Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1921-09-30
VAN NESS ACT
BIC PROBLEM
"Best Minds" Unable to Solve
This Vexing Problem at Ses-
sion Held Yesterday
WORK AT CONVENTION
Likely to Come up on Floor of
Big G. O. P. Meeting
Next Week

TRENTON, Sept. 30:-On the
horns of a dilemma as to what to
say in the party platform respecting
the so-called Van Ness enforcement
act, the Republican leaders will
likely not solve this veXing question
until the delegates to next Tuesdays
convention in this city actually get
to work on the floor of that body.
A child of the last Republican legis-
lature, word is coming to State
Chairman +. G. Stokes and other
guides of the state G. o. 2. that the
Van Ness act is unpopular in North
Jersey, where wet" laws of any
type have never been accepted with
grace and that legislative tickets,
particularly in Essex county, may
be jeopardized unless the coming
state convention takes some steps 20
record itself in some notifications
of the drastic law.
These advocates of a change in
the act point to the way in which
Mrs. Jennie C. Van Ness, sponsor
for the act at the request of the
Anti-Saloon League, was cut in the
primary vote in Essex county last
Tuesday. Although there was no
contest for the assembly nomina-
tions, this woman member of the
legislature received almost the low
est of the votes accorded each of
the twelve candidates endorsed at
the primary.
"Drys' Dominate
With mostly "drys" dominating
the conference of Republican best
minds held here yesterday at the
call of the state chairman the latter
heard only the suggestions to leave
the act alone, but from outside
sources he was told that sentiment
was against the measure, despite
| what the friends of the Anti-Saloon
| League in the conference of yester-
day might say, and it behooved the
| Republican party to remedy the
| situation.
Lawyers tell me-" said the state
| chairman, discussing the matter
with newspapermen following the
late afternoon conference, that this
act is not as drastic as it has been
painted. They say it is not true that
the measure permits enforcement
| agents to go into a mans house on
| the mere information that liquor is
stored there. They say the act has
been misrepresented."
| There has been talk that an
amendment to provide a trial by
jury for those charged with viola
| tionS of the Van Ness act would be
| incorporated in the state platform,
| but Mr. Stokes said it did not come
up in yesterday afternoons confer
ence and he could not say whether
any planks on the subject would be
offered.
The conference on proposed planks
| lasted into last night and Chairman
| Stokes explained that whatever was
of ha ir1H n fr II
| the state convention next week. He
| declared the discussion was for the
purpose of presenting a tentative set
| of planks for the use of the plat
form committee on Tuesday. Begin
ming at 4 o'clock next Monday after
noon there will be another discus
! sion on this subject Mr.. Stokes to-
day issued the official call for the
convention, which in addition to the
hold-over senators, candidates Tor
the senate and House will include
forty-two members of the state com
mittee, or woman and man from
each county.
Platform Discussed.
At the night meeting of the plat
form conferees a spirited discussion
developed as to whether to endorse
the proposed S14,000,000 bond issue
tions and Agencies put through the
last legislature by resolution and
| which the people will be called upor
to vote upon this fall. Mrs. Lewis
S. Thompson, of Monmouth county
prominent in Republican circles anc
also member of the Board of In
| stitutions and Agencies sponsored 3
plank on this subject. Senator Ar
thur Whitney. of Morris, chairman
of the legislative appropriations
committee, raised some point as tt
the merit of the plan. 1t is l1kelN
the subject will be further discussed
next Monday.
1t is understood that a plank will b'
drafted criticisng the State Highway
Commission for building new ROADS
during the summer touring season
and thus creating so many object
ionable detours. Chairman Stoke!
said an amendment prohibiting the
tearing up OF the roads in the sum
mer would likely be advocated.
Boxing Law.
He refused to say what might b'
the party's attitude with respect Il
the administration of the state box
ing law, although it is known tina
for some time he has been talking o
a repeal of the act or some change
which would take it out of the hand!
OF the Hudson County Democratic
leaders who sponsored the Dempsey
Carpenter fight last summer.
Continued on page 81