Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-20

the establishment of a business-li like
plan for the management of prison
labor and the disposition of the pro
ducts thereof. There are too many
boards and officials connected with
this work and with prison control
and this results in friction, a loss OF
efficiency and unnecessary expense.
recommend that the Prison Labor
Commission and the board of inspect.
ors of the States prison be abolished
and that a new board be created tC
have entire charge and management
Of the States prison and of all places
at which convicts are put at work;
that the keeper of the prison be
. placed under the authority of this
] board, as the superintendent OF the
prison, and be relieved from respon-
sibility for the escape of those en-
gagged at outside work, and that this
board have control of the disposition
of products of convict labor. Such a
plan should lead to better results in
the performance of the States duty
to its criminal class, as we'll as to
economy in operation.
Charitable and Correctional Institutions.
"I have given some attention to our
charitable and correctional institu-
tions, and during my term of office I
intend to secure a more intimate
knowledge of their operation and a
better understanding of their needs.
The members of legislative commit
tees on these institutions, too, will do
well to visit them and acquaint them
selves with their functions and man
agement, for / feel they have been
much neglected by the State Many
are overcrowded and some are caring
for those who should be transferred
! oil Tho anita NnGf nf
maintenance of some seems high and
1t is not unlikely that money can be
saved by their boards of managers,
but all need State help and fair OPP
portunity to show the maximum
amount of usefulness. The members
of the boards of managers are for the
most part conscientious men and
women devoting their time and
| thought unselfishly and intelligently
to the care and relief of the poor I'M
fortunates committed to their charge.
The Legislature should cooperate
with these managers and the appro-
priation committee should give them
all the financial assistance the State
resources will allow. Those members
of boards who are not interested in
their work, or who cannot find the
time to devote to it, should promptly
resign so that their fellow-members
can be given the aid and assistance
of others, who can and will share
their burdens.
Jury Law without Referendum.
THE matter of jury reform is still
unsettled. You will recall that this
subject occupied much of the atten-
ton of the lastNLegislature and that
a special session was called to pass
bill changing the method of draw
ing grand and petit jurors, to the
end that scandals in the administra-
ton of justice, due to political in
fiuence and corruption, in some of
our counties, would never again oc-
cur. 1 was sure our people desired
this reform, and as acting Governor
of the State, in a message to the
special session, l urged that a bill
be passed without referendum. 1t
was my opinion that jury commits
sion, appointed by Supreme Court
justices, offered the proper and eff
feetive solution, but that session re-
suited in the passage of a bill pro-
viding for a commission consisting
of the sheriff and one citizen of each
county, the latter to be appointed by
the chancellor, and directing that the
acceptance of the act should be sub
mitted to the people of the whole
State at the last general election.
Another bill was passed at the same
session, taking effect at once, re-
forming and safeguarding the method
of selection, by the sheriffs, of our
grand and petit jurors and was
therefore In operation before the gem
eral election. Upon the submission
Of the Chancellor Sheriff Act to the
voters, it was adopted by a very
large majority, thus clearly indicat-
ing their preference for that act,
rather than for the other act passed
at the same session. The constitu-
| tionality of the Chancellor Sheriff
Act has been attacked, and is now
before our courts, a justice of the
| Supreme Court having declared it I'M
| constitutional because of the State
wide referendum and an appeal is
now pending in the Court of Appeals.
The question of the adoption of this
act having been decided by the voters
In unmistakable terms, there cannot
! be the slightest question as to the
duty of the Legislature in the prem
ises, or any room for further argu-
ment as to what kind of jury re-
form this State desires. There may
be some matters of mere detail in the
"chancellor-sheriff act" which need
correction, but the obligation of the
legislature to pass the bill again,
without referendum, is so plain
that 1t is idle to do more than set
forth the facts.
Approves Constitutional Amendments.
Two constitutional amendments
are suggested, both of which l ap-
prove, and which l think have the
approval of very large majority of
our citizens. The first will provide
for more liberal method of amend
ing the Constitution by submitting
any proposed amendment, after it has
passed two sessions of the Legisla-
ture, to the voters at the following
general election instead of a special
election, as now required, and by
eliminating the present constitutional
prohibition against voting on amend
ments oftener than once in five years.
The second amendment to which
refer relates to the creation of As
sembly districts in those counties en-
titled to more than one Assem- bly,
man. Under our system of nominal
ton and election, it is possible that
candidates for Assembly can be NOM
mated and elected from one section
of the county, leaving the balance
thereof unrepresented, and that the
Assemblymen elected may all repre-
sent one political party or a faction
of party. The creation of Assembly
districts will make the first impos-
sible and lessen the possibility of the
other.
Small Freebooter Board.
AUarionG attarnptc 4o raso ran-