Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-03-01
BIZ sG<oial Correspondenf.

BIZ Special Correspondent.
TRENTON, March $50 far as
New Jersey law Is concerned 1t may
be legal by this time. tomorrow to
sell $50 beer in this state. The
probability Of the passage of the
measure on this subject through the
state senate tonight LIS very apparent.
The measure was passed In the
House Of Assembly week ago under
a suspension Of the rules and 1t Is
predicted that the ''wets" in the up
per House will attempt to rush the
bill through that body tonight and
then send 1t to Governor Edwards.
who will undoubtedly sign the bill,
thus making 1t law by tomorrow.
Attorney General McCran expects
to begin his fight against prohibition
before the supreme court at WASH
ington this week and he wants the
psychological effect Of the action Of
the New Jersey legislature and New
Jersey governor in passing and sign
starts to argue before that tribunal
on the sovereignty of New Jersey to
regulate the prohibition amendment
within her own borders. Mr.. Nc
Gran will appear at Washington In
his capacity as the states legal offi.
GER. He has already declared that
New Jersey, in his opinion, has the
under the concurrent power pre-
scribed in the eighteenth amend
ment.
The fact that there viii be a hear
ing in the senate chamber this after
noon on the "wet" legislation at
which time the Anti-Saloon League
expects to unloose its battery on the
beer bill is not calculated to stop the
passage of the measure tonight. If
the program scheduled Is carried out.
In fact, there seems to be somewhat
OF a cloud over the hearing. as 1t may
turn out to be without official status.
Senator Allen. of Salem, a dry" is
( chairman of the senate judiciary
committee and he fixed the hearing
the arguments of the "drys" If no
one else did. AS a matter of fact the
senate judiciary committee has not
yet received the House $50 beer. bill
and will not until tonight. The SEN
ate judiciary committee has not in
its possession any bill on this sub
ject upon which 1t can give hearing
measures on the subject were report
ed by the committee last week and
are in ihes hands of the senate as a
whole. Senators Pilgrim, of Essex.
and Brown, of Middlesex, both ''wets'
i and the other two members Of the
JuO1cldfY cOnllnlttee, may refuse TO
! attend the hearing today on this
, ground. This. however. is specula-
ton.
The Anti-Saloon League will have
DIR. Harvey w. Wiley here this after
noon to testify at the hearing that
beer containing 2.75 percentage OF
alcohol is intoxicating.
A number o. the senators have
been placed in the wrong column in
the lining up of the prospective vote
in the upper House on the beer bill,
but today 1t looks as If combination
Of six Republicans and Ave Demo-
Gratis will do the trick for the "wets. +"
The lineup at this writing Is figured
as follows:
For-Republicans. White, Allan
tic: Mackay, Bergen; White. Burling
ton: Pilgrim. Essex; Stevens. Mon
mouth; Smith, Passaic-6. Demo-
Simpson, Hudson; Heath,
Mercer; Brown. Middlesex; Kays.
Sussex, and Barber, Warren-5.
Total-11. or just enough. to pass any
senate bill.
Against = Republicans, Reeves
Cumberland; Sturgess, Gloucester:
Whitney, Morris; Hagaman, Ocean;
Allen, Salem; Runyon, Union; Case,
Somerset. Democrats, Martens.
Hunterdon. /.
Doubtfui-Haines. Camden and
Bright, Cape May. both Republicans.