Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-02-23

Provisions-Move to Repeal "Seven
Sisters Laws" Recommended.
Especial Correspondence
Trenton, Feb. 21.-Following the pas
sage in the senate of the local option
bill Monday night by a vote of 10 to Z,
the Rev. Harry J. Iobst, assemhlyman
from Hunterdon county, has introduce
ed into the house a state wide prohibit
ton measure. He would make unlaw-
full the manufacture and importation of
spirituous liquors after next July.
Local option caused more Of a furry
in the legislature than during any
previous session. After Assemblyman
William N. Runyon Of Union county OBJ
tanned favorable action on his bill to
enable governments of second class mu-
inequalities to ascertain public senti-
ment on different questions ONE of the
members became greatly excited over
its provisions.
When the vote had been announced
Assemblyman George H. Dalrymple of
Passaic moved for a reconsideration.
He thought the proposed statute was a
luigi L Ecu ODt1Oh DCloAC
the voters. Mr.. Runyon asserted that
local option was farthest from his mind
when he presented the proposed stat
ute. He appealed to the members on
his reputation for honesty, and Assem-
blyman A. Dayton Oliphant, the ma
jority leader, moved to lay on the table
the Dalrymple motion, which was done
Local Option Applause.
Although the Gaunt-Mackay local OPP
tion bill was passed in the senate by
a vote of ID to Z, the advocates of the
measure we're not perturbed by the
ominOus combination of figures. When
Secretary Davis announced the result
applause swept through the crowded
senate chamber and was only stopped
when the galleries were cleared for an
executive session.
No bill this session has created the
interest of this committee substitute.
The senate gallery was crowded to the
doors and the Hobbies on the first floor
were filed to standing room. Many
ministers were present with members
of their congregations. and delega-
lions from the Local Option league
were also in evidence, and some of
them expressed the belief that the bill
could not get through. The affirma-
tive vote of thirteen, however, was the
highest ever received for 1t In this
state and the advocates were jubilant.
Mutual congratulations were exchang-
ed at the close of the debating by the
senators, which covered more than
two hours.
The proposed law will now be sent
to the house, but even the representa-
tives of the league have no great ex-
pectations that it will be passed there.
They now feel confident of only eight
cen votes and thirty-one will be re-
quired for affirmative action.
Party lines were dropped in the vote
and both Republicans and Democrats
are represented on each side.
The vote follows: Aff1rmative-Mac-
kay, Bergen; Wells, Burlington; Hates,
Camden; Stevens, Cape May; Fithian,
Cumberland; Osborne, Essex; Gaunt,
Gloucester; Martens, Hunterdon; Ham
mond, Mercer; Florance, Middlesex;
Conrad, Ocean; Allen, Salem; Pierce,
Union. Observation-Disclosures, Atlantic;
McGlennon, Hudson; Ackerson, Mon
mouth; Mutchler, Morris; McCran,
Passaic; Munson. Sussex; Barber,
Warren.
Why Florance Flopped.
Interest attached to the ballot of
Senator Florance, minority leader, who
voted against the bill last year. Re-
plying to the query of the Middlesex
local option branch why he did this, he
said that no one had requested him to
vote for it. To meet this condition this
year the local option men presented a
formal petition to him, and he ex-
planned last night that, although he
was not in sympathy with the merits
of the bill, he would support 1t because
it was the wish of his constituents.
President Gaunt turned over the
gavel to Senator Pierce of Union and
went on the floor to speak for the bill.
AS an indication of the growing senti-
ment for restrictions on the sale of in
toxicants he directed attention to a
map which was suspended from the
senate balcony to show the advance of
local option since 1893. New Jersey and
Pennsylvania, he held, were the only
two states that lacked legislation desir-
able for the control of this question.
Mr.. Mackay, who had the bill altered
to provide that the governing bodies of
municipalities and not the courts
should receive petitions for election,
was the second speaker. He said that
prior to the primaries he had opposed
the Gaunt bill and pledged himself for
a measure such as he had introduced.
Senator Osborne of Essex vigorously
denounced the wealthy men at the
head of the liquor industry. From mo-
tives of greed, he maintained, they op-
posed any advancement detrimental to
their private interests.