The Penn's Grove record., 1916-12-15
STATE CAPITOL NEWS
What The State Officials Are
Doing. What The Political
Leaders Are Talking
About

Trenton, Dec. 13-Completion of the
committee on the Inauguration of Cover
nor-elect Edge, the assignment of the Of
fees in the Legislature and discussion
of the 1917 legislative program were the
features of the Governors Day gather
ing Of legislators and politicians this
week at the State House. Speaker
elect Sehoen announced the following
Assembly Committee in Inauguration:
Oiphant, Of Mercer; Whitman, of Allan
tic; Gilbert, of Essex; Wolverton, #
Camden; Dalrymple, of Passaic. and
Runyon, of Union, Republicans, and
Geran, of Monmouth, the Democratic
House leader. 1t viii be noted that this
committee gives the honor to the three
defeated Republican candidates Cor
speaker, Wolverton, Dalrymple and Run
yon. The Senate Inaugural Committee
comprises Senator's Richards, of Allan
tic; Hammond, of Mercer, and Florance.
Of Middlesex, the latter being the Demo
cratic leader. The joint committee will
at once begin the formal plans for the
induction of Senator Walter E. Edge
into the office of Governor. The inaug-
ural ceremony will follow the general
program already announced in these col
umns.
The Republican Senators and Senator'S
elect and the Republicans who will lit
in the new Assembly held separate con-
f~erences at the Capitol yesterday for the
consideration of the legislative program
of the majority and the apportionment
Of the offices of the two Houses to the
various counties having Republican rep
representatives. The following joint con-
ference committee on legislation was ap-
pointed: Senate-Gaunt. of Gloucester;
McCran. of Passaic. and Richards. Of
Atlantic; Assembly-Schoen. of Essex;
Oliphant, of Mercer. and West. of Glou-
cester. This includes the presiding Of
ficer and the leader in each house. This
joint committee will take up the work of
having the bills drafted TO carry out the
Republican platform pledges. The As
sembly conference named this stationery
Committee to provide for the supplies
Of stationery. etc. for the session:
Sheppard. of Cumberland: Johnson OF
Essex; Allinson, of Mercer: Stille. pf
Cape May. and Herriek, of Warren. the
ldllCL OC1AS Il bCh1ONA aLAN nAcAiAptAs
The Republican Senators agreed that
no party bills should be introduced this
session until the week following the in
auguration, so that Governor Edges IN
augural message will be before the law
makers in advance of the introduction Of
the measures. This decision was made
in order that the legislative majority
might act directly in line with the new
Governor on his legislative program.
= =
The report of the Senate Republican
steering committee adopted by the eon-
ference, assigns the principal offices Us
follows: Secretary of Senate to GlOu-
%cester, to be filed by Francis B. Davis;
Supervisor of Bills, Atlantic county;
Sergeant-at-arms, Cape May county;
Bill Clerk, Essex county: Journal
Clerk. Salem county; Chaplain, Union
county; Assistant Supervisor of Bills.
Morris county; Assistant Sergeant-at-
Arms. Cumberland county; Assistant
Bill Clerk, Burlington county; Assistant
Journal Clerks. Camden and Passaic
counties; Assistant Secretary, Union
county.
The total number of Offices assigned BY
the Studlt dSSTcSdltS dOOul G-O.OtN III
salaries for the session.
The chief Offices in the Assembly were
apportioned as follows: Clerk, Camden
county; Assistant Clerk. Essex county:
Supervisor of Bills. Essex county; Ser
geant-at-arms. Essex county; Bill Clerk.
Morris county; Journal Clerk, Union
county.
Home rule for municipalities in a
much milder form than was expected is
advocated in the report of the Home
Rule Commission appointed by Cover
nor Fielder last Spring under the reso-
luton offered by Senator McCran, Re
publican. of Passaic county. The re-
port recommends the repeal of some
LOO municipal statutes and the pass
age in their place a new law for the
government of the various towns and
cities. This proposed act purports to
give municipalities the right to estab-
fish, own and operate their gas, cleo
tric light, water and trolley plants, if
the governing bodies so vote. The act
does not touch the liquor question and
has no hint of local option. The Com
mission states frankly that it is deter
mined to avoid the liquor question, be
cause it regards that as n of the IN
settled problems of the State. Neither
does the report touch the question of
authorizing municipalities to exempt fac
tory property or other property from
taxation for the purpose of attracting
capital. or for other purposes. The
Commission will draft bills carrying out
the ideas of its report, for Introduction
into the Legislature.
1t will be remembered that the Re
publican State platform last fall did not
| Aol-n- 49, aAn.nd IN Ahn hnnno rntln nr1na-