New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-15
One STRAY COMMA
STIRS N. J. WOMEN
They Ask by Whom Suf-
frage Amendment Was
PunCtuated.
SCENT A PLOT
TO BALK PASSAGE
Printer Said to Have Inserted
Stop Without House Vote
Inquiry Opens To-day.

Trenton. Feb. 14.-An investigation
to determine whether anything has
been done deliberately to balk the
passage OF the woman suffrage constl-
tutional amendment will mark the
opening Of the sixth week of the Legis-
lature here tomorrow. conference
of the suffragists has been called Tor
the morning to inquire into the charge
that the amendment, which was to come
up in the Senate tomorrow night, was
tempered with after it left the As
sembly.
Il is said that, as it passed the
House. the resolution had comma
missing; that, without any further
action by the House, the correction,
equal to an amendment of a bill, was
made by the printers. and the minutes
sent forthwith to the Senate.
While it has been admitted by Cap
tain James Parker. one of the assist
ant supervisors of bills, that he elm
mated the comma. it is maintained by
him. as well as by Assemblyman Pea
cock, the introducer of the measure,
that the comma had been re-inserted
before the resolution was finally acted
upon in the House.
This ia not the version, however, OF
Senate Majority Leader William T..
Read. He has written 10 Mrs. Philip
Mckim Garrison telling her that there
has been a misprint, without inform
ing her of the nature of it.
Mrs. Garrison, as chairman Of the
legislative committee Of the New Jer-
sey Woman Suffrage Association, has
sent out the call for to-morrow's con-
ference. The women will be assisted
in their investigation by Linton Sat
terthwait. former Senator Everett
Colby and, possibly, by Frank II. Som
mer.
The women are suspicious. A similar
resolution, approved by both branches
of the Legislature two years ago, was
lost" on the way to the Secretary OF
States Office.
Senator Read, the majority leader,
will report the entire economy and
efficiency programme either tomorrow
night or Tuesday morning. He will re-
port seven of the eight bills in practi-
cally their original shape, although
there will be minor amendments to all
of them. The bill of the series apply
ing to the Department of Labor Will
be reported by q committee substitute
which has been decided upon after the
numerous hearings on the bill.
Governor Fielder has been quoted as
saying that he will not stand for the
proposition to make an exception of the
Labor Department. This is one of the
big things Of the session that is ex-
pected to come to head this week.
IL is the intention of Senator White,
of Burlington, to report the local option
bill favorably.
The bill will lay over probably until
next week, when it will come to final
passage. 1t will likely pass the Senate,
but there seems to be no chance for
the bill in the House this year.
There is to be hearing tomorrow
afternoon on Senator Rathbun's meas
ure to forfeit all charters that have
not been used since they were secured.
Some seem to think this is bad bill,
as it will mean the loss of almost $780,
900 yearly by the state in taxes. These
corporations remain alive for years and
pay their corporation tax while the pro
motors are finding capital and the like.
The Rathbun bill would clean the slate
of all corporation charters that have
not been taken advantage of to date.