The Penn's Grove record., 1921-03-11
Provides a Penalty of $500 Fine
or Six Months in Jail for
Buying a Drink.
WIDE POWERS OF SEIZURE
Four Senators Vote Against Measure;
Now Up to acknowledgements to
Attack Constitutionality of En-
forcement Feature.

its original drastic provisions wai
transmitted to Governor Edwards fol
his signature. Following a threC
hours fight in which opponents vainly
attempted 10 tack on more than a score
of amendments the senate passed tht
measure with only -four votes record
ed against it.
The opposition was confined tC
Senators Simpson of Hudson, Brown
Of Middlesex, Heath of Mercer ant
Smith of Passatc.
Should the measure be written into
the New Jersey statutes II will provide
a penalty of 5000 fine or six months
imprisonment for buying or selling, on
manufacturing or transporting any
liquor Of mere than one-half Of I pei
cent alcoholic content. In conformity
with the Volstead act. It makes viola.
lions disOrderly acts, and provides for
trial by judges of the Common Pleas
courts acting as magistrates in the
various counties.
Opponents of the bill directed their
major attacks on its failure to grant
accused violators a trial by jury. Fol.
lowing passage of the bill by the
senate ii was declared that opponents
already were prepared TO take the law
to the higher courts on the plea that
it is unconstitutional.
The prohibition enforcement bill
was introduced into the lower house
by ACKNOWLEDGMENT Jennie c. Van
Ness of Essex county at the request
of Speaker George S. Hobart.
a series Of amendments offered by
Senator Charles White of Atlantic
county were beaten. They provided
for:
A trial by jury.
The legal alcoholic ceHtent Of liquor,
the percentage of which Congress may
designate from time to time.
Defining residences 50 as to include
temporary abode. such as summer
homes, so that persons renting resi-
dences for the summer may move any
legally acquired liquor to their tenn
pOrary homes.
Striking out the provision authoriz-
ing the confiscation of chattels, such
as motor drays. on mere suspicion of
an officer that there is liquor contain
ed in the vehicles.
Striking out the clause that pre-
sumes all liquor is for beverage pur-
poses.
Prohibiting the breaking and enter
ing Of a property to be searched when
the inhabitants of the place to be
searched are not at home or do not re-
spond to the call of an officer.
Senators Simpson of Hudson and
White directed the forces of opponents.
Senator Simpson. after the amend
ments had been moved. declared THE
motto of the bill seems to be to get a
man in Jail whether you get him there
legally or not"
The debate became more enlivened
when Simpson asserted that "even the
Congress, which was subservient to the
whip Of the A~nti-Saloon League, didn't
dare to go so far as to abrogate jury
trials"
Senator Brown of Middlesex, in a
speech Of a half hours duration, charg-
ed that the bill as it stood, without
jury trial, permitted the bribing Of
Judges and prosecutors up to the high
est court of the state. Prospective
state enforcement agents were dubbed
by the opposition as spy informers."
Parry Defends Bill
Senator Parry of Essex. defending
the bill as it stands. suggested that the
penalty for the Illegal selling Of liquor
he raised from six months to three
years. He took exception to Simpsons
remarks as to why jury trials were not
abolished for every %offpnse. Simpson
followed up with the assertion that in
the case Of prohibition organized
fanaticism was mistaken for moral up
lift.
Among other amendments defeated
We're: BY Senator Simpson. providing
that the measure he submitted to the
voters at the next general election
this was unanimously defeated: by
Senator Brown Of Middlpsex. to make
the bill read identicalIy with the Vol
stead act as to the seizure of liquor
In the home.
Road Building Plans
At the hearing held before the COM
mission appointed by President Allen
of the senate and Speaker Hobart
Of the house to confer with the COVER
nor for the purpose of devising ways
and means for raising monies npceS-
sary to carry OF the state highway
program and for the rehabilitation and
development Of the state institutions,
George Fl. Paddock of Newark, a mem
her of the State Highway Commits
sion strongly advocated a continual
ton of the one mill road tax which
terminates under the present act next
year.
Mr.. Paddock said that the one min
road tax was far preferable to a di-
rect tax and that under it there could
be doated $4,000 coo worth Of bonds
without one extra cent cost 10 the
tax payers. which would enable he
commission to complete lle entire sys-