Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-04-03
HOUSE PASSES
SUNDAY BILL;
81 TO 19 VOTE
Hearing to Come on Social Wei
fare Bill in Senate Next
Monday
BIZ Special Correspondent.

TRENTON, April 3.-On the eve
of its closing next week the State Sem
ate will be confronted with a deter
mined fight on the Hyland Bill to
legaliZe Sunday movies and other
forms of entertainment and sports on
the day of rest. The house of ;.ssem-
bly,, by vote of "a to 19 has endors-
ed the measure and it now goes to
the upper branch of the Legislature.
Those who voted for it came mainly
from the populous sections of the
State. The vote was as follows.
Ayes-Augenblick. Barret, Bowen.
Downs, Evans. Finley. Foxhall. Fre-
und. Gaede. Headley, Hershfield, Hy-
land, Judge. kirkpatrick, McAteer,
Morgan, Muro, Nolan, Rogers, Schultz,
Siegler, Silver, Simpson, Snow, STAN
ton, Sullivan. Tattersall, Whalen.
Young. of Morris County.
Nays-Agan, zimmerman, Black
well, Blair, Cochran, Gill, Glover,
kellman, Lake, Lewis, Moore, Pier
son. Reeves, Robinson, Shields, Tozer.
Warner. Wight and Young. of Mon
mouth County.
The bill was advocated by Demo-
cratic Leader Barrett, of Newark. He
said 1t carried a referendum giving
the people of each community the
they wanted the Sunday amusements.
He declared the measure contained
proper checks to prevent an abuse Of
its proviSionS.
One hearing was held on the bill
before the house committee on So
cial welfare. but for some reason the
opponents never heard 1t announced
stood they will marshal their forces
on the Senate now and demand a
public hearing in that body.
Assem- blyman Warner, Republican,
of Union, charged that unfair tactics
had been engaged in in the House
when the hearing was planned. This
he said had prejudiced him against
Democrat, and Lewis, of Monmouth.
a Republican. both attacked the bill.
'T am opposed to commercializing
the Sabbath" said the Hunterdon
member. mo legislature has the
right to conflict with the law of God
I am just as much Christian in the
New Jersey Legislature as / am in my
own home town. This is very VIC
ious bill. 1t would drive a wedge in
the Sabboth and open the way for the
establishment of the Continental Sun
day which has been the ruination of
Europe.
Lewis said higher question than
that contended for by the proponents
of the bill-the providing of recrea-
ton for the people-was involved,
namely, the keeping sacred of the
seventh day of the week. He charged
that money making" and not the
yelfare of the people was the real
sseason behind the bill.
Assemblyman Wight. of Middlesex,
wanted to know why an opportunity
had not been given the opponents of
the Dill to protest against It at the
public hearing. Barrett answered
that they had. Assemblyman Warner
then declared that he had searched
high and low for evidence to prove
that the hearing date was ever given
proper publication and had failed to
find the information.
Barrett declared himself to be a
Christian, as well as Agans, and a
church member, and added that
there was nothing inconsistent with
religion or church teachings in the
Hyland bill.
Delegation From Here.
As president of the Civic Better
ment League, Joseph F. Walker, when
bill 291. which provides for legal
tied commercialization of the Sab
bath had passed the assembly yes
terday by a vote of 34-19. declared
that he and as large Delegation as
possible would journey to Trenton
Monday and as representatives of the
league enter a vigorous protest against
the bill when it comes up before Sem
ator Hammond's committe for pub
lie hearing in the senate at 2 O'Clock
In the afternoon.
It is generally believed by members
of the league here and by others who
are strenuously opposed to the Hyland
legislation. that the bill can be de-
feated IL a large number go down to
Trenton on Monday and indicate by
their presence that there Is decided
sentiment adverse to the measure.
which. 1t is asserted by some. would
practically abrogate the American
Sabbath. 1t is known here that sew
eral of the Protestant ministers of
the city intend to attend the hearing
on Monday and present arguments
against the measure relative to its as
pect in regard to religion.
It was remarked also this morning
that the league had anticipated the
bill would pass the assembly because
OF the unfair hearing which IT was
accorded IN the assembly. when 1t
came before that body for discussion
a week ago Monday. 1t Is also
thought that the legislation is entirely
too liberal in its INTERPRETATION and
that it is not for the betterment of
the people. as is asserted but for
mere pecuniary gain to the mana gers
and owners of places which would be
benefited by the passage of the bill.
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