Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-13
Speaker Beekman Names As.
sembIy Committees After
Urging Cautiousness.
Ispeclal to the Newark start

House of Assembly here at noon to-
day. Flowers Uttered the desks of the
sixty members and the galleries were
filled with friends of the new and
hold-over Legislators.
The entire membership was sworn
in at the same time, each man stand
ing at his desk and swearing al
legiance to the United States and to
the State of New Jersey and that he
would faithfully perform his duties
as assemblyman. The prayer was
pronounced by Rev. William S.
Cranmer, of Somerville.
Spectators from Essex.
Among those present from Essex
We're: City Counsel James r. Nugent,
| George d. Smith, Valentine Braun,
Patrick c. O'Brien, president of the
| Common Councils; Alderman Thomas
], Lee, jr.; Tax Commissioner Moses
Reichman; J. Frank Black. of Mont
clair; John O'Hara, of Caldwell; for
mer License Inspector William Roeb-
| ling, former Freebooter John Otter
bein, former Assemblyman Michael
Leveen and former Freebooter Sey-
mour P. Gilbert.
Rev. Frederick K. w. Soule, who
delivered the invocation, prayed that
| prosperity and peace" attend the
| legislative session. and that the acts
effected be for the good of all the peo-
pie"
Clerk Phillips called the roll and
called for the presentation of certif
Gates of members. This was dispensed
with, on motion of Majority Leader
Joseph NJ. Branegan. His resolution
also empowered Assemblyman Thomas
F. A. Griffin, of Hudson, to administer
the oaths of office to the speaker and
other officers of the House when
elected.
Assemblyman Arthur M. Agnew Of
Bergen, administered the oath to the
assemblymen. 1t was very impress
sive, Mr.. Agnew reading and the en-
tire House repeating, in unison, the
words of the oath. Signing the roll Of
the House by each member was next
in the order Of business.
Essex Men Appointed.
Appointments of Essex county men
to positions within the gift of the EsS
sex assemblymen were announced as
follows: Clerk of the House, Mark F.
Phillips, Newark; assistant to the
clerk, Francis j. Scanlon, Newark;
assistant supervisor of bills, former
president of the Civil Service Com
mission Colonel ]. r. Millikin, New
ark; stenographer, John J. F. Conroy,
Orange; doorkeepers, Philip Wahle,
East Orange, and Alexander Stone,
Newark; Pages, John Smith, New
ark. and James Valentine, Newark;
file clerks, James Smith, Newark;
Lawrence Reilly, Newark; Frank j.
Dunpion Montclair, and Daniel
Brophy Orange.
Many members had bills ready for
presentation.
Assemblyman Azariah NJ. Beekman,
Democrat, of Somerset county, was,
according to program, elected speaker
Upon ascending the chair he SAID:
Speaker Beelman's Address.
Fellow Members of the 13Sth House
of Assembly, fully recognize the
worth of the compliment which per
mits me to act in. this capacity. l
thank you for it and incident to TAX
ing the gavel, which you with gener-
GUS confidence have placed in my
hands that may assist you in your
duties, the sentiments which / have
an eager desire to express are those OF
comradeship and friendly feeling min
gled with a sober sense of the work
we have to do. 1 refer to that COM
radeship which should attend common
endeavor, the friendship which arises
from a united purpose to perform a
public duty in a sdignified manner &C
cording to a proper standard of civic
ideals, and I judge this to be the most
fitting attitude in which to repay your
trust and meet your approval. The
efficient performance of legislative
work necessarily requires order and
system. In all deliberate bodies there
must be a recognized authority to be
applied in the interest of CELEBRITY, de-
corum and accomplishment, but we
shall not anticipate any harsh exer-
else of this power, for your speaker
solicits and expects every assistance
you can extend toward aiding his eff
fort to fairly and justly preside over
your deliberations, so that he may, in
turn, accord to every member of this
body that attention and consideration
which one gentleman owes and should
be pleased to give another. l have
the confident hope that nothing will
occur to mar or interrupt our most
cordial relationship.
I'm making assignments to the va
rious committees Gas they shall short
ly be announced) / regret that | did
not have more intimate acquaintance
with many of the new members par
ticularly those upon the Republican
side. If have overlooked any good
material among new men who are
capable and worthy, the sole cause is
| lack Of information, which fact,
trust, will insure my excuse and Sc
cure your leniency and pardon.
Importance of Committees.
"Permit me here to venture a few
words upon the Importance of the
work committees have to perform,
under our rules and practise.
During the legislative year last
past 939 House bills and APT Senate
bills Ga total of 1856 bills) were in
PRODUCED in both houses, and of these
781 measures, many of which involved
| important changes in existing law,
while others were in the nature Of
reading and final passage in the
House Of Assembly. The mere state
meIt of these facts at once suggest
what amount of labor and investiga-
tiQn is required to enable member
capably and intelligently to give de-
cision upon every bill he Is called upon
to consider. The individual member
has no one, at present, to share this
responsibility except the various COM
mittees. When a bill is reported upon,
whether favorably or unfavorably,
each member has a right to expect
that report to be the result of careful
scrutiny and investigation at the
hands of the committee making the
finding. You will, therefore, allow
me to urge a close and conscientious
attention to committee work which
should not be made matter of delay
and conscience, and finally ill-consid'
cred action, but a matter of serious
and prompt attention.
CAS- one of the branches of the law.
making machinery of the State we are
confronted with no small respon.
sibility, at least, the customary tasks
lie ahead of us.
1.-THE promises contained in the
platform of the two grent parties here