Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-12-15
Assembly Votes Down Senate
Move for Coal Probe for
Time Being.

Sy Special Correspondent.
TRENTON, Dec. 15:-There will
be no probe of the coal shortage In
New Jersey until after January IL
next at least. BY a vote of twenty
n to twelve the House of Assem-
bly, yesterday afternoon. under the
leadership of Assemblyman 7. Harry
Rowland, Of Camden, the next Re-
publican leader of that body, frown-
ed upon the resolution introduced
ana passed in the state senate earl-
Ter in the day to create a committee
10 investigate the subject. The
t%wenty-one votes were for the bill.
but 1t requires thirty-one to pass a
measure, and a number OF members
were absent.
The Baird forces evidently saw
the hand of United States Senator
Edge in the resolution. 1t had been
sponsored in the upper House by
Senator Mackay. of Bergen. an
Edge man, and was handled in the
assembly by Republican Leader
Hershfield. of Passaic, who was
beaten for speaker two weeks ago
in a fight i'm which the Edge lieu
tenants backed him. Further. Rowl-
and. Baird man from Camden
pointed out that the legal talent TO
No nlIt uINhtI III VIZ ~ u ~
attorney general, and he thought
that the resolution should give this
control TO the legislature. Mr.. Nc
Gran. the attorney general. is a
friend of the junior United States
senator.
After going through the senate
without a ripple of opposition the
Mackay resolution to name three
senator's and two assemblymen to
probe the coal situation was spon-
sored in the assembly by Mr.. Hersh-
field. He said coal costs 81 and IS
at the mine and $14 or So when
delivered to the consumer.
Il don't know If this investigation
will do any good" said the Passaic
man. ''but the thing should be look
ed into. The committee at Washing
ton studying this @subject says 1t
needs state support and we should
show our good faith by passing this
resolution"
Mr.. Rowland pointed out that
$4,000 was provided to pay the
costs of the investigation. He
thought it would be a waste of
money In the late hour of the 1920
session. He said 1t should be post
poned for the consideration OF the
incoming lawmakers.
~"Somebody is certainly trying to
put something over somewhere,
said Rowland. IL have not received
any word from Washington about
the need of this probe, but ! have
some suggestions In my pocket
which are to be considered in franz
ing the program for 1871.
Assemblyman Tozer, of Bergen,
urged the passage of the on
the ground that it was better to
start late in the session to investl-
gate than not to start at all.
United States Senator Edge Is just
now figuring prominently in the
proceedings of the senate commit
zee at Washington which is studying
the coal situation. Following is
how the members present voted on
the coal probe:
"Ayes"-Appleby, Baldwin, Bar
rett, Boswell, Coppinger. Cranmer,
Cross, Dater. Evans. Finley. FODDER,
George, Glover. Headley, Hershfield,
Munro, Pierson, Schultz, Tozer,
ID. G. Young and David Young-21.
"Nays'-Blackwell, Coles, Ed
ridge, Forlenza, Guthrie, Heinz
mann, Hyland, Lewis, Moore. Row.
and, Wallworth. Whalen-12.
The state senate passed measures
OF varying interest yesterday and
the House proceeded to defeat or
lay them over. Both branches adj
iourned to meet at IL o'clock on the
morning of January IL, an hour be-
fore the 1921 legislature comes into
being. Thus the 1920 lawmakers
have probably set a record, at least
for recent times. in being in session
throughout the entire year.