Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-03-10
UP TO THE

The state constabulary bill is now up to Gov
ernor Edwards. The measure passed the sem
ate by one majority and passed the House by
a vote OF IS to IS. There is good reason to be-
iieve that in passing this bill the Legislature
represented the wishes of a great majority of
the people of the state. With state constabu-
iaries in both New York and Pennsylvania it is
essential that New Jersey. situated between the
two. also have an organization that will repre-
sent the entire state.
Senator Brown voted against the bill in the
senate, although he said he approved of the bill
on general principles and thought it had merit.
Ills grounds for voting against it was that he
ielt that the people of Middlesex county, whom
he represents. were against a state police force.
We do not know how the senator got this i'm
preston. 1t is true some of the leaders Of or
gsnized labor are opposed to the bill, but we
doubt very much IL labor in general Is opposed.
Labor. as that term Is commonly understood.
certainly believes in law and order. and that is
what any police force, whether It be a city or
state organization. stands for. The constabulary
bill as passed by the New Jersey legislature pro-
vides that the state police force cannot
GO into any municipality unless the authorities
of that municipality request their assistance.
Naturally, no city is going to call on outside
help in time of trouble unless the situation is
belond the control of the local authorities and
then every law-abiding citizen realizes that it
is time to do something. If there is not a state
police force to call on, it will be the state
militia.
But there is little or no disorder in the ordi-
nary strike in which labor sometimes INDUCES
and consequently there will be no need for the
police. When there is disorder in connection
with a strike the labor leaders invariably de-
clare that 1t is not the strikers who cause the
trouble, but the hoodlums and ruffans who hang
around on such occasions ready to start some
thing. In that case, one would think that labor
leaders would welcome an efficient police force
to see that these outsiders do not start anything
ard thereby discredit the name of labor. for dis
orders in time of a strike are bound to reflect
on the strikers whether they are to blame or
not.
Aside from the labor issue in connection
with the state police bill. there is good reason
for desiring an efficient state police at this time.
The wave of crime that has been sweeping the
state is one reason. The enormous automobile
traffic on all the highways of the state is an
other reason. The highways are infested with
speed fiends from neighboring states as well
as from our own state and there is little to
stop them in the open country districts. To
have the highways properly patrolied at all
times is going to mean safety to the law-abiding
man who likes to travel.
Governor Edwards has not been particularly
friendly to a state police force and there is rea-
son to believe that he will veto the measure that
is now put up to him. If he does, it is hoped
that the legislature will see that the measure
is passed over his veto. The state needs such
an organization now as never before. AS the
Philadelphia Inquirer remarked a few days ago.
It is hard to understand why the state of New
Jrsey and Delaware hesitate to create a state
police force seeing what good work such an
organization has done in Pennsylvania.