The Penn's Grove record., 1920-02-27

lf is believed that one of the biggest
fights of the session will center around
the Smith Sunday observance BILL"
introduced by the Passaic senator. 1t
provides for Sunday amusements in
municipalities which adopt ordinances
permitting such diversions. However,
10 per cent of the voters of the mu-
nicipality could hold up operation of
the ordinance by presenting a petition
to the governing body pending the sub
mission of the ordinance to referen-
dunn.
Mackay's Ak Out.
Senator Mackay introduced a bill
providing for the wiping out of the
Bureau of Elections, attached to the
prosecutors office in Hudson county
There are said to be at times as man.,
as 40 to so men employed as 'investi
gators by the Bureau of Elections
control of which is in Prosecutor Gar
ven's hands.
The fact that the bill was introduced
by Mackay, a Republican, caused much
surprise, as its passage would take
away considerable patronage from the
Hudson Republican organization led
by Garven, who Is state committeeman
from that county. There was much
speculation as to the underlying rea-
sons for the appearance of the meas
ure, and whether 1t had the backing
Of any other Republican leaders than
Senator Mackay.
Senator Pilgrim introduced q bill
providing that pollution of the Passaic
river shall end December 81, 1921, and
charging the Passaic Valley Sewerage
Commission with enforcement of the
measure.
The senate defeated a bill by Sena-
tor Pilgrim providing for a school CEN
sus enumeration for Newark. Senator
Pilgrim said the bill would be inOpera-
tive anyway If there is no provision in
the state appropriations.
Bills introduced included one by
Senator Pilgrim providing for equaliz-
ing the salaries of minor city employees
of East Orange; by Senator Pilgrim,
by request, against rent p~rofiteering;
by Senator Allen, permitting farmers
to organize to buy in bulk to beat
H. c. L., and by Senator Pilgrim. pro-
viding for cleanliness in manufacture
of Ice cream.
Would Abolish Death Penalty.
Capital punishment will be abolished
and life Imprisonment without the pos
sibility of pardon except by special act
of thn InnisIo tIIro will no cIlhStitutnI
for persons convicted of first degree
murder in New Jersey If a bill intro
duced in the house ty Assemblyman
Headley of Essex is passed. The bill
was prepared under the direction of
DIR. Charles A. Rosewater of Newark.
DIR. Rosewater stated that for some
time past he has made a study of cap
ital punishment with a special commit
tee named by the National Commission
on Prison and Prison Labor, which
found that the certainty of ~irrevocable
life imprisonment is a greater deter
rent to crime thar the death penalty.
In cases where it is later found that
the convicted person is innocent. DIR.
Rosewater would have the legislature
pass an act permitting the governor to
grant release from prison.
Under the New Jersey law juries
in murder cases have the power to
decide whether the convicted person
shall suffer death or be confined in
prison for life, and DR.. Rosewater
found this provision a weakening one.
He believes the line between premedi-
t&ted murders and those committed in
the heat of passion is sometimes so
closely drawn that the question should
not be left to the determination of
jurors no matter how conscientious
they may be. In addition to this, he
declared a high type of juries is apt
to be obtained in capital cases be-
cause of the present ~hesitancy of many
men to act in cases where they feel
it may be their duty to send a fellow
human being to his death.
Length of Lobsters.
The fish and game committees of
the house and senate gave a hearing
on Assembly bill %, known as the
lobster bill"
Assemblyman Tattersall of Passaic
presided. The chamber was well
filled with fishermen for and against
the bill.
Thomas L. Smith Of Keyport ap-
peared a representative of the pro-
pOnents of the bill and introduced
Richard See of Keyport, who said
that If the indiscriminate taking Of
Holsters was not stopped, as intended
by the bill, there would soon be no
Holsters.
1.-THE trouble" he said, sis that the
present law is dlsobeyed by persons
taking Holsters smaller than the legal
size. This new bill is more stringent
and will preserve the industry"
John Cottrell explained that eight
cen lobster men of Keyport met and
decided to advocate the passage of
the new bill. He explained that no
Iobcfor cbn,,l1 ba caupbt Lace than