Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-06-15
ssJaZZ" LdWmaking
Told of at Hearing
Correspondent and Others
Tell of Vote on Mathis
Road Grab Act


picture of Jazz lawmaking" as prac-
ticed by the legislature of 1928. and
also by some or its predecessors.
was painted here yesterday befoce
Supreme Court Commissioner The
odoro j. Backes at the taking of
testimony to determine whether the
so-called Mathis road grab bill, add
ing about fifty miles to the state
highway system between Camden
and Toms River, was passed by a
bona fide majority of the House Of
Assembly on the closing night of the
last session. The Mathis act if 1t be-
comes operative, will mean an outlay
of about two and half million dol
lars figured on the conservative
basis of $4,000 a mile to construct
permanent highways. Yet in spite
of this the testimony of yesterday
indicated that when the bill was
being considered for passage over
the veto of the governor in the dying
hours of the session. memt els
showed little or no attention to the
business before them.
Lewis S. Garrison, well known leg
islatiVe correspondent for Newark
evening paper, who stood close to
the clerks desk and watched the
roll called and apparently absent
members being voted for the meas
ure and whose expose of the meth
DDS adopted to jam the bill through
had lot to do with the action of
Governor Silzer in asking for the
investigation, was the main witness
called by Attorney General Newcorn
to substantiate the contention that
the bill was not legally passed. He
told of the scene in the House
when the measure, the last to be
70 hot
was considered and here is his de-
scription:
Mr.. George, the minority Lead
er. started to call the roll and there
was much laughter, SO he finally
gave it up. Assistant Clerk Parker
then began calling it. This was the
last bill passed, about 9:15 at
night"
Was the House in order at that
tiine?" asked Mr.. Newcorn.
mo sir" said the witness. Mr..
Rowland was in the chair. Speaker
Evans sat at the piano which was
still in the House from the annual
entertainment and he was strum-
ming at the keys. Mr.. Negus stood
on l chair or on the speakers plat
forlL singing and throwing water
from glass. here was more or
less joshing and horse play. So
much that Clerk Jefferys time aft4
time begged Mr.. Rowland to pre-
serve order"
Garrison said he noticed Assistant
| Clerk James Parker, now deceased,
call the name of Plat Adams, now
chief boxing inspector under Com
missioner Bigbee, Adams being the
| first name on the roll. Adams was
not there, so the correspondent mark
ed on his note paper out" This
he did with eleven other names call
ed which his checking UP process
failed to find in the assembly cham
Der. Democratic Leader George and
Republican Leader Corio both re-
mained at the clerks desk and Corio
would say, when some members
name was called, to NJ. Parker,
"Oh, he is all right" and then he
would see the assistant clerk put
| his pencil to the roll call check list,
but he admitted he could not tell
how it was marked. Meanwhile JEFF
| ferys stood back endeavoring to
nave Acting Speaker Rowland pre-
serve order.
| The correspondent related then
how he had gone over the roll call,
showing that thirty-five had voted
for the bill, four more than the re-
quired majority, and how nine were
cast in the negative. He found that
of the twelve names he had checked
as absentees seven wer erecorded as
| having been voted in favor of the bill.
| Inasmuch as it had previously passed
the senate over the veto, the bill
thus became a law.
The seven assemblymen thus re-
corded were also placed on the wit
ness stand yesterday. Four of them,
Adams. of Essex; Campbell OF Mon
mouth Gibbs, of Camden, and Nc
Cullough, Of Somerset, swore that
they were present and voted for the
measure. Compton of Union said that
he did not vote for it and that
insofar as his name was concerned
the House records were incorrect.
He had left when the bill came up.
Assemblymen Dater and De Lorenzo,
| both of Bergen, admitted they left
to catch a train and both seemed to
be in doubt as to whether they had
or had not voted for the bill
Dater said he had no recollection
of the bill coming up but he had
voted for it the first time it came
before the House, prior TO the gov
ernor's veto He said Bergen had
several road bills of its own so that
was why his delegation backed the
Mathis measure.
ut was a case of scratch my back
and I'll scratch yours" commented
Assistant Attorney General New
corn.
CONTINUED OH page So
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