Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-03-01
Jersey BEER BILL
MAY PASS TONIGHT
Senate Will Take Up $50
Measure Following Hearing
S This Afternoon
GOVERNOR READY TO SIGN

Trenton. March l.-ihc tAte OF w't
legislation in New Jersey and the hone
Of tho vets in the nation will be decided
tonight by the state Senate. The out
look is that the 3la per cent beer bill,
which passed the House last Tuesday.
viii be adopted by the Senate and viii
Immediately receive the signature OF
Governor Edwards. Tie has declared
this prospective legislation to be part
of his guberuatorial program.
s Even II the bill should be passed TO.
night by the Senate. without amendment
and signed by the governor. there are
several contingencies which would pre-
vent the manufacture and sale of beer in
New Jersey at once.
In the first place tho bill definitely
provides that il will not become effective
until peace has bccn proclaimed: In
the second place. Commissioner Roper,
of the United States Internal Revenue
Bureau. has declared that despite the
New Jersey bill il it becomes u law.
he will proceed against anybody v'olat'
ipg the Nolstead act iu manufacturing
or selling beverages Of more than ono
half of | per cent alcohol. So. there.
fore. if the New Jersey Senate ac's
favorably tonight on tho beer blu ana
the governor at once approves It. beer
will not bc New Jersey beverage until
the United States Supreme Court lc-
proceedings to restrain Commissioner
Roper from interfering pending the
final determination. are successfully
prosecuted.
Eleven Votes Needed
The measure needs eleven votes iu
the Senate. which is composed Of
twenty one members. Five OF the six
Democrats there arc certain to vote for
It, The sixth however. Senator Mar
tens. of Hunterdon. dry county. is
not counted upon with any degree OF
confidence to support the bill. His
colleague from Huntcrdon in tho House.
Assemblyman Aganz. made bitter
fight against the measure in the lower
branch last Tuesday. He took the po,
sition that while he ran as a Democrat
he eliminated the wet plank of the party
10 his campaign. and as he was elected
without that plank he was not bound
by it. 1t remains to be seen just what
attitude Senator Martens will take.
OF the fifteen Republicans in tho
Senate. six declared to be in favor Of
the measure. They are Pilgrim. OF Is
sex Smith. of Passaic; Mackay. Of
Bergen Stevens. of Monmouth Charles
p. White. of Atlantic. and blanchard
H. White. of Burlington. With tho
FIVE Democrats. who are Heath. OF Mcr-
GER Brown. OF MiddlescN: Simpson. Of
Hudson Barber. of Warren. and kavs.
of Sussex, the beer bill will have the
necessary eleven votes in the upper
house, unless something occurs to upset
this line up.
whether Senator IIaiues. of Cam.
den. on behalf of the Baird people.
will make a fight for referendum. rs
the Camden men did in the llous" Is
not known. Haines will probably try
TO attach referendum which will be
killed aud then he may vot" for the
bill as it passed the House. The Baird
men do not want all the credit ot pass
ing wet legislation to 90 to Governor
Edwards: hence their attitude. which
the Camden assemblymcn carried 70
fsr last Tuesday as to vote against tn"
bill although Rowland Of that county
admitted that Camden county wanted
beer.
Hearing This Afternoon
The hearing before the Senate judi
ciary committee this afternoon i eN
pected to develop into a heated and
prolonged session. although il j. be
lieved it is largely a matter Of form.
granted solely because the Anti Saloon
League claimed that its speakers did not
have as much time given them at the
last joint hearing as the wet speakers
were allowed. The Anti Saloon League
10 expected to produce experts, such us
Doctor Wiley, the pure food specialist
TO testify that even 2.IJ beer is iutoNi.
eating. The vets, at the last hearing,
set up the statement that such a bccr
was noniutoNicating This will be-
combated by the dry forces.
Meantime Attorney General McCran,
assuming that the beer will be passed
has gone ahead with his preparation of
his attack, directed By Governor Ed
wards, upon national prohibition and
the Volstead act. which he is bringing
before the United States Supreme
Court. The defeat of the beer bill
would be blow TO his case, while on
the other hand its passage would ma =
terially aid his argument and fOrtify
his position Of attack.
With the beer bill out of tho way,
matters will be- made easier for ad
vancing legislative work 1t is then
expected that the Legislature will turn
It's attention to the reorganization of the
Public Utilities Commission, the pro
posed new state highway department,
better housing conditions, rent prof
teering, high cost of living. the Hudson
river tunnel and the Delaware river
bridge and scores of equally important
measures now pending and which have
been held back apparently to allow
for the disposition Of the woman suf-
Sxs0a md linuor ieRisla ton