Perth Amboy evening news., 1917-01-15
RET|RES At
MIDNIGHT TONIGHT
Edge, However, Will Not be
Sworn In as Governor Until
Noon Tomorrow-AII Ready
for Ceremonies.
Special 20 the EVENING NEWS.

Trenton, Jan. 15.-Owing to the
fact that the state constitution pro-
vides that the term of the Governor
shall end on the Monday preceding
the third Tuesday of January and the
Inauguration of the new governor
does does not take place until noon
on the Tuesday mentioned, New Jer-
|sey every three years is twelve hours
without an executive head. Governor
Fielder's term will end at midnight
tonight, while Walter e. Edge will not
be Governor until noon tomorrow
when he will formally take the oath
of office. The only way to prevent
this interregnum of half a day would
be to conduct the inauguration at
midnight tonight.
OF course, If 1t were necessary to
meet any emergency, Governor-elect
Edge could take the oath of office at
midnight or early tomorrow morning,
as the big ceremony arranged for
Taylor Opera House tomorrow at
noon is not part of the legal re-
quirement.
The decoration of the State House
and the Opera House for the inaug-
ural ceremony was completed today.
The front of the Capitol which will
serve as a background for the review
ing stand for the new Governor and
his staff, is more elaborately embel-
lished than ever before. Flags are
flying from every window, the big
granite columns are entwined with
the national colors and red. white and
blue bunting has been draped arts
tically across the facade.
The main corridors of the state
house are places Of beauty, large hags
have been draped in pairs at every
Iarchway; at the entrances to the ro--
tunda, the legislative corridors, and at
the portal to the Governors reception
room and offices. Draped flags and
red, white and blue shields grace the
rotunda at each floor, forming a pres
ent day patriotic setting for the battle
flags of the Civil War. in the cases
around the rotunda. The big chan
deliers have bloomed forth with
groups of small flags, while draped
gracefully from flag to flag and from
arch to arch are ropes or laurel'
Southern smilax and other evergreens.
The corridor leading to the COVER
lnor's reception room has been turned
into an evergreen bower by an arcade
of Southern smilax touched up here
and there by groups of cut flowers and
from the whole gleam small colored
electric lights. Through this corridor
the people will pass tomorrow after-
noon as they enter the reception to
shake the hand of the new governor.
Elaborate decorations of flags, palms,
ferns and cut flowers have been piac-
ed in the reception room, with huge
bank Of flowers as a backing at the
side Of the room where Governor Edge
and his staff will stand.
The final touches were put today to
the plans for the Inauguration. Gov
ernor- elect Edge will take the oath of
office at noon tomorrow in the Opera
House, following which he will deliver
his inaugural message to the legisla-
ture assembled on the stage. The
civic parade will follow with 10000
men in line from all parts of the state.
The governor and staff will review the
procession from special stand at the
Capitol. The public reception will be
from to 5 o'clock. At 5.45 the gov
ernor and staff, with other prominent
men, will leave on a special train for
Newark, where the Gubernatorial din
ner will be served atthe Robert Treat
Hotel