The Penn's Grove record., 1919-04-18

OF the old boss controlled machine bal
1Iot, but 1t vas Ineffective. MOI was
Assemblyman Siegler successful in
Getting through his bill intended to rH-
the party column on the ballot-
That bill went through the house, but
the senate would not touch II. II Is
very refreshing, too, to knowrthat the
principal argument put forth against
this measure was that it would tend
TO destroy independent voting, when
the people Of New Jersey have learner
lin eight years means so much In de-
scent government.
The Outstanding Feature.
The outstanding feature of the ses-
sion was, Of course, the enormous total
of the annual appropriations, more
than S13, 5000. the largest by sew
eral millions the state ever has made,
but it will be difficult for either side to
use this as campaign material. The
bill was made up by five Republicans
and four Democrats of the two houses,
and not one of them opposed its pas
sage. Nor was there any semblance or
a fight on 1t in either senate or assem-
bly, after the advocates of the propos-
ed ship canal failed to get in an item
of 100000 for the purchase of land
for right of way of that project.
There was some criticism of the in
creased cost of maintaining state in
situations and the great rise in The
outlay for the multiplicity of boards
and commissions, but the great total
applied to the construction of much
needed buildings at charitable and cor
rectional institutions flattens about all
such criticism. For years there has
been insistenl demand for just such I'M
p~rovements. The State Hospital ut
Norris Plains is so overcrCwded as to
cause scandal and disgrace 10 The
state, and that has been cared for
along with similar additions to other
institutions, where the need was us
pressing.
The 81. 100000 allowed for begin
ming work upon the Hudson river tun-
mel between New York and Jersey
City and the proposed Delaware river
bridge between Camden and Fhiladel-
phia, projects to which the state has
been committed for some years, repre-
sents the largest single item ever APP
propriated to a constructive project by
the state, and the tremendous and
widespread benefit for all the people
from these enterprises will remove
them from political discussion.
The settlement of the controversy
over public school teachers pensions,
which has kept the whole state In up
roar for some years, came through a
complete and satisfactory agreement
between both sides in senate and
house, which takes that issue also out
of politics, so at this time it is difficult
TO take the legislative program-if
there was such ii thing anywhere
around at any time-as indicative of
what might happen in the coming cam
paign.
Can Now House World League.
Among the bills signed by the row.
ernor was the Cochran Measure allow
ing Atlantic City TO offer lands and
buildings for the home for the League
of Nations. 1t provides for the issu-
ance of 80 year bonds to raise funds
with which the city may acquire the
lands and erect the buildings in which
to house the organization incident to
the capital of the world" The gov
ernor also signed the accompanying
lo:.s -o-aI,+;on ~,o,;J;nr fa, +ho IaIi-
cation of the property to the state in
the event of the home of the League Of
Nations coming to America and New
Jersey.
The governor also approved the Bar
rett bill permitting the retirement of
judges at seventy years instead of
s~eventy-three, as has been the law.
Justice Garrison will reach seventy
next August. During several recent
terms of the supreme and court o. err
rors he has been absent because of ILL
ness. He was appointed i'll 1888 by
the then Governor Joel Parker.
The house bills were approved by
the governor:
Gill-Requiring c~""s"s in commu-
nifty civics and prob in American
democracy in high Sehor.S.
Cochran-Allows Atlantic City to
erect a "Victory Pier" to extend not
more than 5000 feet oceanward.
Rowland-Creates a commission to
mark the site of a settlement of the
Dutch at Fort Nassau, Timber Creek,
Old Gloucester count, in 1882, and
appropriates $500 for tho commission.
Observation-Disclosures New Jersey COM
panies to cover the assured under the
liability law to meet the obligations of
the New York companies.
Biair-Makes a person guilty of ar
son who m~aliciously burns a property,
whether in his possession or not.
Warner-Joint resolution creating a
commission to urge upon Congress the
importance of appropriating money for
the construction of the ship canal.
McAteer-Provides a constitution
for the Executive Committee of the
State Firemen's Association.