Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-12-18
'[AD|ESF|RST'
+. IN LEGISLATURE
Makeup and Seating Plan Of
1921 House of Assembly
Complete; Women Honored


TRENTON, Dec. Is - Ladies
first" will rule in the seating of the
sixty members of the New Jersey
house of assembly for theslegislative
session of 1921. In arranging the
seating of the different county dele
cations, Custodian of the Capitol
John A. Smith has placed Mrs. Jen-
ME c. Van Ness and Mrs. Margaret
B. Laird. the two woman members
from Essex In the front row of seats
in the house. directly in front of the
speaker. Curiously enough, they
will occupy the seats formerly held
by Assemblymen Louis Freund and
Michael F. Judge, two members of
the Essex Democratic delegation for
the past two years, who this year
were appointed to judgeships by
Governor Edwards.
In addition special arrangements
have been made to provide the as
semblywomen with locker facilities
In the ladies' retiring room at the
state house. where they will have
wardrobes carrying the same num-
bers as their desks in the house,
which are six and seven. The lock-
er and retiring room for assembly,
men is in the basement under the
chamber of the house. When the
big room was constructed, nearly
thirty years ago, 1t was never con-
ceived that someed day women would
sit as representatives of the people
in the lawmaking body. and so no
provision for them was made in the
basement. - -
"A feature this year in the equip.
ment of the house will be the install
lation at the desks of the two party
leaders small French telephones, by
which the party spokesman can
communicate with the speakers ros-
trum when they want to get infor-
nation or action upon some
measure.
Harry Runyon, the only Demo-
cratic member, will occupy the seat
on the end of the second row in the
middle aisle of the assembly cham
ber, the place which for some years
has been that of the Democratic
whip. Runyon will have only him
self to lead. however. as he is the
Democratic island in a sea of Repub-
lican members. Where his party
followers should sit to his left will
be bank of G. o. p. members; also
to his front and rear, as well as on
the whole right side of the big audi
torium.
Across the aisle from him r. Har-
ry Rowland. of Camden, will hold
the Republican leaders seat. and
thus each party mouthpiece in the
next session will be a Harry. As
semblyman Henry G. Hershfield. of
Passaic, Republican leader in 1920,
will again occupy his old seat with
the Passaic delegation on the far end
in the back row on the right side
of the house.
An unusual feature of the person
mel of the next House, too, will be
the presence of two ex-speakers OF
that body in the membership. They
are w. Irving Glover, of Bergen, who
welded the gavel this year. and Ar
thur N. Pierson. of Union, who pre-
sided over. the assembly in 1919.
The Hudson delegation OF Repub-
licans will have the seats which have
always been occupied by the many
Democratic delegations from that
county on the back row in the left
side OF the chamber, with the Essex
Republican in front of them, in the
seats occupied by the Democrats
from that county in the 1919 and
1920 sessions.
Union county's representatives.
lMessrs. Pierson, Warner and Ed
ridge. will have the same seats on
the second row on the Republican
side as that county has had for six
years. Middiesex's men are again
on the far left of the House, and At
lantic's two members hold the same
positions on the front row close to
the speakers rostrum on the right
side of the middle aisle.
Monmouth and Passaic delega-
tions will be located just where they
have been for several years, on the
right. but Camden shifts a little
nearer the centre aisle in order to
put Mr.. Rowland, of that delegation,
in the leaders chair.