Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-02-11
Bill ApprOpriating $4,000
Passes Senate.
NEW BUILDINGS PLANNED.
Local Option Measure Passes Upper
House by Vote of II to 9-Hennessy
Would Give Women Right to Vote at
Presidential Elections-New Normal
School Proposed.
Especial Correspondence

insane in this state as being among
the worst in the country, Senator Hen
messy Of Bergen in the debate on SEN
ate bill 5 by Senator Rathbun of Nor
ris urged that immediate steps be
taken to correct these conditions. The
bill, which was passed, appropriated
S15O,OOO to be expended in the pur-
chase of land to be used for the cree
ton Of new buildings.
Senator Hennessy contended that
such an appropriation would not afford
any relief at the present time, since
new buildings could not be erected
either at Trenton or Morris Plains to
relieve the overcrowded conditions at
those institutions. The present .appro-
priation, he maintained, was but a
drop in the bucket, and 1t would be
years before any results would be OBJ
tanned under such a pieeemeal policy
of appropriation.
Senator Rathbun, the ~introducer Of
the bill. agreed with Senator Hennessy
that the present institutions were very
much o~vercrowded and, referring to
the recent fire at Morris Plains. said
that If it had occurred at night there
would have been great loss of life. He
thought. however. that the plan work
ed out by the commission, which re-
quested this appropriation, was the
most feasible to ultimately better ex-
listing conditions.
1t was also brought forth in the de-
bate that the officials in charge of the
hospitals admit that much of the new
treatment accorded the patients at pres
ent is antiquated and does not accord
with advanced methods. but this can
not be remedied with the present ia
~cilities. The measure received an
unanimous vote.
"Esoard of Guardians" .
Governor Fielder's charge that ga
board of guardians" as he calls them.
Is directing legislation for the benefit
of the Republican party caused wide
spread comment.
Independent state newspapers" the
executive declared. shave directed at
tention to the return to the s%tatehouse.
with but slight change in personnel, Of
the board of guardians and to the at
tempts of this self constituted and mis-
chievous body to direct and dominate
the course of legislative procedure.
These papers are rendering a great pub
lie service, and I hope they will con-
tinue their efforts to arouse the state to
action, so that the influence of public
opinion may be directed against these
efforts to hamper and prevent free and
nonpartisan action by a majority of the
members.
GAS evidence that politics and parti-
san feeling control the motives of some
men in the legislature, either willingly
or by direction of their guardians" he
said, 81 would suggest that the public
examine pending bills" Among them
he mentioned:
Assembly 20 and 2O9-Both intro
duced by Mr.. Godfrey, to extend the
term of the present Republican com.
missioner of labor for two years. His
term will expire this year. and under
the present law I would have the ap-
pointment of his successor.
Assembly 137-By Mr.. O. H. Ham
mond, to extend the term of Mr.. For
dyce, a Republican member of the
civil service commission. whose term
will expire this year. To accomplish
this end and to take the appointment
from me, the bill proposes to extend
the tenure of all the commissioners so
as to make their terms six years, an
unnecessarily long period of service,
especially for an unfit member.
Assembly 1913, by Mr.. Gilbert, and
Senate 80. by MI. Gaunt duplicate
bills), to abolish the department of mo-
tor vehicles and merge it with a new
road commission. They remove the
head of the Democratic commissioner
Of motor vehicles and make him a
clerk under the new road commission,
at such salary as the commission may
fix. Whatever pretended saving is thus
accomplished is expended several times
over for salaries to the members of the
commission"
Local Option Bill Passed.
Senator Gaunt's local option bill was
passed by the senate according to pre-
dictions. The vote on the measure
was II for and 9 against. Those vot-
ing for it were Ackley of Cumberland,
Allen of Salem. Gaunt Of Gloucester,
Hennessy of Bergen, Hutchinson of
Mercer, Martens of HunterdoA, Mathis
of Ocean, Pierce of Union, Smalley of
Somerset, Wells of Burlington and
Rathbun of Morris; against, Ackerson
Of Monmouth, Barber of Warren, Col
gate of Essex, Edge of Atlantic, Egan
of Hudson, Florence of Middlesex, Nc
Gran of Passaic, Munson of Sussex
and Read of Camden.
Many of the senators in voting ex-
planned their vote, and Senators Col
gate and Edge, candidates for the Re-
publican gubernatorial nomination, de-
MED that they wished the house of as