Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-24
POWER OF POLICE
COURT ENLARGED
East Orange City Council APP
proves Proposed LegisIa-
tive Measures.

The East Orange City Council last
night approved bills soon to be in
troduced in the Legislature, one en-
powering Recorder Francis A. Mott,
jr, of East Orange, to convert his
tribunal into a police court similar to
those of Newark and Paterson, and
giving his clerk more authority, and
the other permitting the Board of Ex-
else to establish and enforce its own
laws.
Recorder Motifs court is now oper-
ated under an Anticipated city charter
which gives his clerk particularly no
authority. His main object in draft
ing the bill was to authorize his as
sistant to accept bail bonds, sign war
rants and attend to other minor de-
tails in connection with the hearing
of cases which he is compelled to do
himself.
The bill gives him the power to se-
lect his own clerk, which is now under
civil service regulations. The magis-
trate assured the legislative commit
tee 1t is his intention to appoint his
present assistant if the bill is ap-
proved by the State lawmakers.
Court Room Inadequate.
Agreeing with Recorder Mott that
his present court. which is a dingy
room in the half-century old police
building, is entirely inadequate, the
council granted him permission to use
the council chamber in the City Hall
to hear his cases hereafter. The Dis
trict Court also meets in the council
chamber twice weekly, but Recorder
Mott assured the officials his cases
will not interfere with the county
court sessions.
The magistrate impressed the Of
ficials greatly with the statement that
he suffers great inconvenience because
of the lack of space in the present
small room. He declared women de-
string to confer with him in private
are subjected to much embarrassment,
because they are compelled to talk
with him often before an audience
that packs his present room.
He added the conditions might just
ly be termed outrageous. Councilmen
George A. Grover, T. McCurdy Marsh
and G. w. Buggeln, who are frequent
visitors to his court, agreed with him.
Mr.. Grover supplemented his remarks
about the court room with the state
ment that the police headquarters
building also was inadequate.
Satisfied with Bill.
Councilman Frank Bliss Cotton,
chairman of the legislative committee,
was inclined to oppose the bill
last night, contending it had not
received proper consideration, but
after Recorder Mott explained the
provisions the council approved it and
advised that 1t be introduced, provid-
ing Mr.. Colton's committee satisfied
itself that it was good one, The
committee and Recorder Mott de-
liberated over the stipulations follow
ing the meeting, and the officials
agreed it should be introduced.
The bill empowering the Excise
Board to create and enforce their
own laws is similar to one drafted
last year, but which was not passed
by the Legislature Frequently for the
past few years the commissioners
have sought the passage of such a
measure. Their principal aim is to
regulate the distribution of liquor sold
in East Orange by out of town deal
ers. The present charter does not
give them authority to inf1ict penal
ties for violations of liquor laws, the
cases being sent to the grand jury.
Much discussion was precipitated
over the bill. Councilman Grover
thought the City Council should have
the say regarding the adoption of or
dinances by the commissioners. He
questioned whether the commission
could impose fines. After the deliber-
alton the legislative committee was
| instructed to Introduce the bill in it's
present form.