Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-03-24

the amendment the part from which
the selection is to be made is limited
to the Old Testament. This will not,
of course, interfere with the permissive
reading of the Bible left in the dis
erection of each school board at present.
In offering his amendment Senator
Hutchinson said he did so out of jus-
tice to the Jews. who were strongly op-
posed to the measure compelling the
reading of five verses from any portion
of the Bible to their children. Belief
in the New Testament. he said. was
contrary to their p%recepts, and he
thought a measure such as the Ibost
bill would be contrary to the letter
and spirit of the state constitution.
After it had been amended the bill was
passed by a vote of II to d.
The measure in its amended form
was sent back to the house for concur
renee in the amendment. The propo-
nents of the measure in the house
were not entirely pleased with the
change, but they accepted it, and it
has now been sent to the governor for
his signature.
Assemblyman Persons bill provid-
ing for military training in public high
schools has been defeated by the sem
ate by a vote of 6 to 10. The measure
authorized the setting aside of two
hours a week for the training of the
boys in drill and of the girls in nurs-
Ing. It's defeat in the senate was mark
ed by many impassioned speeches, some
in favor of it and some for its defeat.
Preparedness Debated.
Senator Pierce of Union, who spon-
sored the measure in the senate, made
a strong plea for it's passage. Pre-
paredness was the pressing question of
the hour. he maintained, and this was
a step for preparedness. The issue In
voting on the bill. he maintained, was
whether the senate was for prepared
ness or not.
II am very serious in saying here
that the issue is one of national safety
and self preservation" he asserted,
because 1t has been demonstrated in
the European war that nothing counts
except preparedness. There was a
time when we thought reasons would
control, civilized customs would pre-
vail and treaties would be regarded,
but this war shows that these ideas are
all dreams. We must prepare, there
fore, If we are to preserve u liber-
ties"
Senator Ackley of Cumberland coun-
ty, opposing the bill, drew a vivid pic
ture of the horrors of war. He was
old enough, he said, to remember the
days of the civil war and the human
wrecks that came back from 1t.
eff this bill becomes a law" he de-
clared, the whole training of the mind
Of the child would be toward militia
rism. In the course of fifteen or TWEEN
ty years young America would be so
anxious to go out and win that you
could not restrain them. What would
that mean? l am old enough to re-
member the torn wrecks that came
back after So"
Senator Hennessy of Bergen county
also opposed the passage of the meas
ure. He characterized the bill as a
physiological crime and contended
that a spirit Of militarism would be
~engendered in the minds of the chill
dren. Senator Hutchinson of Mercer
was also against the measure. Senator
McCran of Passaic county thought the
tendency of the day was to make the
young men "m~ollycoddles" and thought
that the passage of the measu would
be-a big step in the right direction.
In the house Minority Leader Geran
strongly opposed the passage of the
assembly committee substitute for Sen
ator Hutchinson's bill amending the
requisition act. The substitute would
wipe out the requisition law entirely.
The measure was passed by the house
by a vote of 33 to p, having the sup
port of the Republicans. Mr.. Geran
claimed that the passage of the meas
ure would wipe out the restrictions
thrown around purchases by state in
stitutions.
Bond Bill Is Passed.
Senator Egan's bill providing for a
$7,000,0OO bond issue, to De voted on
by the people at the next general cleo
ton, was passed by both the senate
and house. In the latter branch it was
amended, and these amendments must
be %concurred in by the senate before it
can go to the governor for his sigma
ture. The amendments are unimpor-
tant in character. Under the bill the
money from the bonds, if they are au-
thorized by popular vote, would be
expended in road building throughout
the state over prescribed routes.
Moneys from the motor vehicle depart
ment would be used to pay the inter-
est and principal, a provision of the
act being that the issue should be re-
tired within ten years.
The bill authorizing the establish
ment of Morris plan loan banks in the
state was defeated in the senate by a