The Penn's Grove record., 1919-08-22
Attorney General McCran In.
tStructs County Prosecutors
to Push Cases.
VIGOROUS ACTION AT ONCE
Equal Suffrage Issue Livens Jersey
BattIe-Women Divided as to Elk
pediency of Proposed Special
Session of Legislature.

torney Bodine in a fight to bring to
justice not only the profiteers in food,
but in other commodities as well. III
letters to the prosecutors of the p
counties of the state the attorney gen
eral directs that vigorous action be
taken against both the so called profit
GERS and individuals and corporations
who have in any ann conspired or
entered into an agreement to bring
about the increased prices of clothing,
shoes or other merchandise.
Attention of the prosecutors is called
by the attorney general to Chapter Is
of the laws of 1913, which makes it IL
legal for persons, firms or corporations
to create or carry out restrictions in
trade, to limit or reduce the produc-
ton or increase the price of merchan-
disc or any commodity and to the other
provisions of this measure which aim
ed TO protect the consumer against IL
legal price boosting.
The formation of county price fixing
committees and the beginning of inveS-
legations by local agents of the depart
llfClll Vi JuSlil0 htlC hSN CtOlJiiItllS III
the state wide campaign by the federal
authorities against the high cost of liv-
ing. District Attorney Bodine sent to
each of the 10 food administrators in
New Jersey a telegram calling for the
organization of price fixing commit
tees along the lines suggested by At
torney General Palmer.
1t is not considered probable that
Governor Runyon will call the legisla-
ture into extraordinary session to
tackle the woman suffrage amendment
or the proposed stitfening of the sol
diers' preferential act. The pressure
upon him has been strong, to be sure,
hut under existing conditions he will
probably decline to yield.
The suffragists are not a unit upon
the desire for the special session, as
was evidenced at the meeting of their
executive committee at Asbury Park
during the week. when some of the
leaders expressed hostility to the move
made by a delegation of the National
Woman's party, which presented the
claims to the governor last Tuesday.
Some of the most active of the leaders
be almost suicidal to attempt ratifica-
ton of the amendment at a special SEES
sion in view of the circumstances.
In the last session of the legislature
six senators passed up their posts for
better jobs, and if the senate were re-
oanrannI thnr.a u-nr111 hn htr+ I * yofoc
and it Is not within the bounds Of pos
sibility that a ratification resolution
would get by there. In the assembly
the situation is even worse. The house
worked last winter upon the $3.50 ba-
sis, Republicans and Democrats having
long deadlock which had no precedent
in state history.
If the law making body were recall
ed the Democrats would be in a major
ity in the house. as Assemblyman
Charles A. Morgan, Republican, of I'm
ion county retired to accept appoint
ment as district court judge in Eliza
beth. That would make another com
plication, for while it requires a ma
jority of the whole house, or 81 votes,
to organize or pass a bill or resolution.
the Republicans would be fettered by
the lost vote. Moreover, the u Demo
Gratis from Essex would continue to
work under the leadership of James r.
Nugent of Newark, candidate for gov
ernor, and Nugent has beer one of the
most militant of the foes of equal suf-
frage in the state, having led the big
fight which defeated the proposed
amendment to the state constitution.
Governor Runyon is in favor of votes
for women, having so expressed him
self in his campaign program, but he
also expressed the belief that the fed
eral amendment should be referred
first to the votes of the people before
action by the legislature and in full
contemplation of the ease, viewed from
all angles, rs will no doubt hesitate a
long while before taking such a de-
cisive step as calling the legislature
together in such crippled condition.
And there is always unknown peril
in a special session. 1t may be called
for a specific purpose, but cannot be
confined to that purpose. Once the
senate and house are in session they
are monarchs Of all they survey and
have power to go as far as they like in
knocking out old or making new laws.
The Republicans would not like that
very well either, and the governor is
still party man enough to realize what
might possibly happen in case he yield
ed to the pressure.
But the women backing the ratifica-
ton program will not rest their case
here. They propose to get busy in the
primary campaign and nail every can
didate for the legislature, the first time
they have taken such action. They
want to know precisely what the
chances will. be for ratification when
the new legislature is elected, and to
gain this knowledge upon a more init
mate basis they will pin down the can-
didates for the nominations. They
know where the candidates for gov