sussex; Civil Service Commissioner,
Colonel Alexander r. Fordyce, Jr., of
Essex, and Judge of the Common Pleas
Court of Passaic County, Congressman
William Hughes, Of Paterson.
*** *e
The Legislature will reconvene next
Wednesday at p. m, and the main
business before it will be to take up
any bills which the Governor may
have vetoed. 1t is practically certain
that Governor Wilson will disapprove
of some of the election bills which hit
the Geran act for which the Governor
fought last year. 1t is considered like
~ that these acts and the fifty year
franchise bill will be passed over the
Executive Veto It will be the first
time that the Governors veto has been
overridden since the sensational race
track days of 19 years ago,
The appropriation bills passed by
the Legislature call for total of 81
481, ,22468, a net increase over last
year of $667 1915. The extraordinary
appropriations, including new build
ings and repairs amount to $1,715,9 ,955.
The session of the Legislature cost the
state about $4,000.
The new trial of Senator Fitzherbert
of Norris County, on the charge of
attempting to hold up the Lehigh Val
ley Railroad Co. for retainer in re-
turn for his vote for the Morris Canal
abandonment bill, win begin in Jersey
City on Saturday of this week. It will
be conducted by Senators Gaunt and
Leavitt, Republicans, and johnson,
Democrat.
State Road Commissioned Edwin A.
Stephens has made an estimate show
ing that New Jersey will lose $55,S10
in automobile license fees as the re-
suit of the passage of the Stickel reci-
procity bill. He claims that the in
crease Of so per cent. in the fees will
1,aoan an additional income of $78,630,