Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-03-23

Schools-Sunday Movies and Amuse-
ments Bill Gets Through House, but
Faces Hard Opposition In the Senate
Governors Bill to Let municipalities
Buy and Sell Food In Emergencies
Passes Both Branches.
Especial Correspondence
Trenton. n j., March 21.-Partial
victory has been gained by the railroad
corporations in their fight for the re-
peal of the full crew law. The senate
by a vote of the majority members
passed the bill in amended form after
it had been sent to it by the house.
The Democrats balloted solidly against
the measure.
As changed it will place jurisdiction
with the board of public utility com
missioners, but the burden of proof to
show hat the enlarged crews are not
needed on all trains will be placed on
the railroads. The bill as sent from the
house amended the former compulsory
statute and left the entire question
with the utility board. The vote in the
senate was II to g.
Senator Pierce changed the form of
his state c~onstabdlary bill to that for
a rural guard. with the adjutant gen
eral at its head and increasing his sal
airy from $500 to $4,000. In the SEN
ate. however, he was able to obtain
only four votes for the measure and
had it laid over. Labor u~nionists are
opposed to both the guard bill and the
full crew repeater.
Local Option Fight Again.
New Jerseys local option fight was
renewed this week by the strong advo-
cacy of the Hates 'home rule bill by
the Anti-saloon league. Passed by the
senate by eleven votes. the measure
was tied up in the house judiciary
committee. 1t vas drawn to, permit
the residents of municipalities to init
ate ordinances on every public ques-
ton, and Assemblyman A. Dayton Oil
plant. leader of the Republicans, took
the view that the assembly had al
ready expressed its %disapproval of the
y ORtAOI 1otctlOh anu thab IO lIC
cessity existed to revive it.
The representatives of the Anti-sa-
loon league charged that the clerk of
the house. Upton S. Jeffreys, held back
the measure until the pressure on him
became too strong. but he refuted the
allegation and maintained it had been
given consideration in the ordinary
course of the bills.
When it was referred to the commit
tee it rested there, and the efforts of
the local optionists were unable to OBJ
tain enough signers in the committee
to get it on the calendar. Mr.. Oil
plant was known to be opposed to To-
cal option before his election to the
house. and James X. Shields, state SUI
p~erintendent of the A%nti-saloon league,
charged him with being a true friend
of the enemy"
When it became evident that the
committee intended to hold fast to the
bill Assemblyman William N. Runyon
of Union county gave twenty-four
hours notice that he would move to
relieve the committee of it. He took
AhlS pan luSlCdd VI HdNllS Hllttu
members sign for a release. as it was
said that threats had been made
against those who sanctioned the order
to the committee.
Sunday Amusements Bill.
Approving a motion for the reconsid-
GRAFTON of the bill by Assemblyman
Colghan of Hudson county, the house
passed the measure to allow the exhi-
bition of motion pictures and the con-
Quoting of sporting events on Sundays
in first class counties if the voters
sanction them after a referendum.
The vote was 80 to 23.
Mr.. Colghan said residents of large
communities should be allowed to say
whether they approved of Sunday
recreation enterprises. He maintained
that no harm would result from the
opening of the theaters. but an inno-
cent form of enjoyment would be pro-
vided. Assemblyman Runyon objected
to the measure. as he held it was a
move for the creation of the c~ontinen
tai Sunday. He said it would not en-
nance the physical or moral well being
of the community. but would lessen
the respect for the day set aside for
the worship of the deity.
The measure has not as favorable
prospects in the senate, as more of the
members of that body represent rural
communities. which oppose a letting
down of the bars.
Unanimous approval was given the
resolution by Assemblyman PiersoD
placing the legislature on record as
favoring compulsory military training
and urging congress to adopt the sys-
tenn for this country. Mr.. Pierson de
clared that in a time of national peril
the unpreparedness of the country vas
a cause of alarm and he thought it was
a move toward patriotism to inform
congress that New Jersey would sup