Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-02-27
Legislature Doings

TRENTON. Feb. 27-The legisla-
ture, with two more weeks of act
ual law making before final adjourn
mcnt, may be said to be starting on
the homo stretch of its work today.
On March the 8, a week from ncNt
Thursday the considerations of bills
is to cease. HI solons then VIII
let the governor dispose of those sent
to him and it is the plan for the
Senate and House to return on
March 16 to consider those which
Mr.. Edwards has vetoed and to pass
such oil the disapproved bills as the
Republican majority considers II
should pass over his head.
Thus it might also be said today
that the final period of strife between
the Democratic administration and
the Republican legislature. which
has been on during the last three SEES
sions of the lawmakinS body, Is now
about to be witnessed. During the.
session of 1920 the governor de-
clared on one occasion that he would
| not leave the state while those
| birds are i'll session." meaning the
Republican majority. Mr.. Edwards,
although elected by the people to
administer the government, was not
given a majority of the lawmakers
| of his own party through any of the
last three legislatures and conse-
uuentIy he has had to engage IN
many bouts with the G.. o.. j. lead
| ers to get his program adopted ana
his nomination for various oilces
confirmed. This has made his adj
ministration a tempestuous one.
Thus when the lawmakers adjourn
on March 16 the executives battles
with his political opponents in n
halls of legislation and and he may
Iook forward to the remaining
months of his administration rs II
free from storm. Next year a new
governor will take up the burden.
Mr.. Edwards, of course, Will still be
in office when the 1925 session opens
but his successor will be !naugurated
during the second week OF thai leg
stature. Should the governor de-
eide to be a candidate for United
| States conference.-the which the
| Democratic and Republican poHtl-
clans all guessing at this tlme-he
will most likely engage in q numper
of tits with his opponents right up
TO the next November election. But
this of course, will not include the
legislature as a body. That war Will
be over in about two weeks. barring
a special session of which there is
no likelihood at this writing.
Manv hearings on bills Of greater
mr. less importance are scheduled
| for both the senate and House sides
| of the laWmaking body today. IL IS
expected that a large crowd VIII
| attend the hearing this afternoon III
the senate chamber OF the bill IN
troduced by Assemblyman Coon,
Republican, of Essex, and a MINIS
ter, which includes the reading OF
the New Testament in Bible eXer-
cises in the schools. THE main OPP
position to the measure seems To
come from some Hebrews, who have
| children in the public schools ana
who seem to regard the measure as
an infringement on their religious
rights. Other senate hearings TO-DAY
are on the following bills:
Senator Roberts, to incorporate
Moorestown, in Burlington county,
Mr.. Moore, allowing wounded SOL
| diers to qualify for the study OF law,
architecture and other callinES al
ter taking vocational courses; Sen
ator White, adds Sewaren in MID
| dlesex county to Perth Amboy.
The Hershfield series of bills re-
lating to workmen's compensation
and conditions are scheduled to be
| llSCuSCtd btlol it i'oNA'C
tee on labor and industries. These
measures provided the following
things:
Prohibit smoking in factory build
| ings: grant compensation to work
| men for diseases contracted because
| Of their occupation; increases the
| maximum compensation for injured
workmen to SIS and fixes the mini
mum at IS; requires thai the en-
| ployer shall notify the Commissioners
of labor Of any injury to a work
man which prevents him from re-
| suniing his employment for more
than twenty-four hours; permits or
| fine of $1,000 on employer who fails
to provide insurance to take care OF
workmen's compensation obligations.
A hearing on the bill introduced
by Assemblyman Taylor, Essex. for
n referendum on the question OF
| continuing the personal property
| tax, will also be conducted. The Eli
| lott bill providing for a new method
| of voting for ~assemblymen IS also
to beaired today. 1t provides for the
| election of House members on first,
second and third choices and so on
in all counties having three or o
representatives. The Meloney bill
! allowing cities to increase their DEBT
limit is also to be discussed at a
| House committee hearing.
Governor Signs Bill
Governor Edwards has signed the
Evans House bill, appropriating $25,-
900 for the purpose of fighting the
Public Service Railway Company's
eight cent fare litigation to the end.
Under the terms of the bill. the
moroy will be banded over to the
Puulic Utility Commission, and the
commission in turn. will defend their
determination which is now being
contested in the United States SUI
preme court. The case was appealed
by the state after the United States
federal district court had granted the
Public Sefvi@e Company an eight
ce.t fare. The rate fixed by the Util-
ity Commission was seven cents with
two additional cents for a transfer.
Anr ouncement has also been made
that executive approval has been
giver to Senator Cases bill appro-
pr:ating 100000 for New Jerseys
share in the participation in the de-
veiopment OF the Port of New York
by the two adjoining states. New