The Penn's Grove record., 1916-12-15

women anu are uOiuluS nltGllhSS III q
ious sections. Mrs. f. f. Feiskert, Of
Plainfeld, president of the New Jersey
Women Suffrage Association, will be the
guest of honor at a luncheon here at
l O'Clock tomorrow, by the Woman Suf-
frage party of this city. Steps will be
taken to strengthen the party in Mercer
county.
Two or three of the recounts of bal
lots ordered since the election in Novem-
Der have disclosed ballot boxes broken,
unsealed or giving other evidence of not
having been properly handled. This was
true in one district in Elizabeth where
the votes of the Congressional election
in the Fifth District were being count
ed the second time. Members of the
election board in that district have been
indicted on a charge of n~onfeasance IN
Office. They pleaded not guilty and
were placed under $500 bail each. The
same action was taken in a district in
Roselle Borough, Union county. The
penalty for conviction of tampering with
any ballot box or its contents is a fine of
$500 or Imprisonment for two years, or
both.
= = y
Democratic leaders of Mercer county
are at work on a plan for a federation
of the Democratic Clubs of the county,
in order to strengthen the Democracy
here. 1t is proposed to have a central
committee composed of representatives
from each club.
Emnbot;o onnosit;on 70 +ba ;ntroduc-
ton of military training in the public
schools was registered by the New Jer-
sey State Changers at their annual con-
vention just held in Atlantic City. There
is a State Commission on the question
of military training in the schools and
if it reports in favor of the proposition,
the Oranges will fight the report. The
Changers declared in favor of local OPP
ton and will support the local option
bill to be introduced early in the coming
session. State Senator George w. F.
Gaunt, of Gloucester county, was re-
elected Worthy Master for his ninth
term. He was also congratulated upon
his u~ntiring efforts to procure the pass
age of the act recognizing the State
Board of Agriculture.
Hudson county Republicans have
started their plans for attending the IN
auguration of Governor Edge on Janu-
airy 16. 1t is expected that about 500
will come to Trenton by special train,
with a band.
Some surprise has been occasioned in
State political circles by the fact that
the Hudson Dispatch, the daily news
paper owned and edited by Secretary of
State Thomas f. Martin, Democrat, has
taken a stand on the liquor question.
While not taking a stand for prohibit
ton. the paper declared editorially:
1--WE believe the country would be a
great deal better off if there were no
liquor to be had anywhere" 1t also call
ed for the divorcing of breweries from
whiskey interests and of the brewery in
terests from the dive interests. The
editorial created a sensation in Hudson
county, all the more so because Secre-
tary of State Martin twice voted against
the local option bill when in the As
sembly. This stand will bring to a
sharper issue the question of the pass
age of the local option bill, particularly
in Hudson county, which has twelve
votes in the Assembly.
Because the National Defense Act
passed by Congress puts the National
Guard of this State under the authority
of the United States Military heads as
a part of the Federal forces, Adjutant
General Charles w. Barber, just APP
pointed by Governor Fielder, will not be
entitled to wear the uniform of a Bri-
gadier General, though that is the rank
given him by his commission from the
Governor. According to the provisions
of the National Defense act, General
Barber will only be entitled to wear the
uniform of a Major, which is his rank
in the United States Army. Under the
change in the National Guard made by
the act in question, the United States
military authorities do not recognize the
office of Adjutant General of a State.
Economy in the use of paper in the
public schools is urged by State Com
missioner of Education Kendall, in an
article in the bulletin just issued by the
State Department of Education. This
is due to the shortage in the paper sup
ply and the consequent high prices.
y =
The seating of the 60 members of the
House of Assembly in the approaching
session has been completed by State
House Custodian John A. Smith, and
will represent an island of Democracy,
in other words, a small body of Demo-
Gratis entirely surrounded by Republicans.
The Democrats will occupy only IS
seats, while the Republicans will occupy
A seats. Owing to the big Republican
majority, some of the members of that
party will have to sit on the Democratic
side of the Chamber, or the right of the
Speaker as he stands at his desk.
y y
The State House is being renovated
and painted throughout the interior for
the inauguration of the new Governor.
The corridors are being painted a gray
green, a much lighter color than the ex-
listing dark red. A new carpet will be
laid in thp Assembly Chamber and othar