Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1922-11-22
WET ASSEMBLY
|. HEADS Chosen;
SENATE NEXT
COP. Senators viii Have
Caucus Tomorrow at Tren-
ton State House
EDGE is REAL FACTOR
Smith And WaIIWorth In Race
For Position See Prohi-
bition As Issue
EDGE is REAL FACTOR

TRENTON, Nov. 22.-Now that
the Republican members of the
house of assembly have agreed upon
candidates for speaker and floor
leader, the interest of the followers
of politics in New Jersey is turning
to the state Republican caucus here
tom orrow. Speculation as to who
will be the president of the next ses-
sion of the senate is considerably
''up in the air." with two avowed
candidates, Senator Albin Smith, of
Passaic, and Senator Joseph Wall
worth, of Camden. a protege of for
mer United States Senator David
Baird. 1t is an understood fact that
Senator Smith is the candidate fav-
ored by United States Senator Wall
ter E. Edge for the senate presi-
dency. A number of Edge lieuten-
ants were here yesterday as observ-
ers of the Republican assembly eau
Gus, but said nothing and stick very
close to the tall timber with regard
to any pronouncement upon the stu
alton in the senate.
About the nearest any of them
would come to an out-and-out dec
laration was that it would be close
fight between the two aspirants for
presidential honors. Although Wall
worth's term expires in January,
1924, and consequently he could not
afford to withdraw for another year
in favor of Smith for the senate
presidency, a compromise might be
effected with Smith for president
and Wallworth as floor leader. Wall
worth, however, claims he is not in
terested in the post of leader.
When it comes down to actual
votes. it was indicated at the close
of last years senate session that
Smith had then eight votes pledged
to support him for the senate leader.
All these votes are back in the sem
ate this year, and if they hold fast
to their pledges, the Passaic sena-
tor needs but one more vote to make
nine. a majority of the seventeen Re-
publican senators, to elect him sem
ate president.
If the fight for senate head re-
solves itself into a "wet' and dry"
struggle, it would seem that Smith
stands slightly better chance than
Wallworth. Smith has always been
a wet, while Wallworth was sup
posedly dry, until the recent elee-
tion, when like some others in the
Republican party, he understood the
vote to be a mandate to the party
to switch to a damp policy.
As to the wet and dry issue. Sem
ator Arthur H, Whitney, of Morris,
who was at the state house yester-
day. deprecated very much the de-
clared intention of legislators to re-
peal the Hobart acL, which is the
state enforcement act.
Tn c+a x-aSfnrHou IN
said in part: THE main
issue before us today is the need for
economy and for business govern
ment. Prohibition is not a state is
sue, it is a national question. Moth
ing that the state can do can make
any change in the Volstead act.
Il am just as much opposed to-
day to the Eighteenth amendment
as / have always been. l have
voted against ratification of the
whenever the question
came before the New Jersey Legis-
lature. Nevertheless. I believe in
the constitution and laws
Of the United States, and I have
taken an oath of office to do so.
have voted for enforce
ment acts to support the constitu-
ton and uphold the law. The Ho-
end. We have more impor-
tant matters for the state legislature
to consider than an issue concerning
which we are really impotent.
We should take steps to-
ward the consolidation of public Of
fees, the reduction of legislative and
other expenses, and the elimination
Of waste. The s4o.o0o,ooo
bond issue for our state highway
system should be safeguarded before
a cent of that money can be spent
by an open ratification act. :.
We should consider means for the
reduction of that tax burden and an
step in this direction
would be to compel immediate
of property values for
taxing purposes throughout the
whole state"
.lContinus6 on page ID