The Penn's Grove record., 1917-04-13
STATE CAPITOL NEWS
What The State Officials Are
Doing. What The Political
Leaders Are Talking
About

come 10 the front in the campaign next
fall, for which plans are already being
made by the Democratic and Republican
leaders. This is an Off year politically
in New Jersey with no big State or Nat
l0nai officers TO be chosen here. so that
the erection next November will be con-
lined to the selection of members Of the
Legislature. county officers and various
municipal officers. In II Of the counties
q county officers viii be elected, and IT
Of the retiring officers are Republicans.
while 10 are Democrats. Eight State
Senators are 10 be chosen and of the eight
'etlring Senators. six are Republicans
and two are Democrats. The 60 mem
bers of the Assembly will all be elected.
The campaign will gain some added sig
ni1cance in that it viii precede the cleo
ton Of a United States Senator to sue
coed Senator Hughes. This will have no
such an effect, however, as in the old
old days when the Legislature elected
the United States Senator.
The counties which will elect Senators
are: Camden. Essex, Gloucester Salem
and Union, now represented by Republi-
can Senators; Somerset County. where
there Is a vacancy caused by the death of
William W. Smaley, Republican: and
eiN " diLfH- MDtfE Inc sem
ators now are Democrats.
One of the features of the coming cam
paign will be the election of seventeen
Sheriffs. All the counties will choose
Sheriifs but Bergen. Cape May. Passaic
md Somerset. In Hudson. Hunterdon.
Middlesex. Monmouth. Sussex and War
rem Counties the retiring Sherifs are
Democrats while the other eleven are Re
publicans. Essex, Gloucester, Mercer and
Sussex will elect County Clerks. the re-
firing Clerks in Gloucester. Mercer and
Sussex being Democrats and the one in
Essex a Republican. Surrogates will be
,hoSen in Atlantic. Camden, Cape MAY.
Salem and Union Counties. now having
Republican Surrogates. and in Ocean.
which has a Democratic Surrogate. OF
course. it Is now too early TO attempt o
predict which party may carry a majority
Of these offices. The present Legislature
stands 80 Republicans to - Democrats.
Senate having II Republicans and 6 DEM
ocrats. and the Assembly A Republicans
and 16 Democrats.
To determine whether it shall provide
military training for high school boys of
he State pursuant to the provisions of
the new Pierson law. the State Board of
education viii give a public hearing on
the question at the State House on Sat
urday, April II. Meanwhile the State
Department of Education will inaugurate
the plans for the compulsory physical
training in the schools under the Pierson
act.
The completed book of laws for the
session of 1917 is now in the hands of
he State Printer. 1t will contain 21S
'hapters and IL joint resolutions. or $50
avs in all. compared with 2S9 Chapters
and Q joint resolutions last year. The
otal number of bills introduced this year
was Oh. while last year the total was
>92. The Legislature this year passed
IA measures of which Governor Edge
vetoed 30. a record number, and signed
$50.
Speaking today before the convention
f County School superintendent and
helping teachers. Governor Edge made a
plea for concentration and team work "in
the serious task of helping to make the
World safe for that Democracy which
has made the great free public school sys-
TEN possible
Plows are needed as well as guns, the
Governor declared. and urged that the
school children be encouraged in the adop-
ton of farm produce raising as a perman-
ent vocation. If the new plans for Plant
ing Day and Planting Week are to sue
eed. continued the Governor, the State
must have the help of the teachers and
school managers. Then he said:
Providing the act for physical and
military training in our public schools, the
last Legislature proved with keen fore
sight that it understood whore the seed Of
universal military training should DE
Sown. We depend upon the educators of
our State to carefully cultivate the anti
cipated crop of human intelligence, ply
steal fitness and military preparedness
upon which the future of all free insti-
tutions must depend, in war or in peace"
As the result Of Il conference called by
Governor Edge ut the State House on
Monday, plans are being formulated to
meet the food situation in this State as
to full military preparedness. 1t IS pro-
posed to use high school boys and the
workmen from a number of large estates
to supply the shortage of farm help in or
der that full crops may be planted and
harvested. Also quickly to mobolize the
motor pfows in the State to points where
spring blowing has not been completed
owing to lack Of help caused by calling
out the National Guard, and hasten the
completion of the blowing and planting.
Another proposal is TO aid farmers with
motor trucks to get fertilizers and other
supplies from town to save their time
from driving to and from town. The
high school boys will be called out prac-
tically by the Governor to assist in home
denfense by growing the necessary crops
TO meet any military emergency each
boy will be given a badge of honor for
the service and each will be asked to give
three weeks of such service. The circulars
for the PRONUNCIATION of the plan are now
being prepared. Among those who met
with the Governor were Senator Gaunt,
r head of the State Grange; Alva Agee,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4