Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-17
WHY REVISE
ELECTION LAW?
That is Question as Commits
sion Forms Origin of Move
is Questioned

TRENTON. May 17:-"What was
, the origin of the move for this COM
| mission in the last legislature?
What was the reason for it?" These
were interesting queries propounded
by former Corporation Counsel john
! Milton. of Jersey City. to his new
colleagues. after he had been elect
er. as chairman of the commission
to revise the election laws at its
| meeting here yesterday. WAS there
some fault found with the party o..
| CARNATIONS as they exist"
Several of the other members
fastened to reply that it had been
found that the county committees
in several countiesN were unwieldy.
particularly in Hudson and Essex
where they have over 500 members
on the committees.
The questions of Mr.. Milton were
interesting in view of the fact that
SO far as could be learned nothing
more startling than the formation
of political organizations was ad-
varced for the passage of the reso-
luton creating the commission b.
the ecent lawmaking body.
Then somebody on the new board
| tried to place the responsibility for
| the idea on Mrs. +. +. Feickert. of
Plainfield, who is vice chairman of
| the Republican state committee,
| and it was stated that she had AS.
semblyman Pierson, of Union coun-
ty. introduce the measure. Mrs.
F'eickert was not present at the
meeting although h is one of the
G.. o. +. members of the commits
! sion and was elected as its secretary.
No reference was made through
out the session to any proposed
tirkering with the direct primary
act. which in some quarters it is
thought the commission may be ask
ed to consider. Mrs. Lewis s.
Thompson, Republican, of Mon
mouth. said that 1t would be good to
have Mr.. Milton as chairman and
active head of the commission be-
u of his legal knowledge and his
ability to steer the commission into
the right channels.
at would be better for us really
TO do nothing than to do something
which might be regarded as wrong"
commented Mrs. Thompson.
Mr.. Milton then said: THE conf
mission is mostly made up of poll
teal theorists with the possible ex-
ception of Messrs. Rotterdam, john
son and Brown who have had prac-
teal experience"
Mr.. Rotterdam is an important
cog in the Hudson Republican or
g~anization. George II. Johnson is
sheriff and Republican county chair
man in Union county, and William ID.
Brown is the Baird representative ON
the new commission. The other Re-
publican members are Mrs. Thomp-
son and Mrs. Feickert.' In addition
to Mr.. Milton, the Democrats are
Mrs. Robert +. Norton. of Jersey
City. who is chairman of the Demo-
cratic women of the state; Mrs. Da-
vid A. DeVanny. member of the
State Committee from Atlantis
county; Orlo S. Hatton, of Mercer.
who is the representative of State
Chairman Heller on the commission,
and DR.. William Diamond of Essex.
1t developed that DR.. Diamond has
been working with Assemblyman
Pierson, of Union, in the latter's
various measures OF recent years to
change the election laws.
Mr.. Rotterdam said the first thing
to be done by the members should
be to acquaint themselves with the
election law as it stands today ana
then suggest recommendations for
changes.
But 1 think we should keep the
suggestions we make to ourselves
until all the members have received
them," he stated, $50 that no garb!ed
reports will be made about them
and someone be misrepresented.'
It is expected that later on the
commission will have to decide
whether the intention of thu legisla-
ture in creating it was to confine It's
activities to the revision of the cleo
ton law as it relates to party ma
chinery Or whether the commission
has a wider latitude and can go into
such questions as the repeal of the
direct primary law and other vital
changes in the election system as II
exists today in New Jersey. 1t will
be recalled that several years ago
MIR. Pierson had the legislature pass
a revision act which restored the
partv column to the election ballot.
Mr.. Pierson sponsored the resolu-
ton creating this commission. The
measure authorizes this new body to
do the work "of revising the provi-
sions of the election aw for the
purpose of standardizing and rem
derinp more effective the character
of. and representation in. party or
carnations. and providing uniform
rules, regulations. constitution. ana
other matters relative TO the conduc
and working efficiency of the same.
The results are to be reported 10 the
legislation with any changes recon-
mended to be made.
In his veto of the resolution, which
was subsequently passed over ms
head, Governor Edwards said IN
part:
at seems to me the character ef-
6ciency. regulation and constitution
| of party organizations may be safely
left to such organizations. The ap.
pointment of the commission called
| for by this resolution will simply
| r1ean another waste of money in the
| printing of a report which nobedy
will read"
The. commission will hold its next
| meeting at the call of Chairman NIL
ton.