Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-01-29
ANOTHER
ASSEMBLY !
DEADLOCK
Despite Urgings by GoverncI
Edge, House Seems to be
H0peleSSly at Odds
8y Special Correspondent.

TRENTON, Jan. 29:-Organi2ation
of the House of Assembly through
the election of a speaker and the
selection of other officers Ia off for
another week and in the meantime
the state senate Is marking time"
Despite the special message sent
to II yesterday by Governor Edge,
urging definite organization action,
the sixty assemblymen continued to
procrastinate and after taking four
futile ballots adjourned yesterday af-
ternoon until next Monday evening,
when the controversy as to whether
the people at the last election said
they wanted Democratic or RepubH-
cain organization of the lower branch
branch of the legislature.
Hugh G. Barrett, of Essex, Demo-
cratic House leader, after the reading
of the governors appeal for action,
attempted to place the onus for the
failure to elect speaker on the Re-
pub1icans. He read prepared state
lphent answering the governor.
AT the last conference between
\ the Democratic and Republican COM
mittees a suggestion was made by
Hyland," said in part,
"tRat the entire matter be decided
by the casting of lots. The Republi-
cans wogld not accept our invitation:
hence thu nnus for the present con-
"
is the burden, and they alone are
standing against the organization of
the House of Assembly"
No Elipping the Coin
The Republicans did not reply to
Barrett's attack. one of their spokes-
men declared afterward that even
McAteer. the Democratic candidate
for speaker, as well as Pierson, his
Republican opponent, Will not stand
for the clipping the coin" method
of electing a speaker of the House.
/ On each OF the four ballots taken
| yesterday Pierson, Republican, re-
ceived thirty and McAteer, Democrat,
twenty mine votes. GreaVes, Demo-
crat of Essex, was absent. resulting
in the loss of one temporarily for Nc
Ateer 1t requires thirty-one votes to
select q speaker. After the last ballot
Assemblyman Cochran, of Atlantic,
refused to waste more time In this
method of unsuccessful voting and
| then adjournment was taken for the
week. Confidence was expressed to-
day from Republican sources that the
situation will be cleared up next
Monday night when the assemblymen
return to resume their balloting. To
date about thirty roll calls have been
taken without success OH the question
of who shall be speaker.
Senate Also Adjourns.
The senate adjourned yesterday for
| the week also The introduction OF
an unimportant bill was the only mat
| ter of business transacted by the up
per house. 1t is still waiting for the
! house to start operating and until that
/ time comes the senate's hands are tied
| to a great extent.
There was a rumor yesterday that
| because of the failure of the house to
promptly organize with the senate, as
provided in the state constitution, that
| bills which have been introduced in
| the upper body might all have to he
re-introduced when the assembly gets
| down to business in earnest. Thls
| idea was secuted. however, by Senator
| Clarence L. Case, of Somerset county,
| Republican floor leader In the upper
| branch of the legislature. He said he
| had gone into the situation thoroughly
and believed that by putting the bills
| back on first reading when they have
reached second reading all bitches in
| their course through the lawmaking
| BODY would be obviated.
More talk of the Essex assembly
man breaking away and voting for
| Pierson, the Republican candidate for
| speaker, was heard in the corridors.
| Two of the Essex men. IL was de-
clared, were ready 10 make this move.
However, no confirmation OF the story
could be had and II was placed along
side the many other pieces OF gossip
| which have grown out of the house
I speakership situation. To the same
position was relegated a rumor that
| there had been a rupture In the Hud-
| son delega ton.