The Penn's Grove record., 1921-01-14
Cleavage Between Legislature
and Court Reaches Almost
Open Break Stage.
BREAK LOOMS IN UTILITY.
Edwards Denounces 'MaIign and In
visible Influences ir Utilities Contest.
Calls Plan to Take Appointing Pow
err from Him Hove Against Welfare.

legislature opened at moor while the
1920 session met at II o'clC ok and ad-
journed sine die before noon.
As was expected the old legislature
did not transact any business.
The officers of the senate and house
were sworn In at noon.
The president If the senate is Collins
B. Allen, of Salem the majority lead
err William :. Nackay, of Bergen, and
William H. Albright. of Gloucester is
secretary. Robert NJ. Johnson, of At
lantic, is supervisor of bills. George
NimmO, of Bergen, is senate journal
clerk.
In the house George S. Hobart of
Essex was sworn in as speaker, and
T. Harry ROLAND, of Camden became
house majority leader. The clerk of
the house is Upton s. Jeffreys of Cam
den, and the assistant clerk James
Parker of Passaic.
A large number of tickets were is
Sutu lOl ScdlS IA liIC SCIlllC anu liOuSt
galleries and both floors and galleries
of the senate and house were filled as
usual.
Decorations of a very attractive type
transformed the senate and house
chambers into b,wers of beauty. Flags,
bunting, palms and flowers were placed
under direction of John a. Smith, Gus
todi&n of the capitol.
Women Legislators.
The opening of the 1921 house set
a new mark because of the presence
the floor of women assemblymen
for the first time in the history of the
state. They are Mrs. Margaret &.
Laird, of Newark. and Mrs. Jennie C..
Van Ness, of East Orange, and hun
dreds of their women friends who were
active in the fight for the equal ballot
visited the state house AMI crowded
the assembly gallery 10 honor them.
AS special recognition for the wo-
assemblymen. Mrs. Van Ness n0ln-
mated ~ASsemblyman George S. Hobart
for the s~peakership.
OF the u senators. 10 are Republi.
cans and 6 Der ocratS. III ere would
have been IS Republicans in the house.
were it not for the recent death Of
Assemblyman-lect 5Chn b. Rosser, of
Hoboken.
Utility Middle.
Chief interest lies. of course, in the
program as to tie utility muddle, and
it is probable that Il Measure of some
will appear among others agreed
10 by the conference committee of tie
two houses.
Whether this measure is to provide
the appointment of the Utility Com
n%issioners by the Chancellor or the
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, or
o take Il chance on the project of hav-
ng the power conferred upon joint
of the legislature, is said to
nave caused almost an open break in
he Republican majority because the
want to go the limit, while the
conservative members want to
.ook ahead a bit. But whatever is de-
cided-and it is evident now that an
effort will be made to strip the Gov
of the appointing power-the big
fight will be Oh from the start.
Governor Edwards that
ne welcomes the scrap. The Governor
issued a statement proclaiming his at
titude and asserting that sinister infiu-
ances are at work among the Republi-
to control votes and to work out
the scheme as outlined. In his state
ment the Governor says:
Only First Round of Fight.
"The action of the Republican State
Senate in refusing to confirm my nomi-
for the Public Utility Commits
sion marks the end of the first round
of the fight between the people on the
one hand and certain malign and in
visible interests on the other hand. So
these invisible interests have DEM
Onstrated that they can control a suf-
dcient number of Republican Senators
to carry out the first stage of their
fight to control this commission. That
plan is to delay any action by the ex-
listing Senate until after the new Legis-
Overwhelmingly Republican in
both branches, shall take office.
Then the plan is to remove the
power of appointment of the Commits
from the Governor and to vest
1t in certain members of our courts,
who are believed to be under the inf1u.
ence of these interests.
although these interests have won
the first round of this fight, it does moi
by any mean follow that they can win
In the end. The fact that fOur Repub-
lican SenatOrs-Senator Runyon Of
Senator Whitney of Morris.
Senator Pilgrim of Essex and Senator
of Ocean-joined with the
Democratic Senators in voting to sus.
lain my appointments, is strong evil
hence that these interests will find il
1ifIicult to whip a majority of the in
coming Legislature into line in support
# their plan to secure the appointment
If a commission they can control.
II am informed that d number of