The Penn's Grove record., 1916-01-21
FRIDAY, JANUARY. 81, 1916
STATE CAPITAL NEWS.
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ment on this matter Friday or Saturday.
Following that, preparations will be made
for fling his nominating petition. Sena-
tor Edge will make an active campaign
and will endeavor to meet people in all
sections of the State before the primary
next September.
Governor Fielder made it plain that
he has no intention of resigning the Gov
ernorship to go into President Wilson's
cabinet. The Governor reiterated his
declaration that there was nothing in the
talk about his succeeding Secretary of
War Garrison in the cabinet. He insist
ed that his recent visit to Washington
with Mrs. Fielder to dine with the
President and Mrs. Wilson, was purely
a social event, with no political signifi-
cance
Hudson County, always a hot-bed of
politics, provided a sensation in the Leg
islature this week in the form of a reso-
luton to investigate alleged irregular
practices in that county with reference
to indictments. The resolution was in
PRODUCED in the Assembly by Harry d.
johnson, Republican, of Essex County,
but the man really back of it was Will
liam p. Yerdon, leader of one of the Re-
publican factions of Hudson. 1t pro-
vides that the Hudson judiciary Commit
tee shall investigate allegations made I'M
der oath that certain indictments in that
county were fraudulently and illegally
changed by the Prosecutors Office. The
resolution is based upon an affidavit by
Samuel s. Smith, chairman of the Hud-
son County Republican Committee, and a
Verdonite.
Smith was tried in the Hudson County
Court last week on a charge of misusing
500 of campaign funds. He denied the
charge and the jury disagreed. He
claims the prosecution was a political
frame-up against him. Verdon came to
the State House this week and claimed
that the grand jury found a John Doe"
indictment on this charge and that after
that Smiths name was substituted. At
the trial Smith charged Second Assist
ant Prosecutor James w. Mccarthy with
abusing his official power to prosecute
him. Mccarthy is allied with another
wing of the Hudson Republicans. In
connection with this matter there was
talk of bringing impeachment proceed
ings against Judge Tenant, who presid-
ed at the trial, and Prosecutor Hud-
speth, both of whom are Wittpenn Dem
ocrats. As the result of this, writs were
issued by Judge Tenant for the arrest
of Verdon and a Hudson County news
paper man on a charge of contempt of
court.
.
The Assembly was in session yester-
day only thirty minutes, but during that
more than a score of bills were in
troduced. Five measures were reported
and given a second reading. The most
important of these was the bill BY Mr..
Randall, of Passaie County, providing for
school savings banks, and designed to
promote habits of saving among school
children. Another measure reported is
by MIR. Godfrey, of Atlantic, and repeats
the act of last year a%bolishing the right
OF dover and courtesy in property. There
has been much opposition to this statute
ever since it was put upon the law books.
y y
Among the most important bills intro
duced in the Assembly this week were
Fixing the fee for motor vehicle drivers
license at So; abolishes the plea of insan-
lty after the defense in all criminal
cases and allows a plea of guilty but
lnsane;" prohibits dazzling search lights
on trolley cars; providing for the proper
of motorcycles; permits the op-
of only those moving picture ma
chimes using slowing burning films; a
series of labor bills, including an anti
injunction measure, providing one day
OF rest In every seven and regulating the
employment of females as core makers
in foundries; making it illegal to collect
for electricity unless it shall have been
actually consumed; providing open COM
petition among fire insurance companies
in order to furnish lower rates; provid-
ing a rate for gas at so cents per thous-
and cubic feet; gives pedestrians the
right of way over vehicles at street cross
ings; amending the election law so as to
permit clerks to issue election transfers
from one polling place to another, a work
now only performed by county judges.
Governor Fielder has appointed John
R. Sisom, of Mount Holly, a Democrat,
as a member of the Board of Elections
Of Burlington County. He succeeds John
J. Mcdonald, also a Democrat, resigned.
.
The Assembly judiciary Committee
will give a public hearing next Tuesday
morning at 1915 O'Clock at the State
House on the series of bills by Assembly
man Pierson, of Union County, for the
regulation of municipal finances.
= y
Alfred N. D~alrymple, the Essex Coun-
~ Republican leader, was at the State
House this week actively promoting the
campaign to make Ex-Governor Franklin
Murphy the candidate for United States
Senator, and Senator Austen Colgate,
The friends of Senator Col
gate see in the renewal of the boom of
ex-senator Prince for Governor, an eff
fort of the Stokes followers to start op-