Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1916-01-11
LEGISLATURE IN
ANNUAL SESSION
FOR 14OTH TIME
Yearly Grind of Law Mill Be-
gins in Flower-Bedecked
State House.
REPUBLICANS CONTROL
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
Organization Effected Accord
ing to Schedule After New
Members Take Places.
REPUBLICANS CONTROL
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
From a STAFF Correspondent.

TRENTON, Jan. 11.-Organization
sion of the Legislature was effected
according to schedule at noon today.
William 7. Read, of Camden. was
elected president of the State Senate,
and Charles c. Pilgrim, of Newark,
became speaker of the House of AS
sembly. Both are Republicans. the
G. o. p. controlling the two branches
of the Legislature for the second year
in succession.
The setting was a brilliant one.
Floral offerings from admiring con-
stituents We're clustered about the
members desks, while women were
prominent in the galleries. As usual,
politicians, great and small, from all
corners of the State, looked ON wisely
from points of vantage in the lobby.
Senator Charles A. Rathbun, of
Morris county, assumed the duties of
ma jority leader in the Senate, while
Senator Harry E. Ackerson, jr., of
Monmouth, took command of the
Democrats there. In the lower
House, Assemblyman John Z Hates,
of Camden, entering uron his fourth
year, was recognized as the 'opub-
lican whip, and the fortunes o. the
Democracy were entrusted to Assem-
blyman Elmer II. Geran, sponsor for
the election reforms of the Wilson
administration. Like the Democratic
leader in the Senate, Mr.. Geran is a
representative of Monmouth county.
Political Lines Drawn Close.
Political lines in the Senate are to
be drawn very close if the initial pro-
ceedings may be taken as criterion.
The first clash to resolve the senators
into political voting came on an
amendment to the rules. BY vote of
10 to s the rules were amended
through which it will be possible for
two Republican members of a Senate
committee to report a bill without
consulting a Democratic member.
Senator Ackerson opposed this
nendment and his Democratic col
cues voted with him Aekerson
attempted to steal a lead on the Re-
publicans by introducing a resolution
to limit the introduction of bills after
February 7. except by unanimous con-
sent. President Read referred the
resolution to the judiciary committee.
Ackerson protested and wanted the
SeldlOIS 10 Sn Oh feCOGu lOi Vi dSdlllSl
the proposition. By a vote of 13 to
ii was decided to allow the judiciary
committee TO consider the Ackerson
resolution.
Debate in House.
About the same time, a lively de-
bate developed in the House when
Elmer Geran. the Democratic leader,
opposed several amendments to the
rules. He declared that the amend
ments were incomplete. dangerous
and simply meant that kissing goes
by favor" One of the amendments
provided that the speaker must eX-
anime all bills before they are intro
duced, and that these bills must be
presented to the clerk previous to the
converting of the House. Mr.. Geran
said that this gave opportunity for
delay, and he intimated that the
speaker could juggle bills as he saw
fit.
He complained because the time
and place for presenting bills to the
clerk were not stipulated. Mr. Kates
and Mr.. Runyon, both Republicans,
said that Mr. Geran's fears were
groundless, and as the debate prog
ressed it was evident that the amend
ments would be carried by Il strict
party vote. M Geran urged the
adoption of the rules of 1915. He also
seeks to have all committee meetings
made public and that public records
be kept of the committees proceed
ings.
Following the organization. l.. Ed
ward Hermann. secretary to Cover
Continued on Page 6, Column 81