The Penn's Grove record., 1916-02-04
STATE CAPITAL NEWS.
Continued from page u

Hutchinson's bill modifying the regula-
tions for the acquisitions issued through
the State Comptroller's office. 1t pro-
Yides that the Comptroller's Office shall
have supervision over expenditures only
to see that they do not exceed the appro-
priations, and also requiring the Comp
troller to act on all acquisitions within
"A hours after they are filed with him.
All the Democrats opposed it, the vote
being 13 to s.
BY a unanimous vote the Assembly
passed the Schoen bill advancing by one
month the time for holding the primary
election for the selection of the dele
gates to the national convention. The
bill fixes the primaries for the fourth
Tuesday in April. The reason adVanc-
ed for its passage was that with the pri-
maries in May as now required, the Re
pubhcans would not have sufficient time
to prepare for their convention, which is
TO meet in Chicago on June Z.
The local option bill by Senator Gaunt
was reported in the Senate without rec
ommendation this week and was given
a second reading. 1t is now ready for
final action, which may come next week
or the week after. 1t will pass the Sen
ate, but is expected to meet defeat in the
Assembly.
Dalrymple, the Essex County Republi-
can leader and the twelve Essex As
semblymen attempted yesterday after
noon to queer" the Gaunt local option
measure by having the local option by
Mr.. Lake, of Cape May County, report
ed and railroaded through to defeat.
Their hope was that this would weaken
the demonstration made by the local op-
tionists today and also lessen the effect
of the vote in the Senate. The oppon-
ents of the Gaunt bill got the Lake mea-
sure reported in the House, but after
a determined fight, it was ordered re-
committed by the vote of 40 to 16, in
stead of being defeated. 1t is claimed
that the Lake bill was only introduced
to enable the anti-local optionists to
play with against the passage of the bill
which is backed by the New Jersey Anti
Saloon League.
The bill by Mr.. Iobst, of Hunterdon
County, providing for reading the Bible
IN the public schools at the opening ex-
e~rcises, was reported by a committee
ouOolluNt ScSleIudJs LIE Dill DY MI.
Runyon providing for the licensing of
BARRIERS and creating a State Board to
examine and license BARRIERS was report
ed favorable. Another measure report
ed is the Wolvertin bill providing that
in factories engaged in making materials
for war, women may work more than ten
hours a day.
The Rev. James Gilbert Mason, of Ne
tuchen, the Prohibitionist candidate for
Governor in 1913, is out with a statement
that national prohibition will be one of
the main issues in Washington during the
present campaign and session of Con-
gress. He calls attention to the several
anti-liqnor bills pending in Congress, and
then says:
1.-THE liquor men say and we think too,
that prohibition is sure to be one of the
big issues in this session of Congress.
The unexpected entry of Secretary of
State Thomas B. Martin into the race
for the Democratic nomination for Gov
ernor is causing the l~iveliest discussion
in state political circles. 1t had been
understood that Naval Officer H. Otto
Wittpenn would announce his candidacy
for the G~overnorship this week, and it
was regarded that Secretary of State
Martin had played a piece of cute politics
AS usual-in getting in ahead of Witt
penn with his statement. Martin is con-
coded to be one of the shrewdest politi-
clans in the Democratic ranks.
Secretary Martin is strongly anti
Wittpenn and is the leader of the Hud-
son County Democratic faction opposed
to the nomination of the Naval Officer.
Various interpretations are put upon
the Martin announcement, and they seem
to have for their base the fact that there
had been no limitations that he was
going to seek the G~overnorship. Some
think the Martin move was made to head