San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-11
New Jersey Authorities
Threaten to Enforce
Statute Made in 1898.
OFFICIALS UNWORRIED
Rule Would Allow Opera
ton of Just One Sabbath
Train Each Way.
BY ROBERT L. SMALL.

copyright, by the san ANTONIO LlSht.
New York, March 11.-Railroad Of
ficials Of the lines centering here re-
fused today to take seriously the
threat of Northern New Jersey au-
thorities to enforce the blue laws
against the running of trains on Sun
day. If the letter of the law is lived
up to, the Pennsylvania Railroad will
be prevented from running more than
one train a day into and out of New
York City. just where that lone
some train would run to or from, no
one seems to know.
. The same rule of one train day
would apply equally to the Central
Railroad of New Jersey, the Erie, the
/, West Shore, the Lackawanna. the
Lehigh Valley. the New York, Ontario
X Western--all the lines that traverse
Northern New Jersey. to reach ter
minal in Manhattan, either by ferry or
tube.
The law against Sunday trains is
on the statute books and apparently is
in good standing. because amendments
TO this section Of the code have been
made as late as 1920. with no at
tempt to obliterate the main pro.
visions of the act. The law Itself
dates back to 1898. when it seems
there was a loud outcry and cru
SADIE against vice and immortality.
even as there is today. Each genera
ton seems to have It's oSn pet "vi,es
running trains on Sraday. Today il
is bootlegging and going to the movies
on Sunday. to mention just a few.
Want to Ridicule Statute.
The Jersey authorities naturally are
making au effort to enforce the blue
laws of the eighteenth century in this
modern twentieth century atmosphere
merely for the purpose of bringing the
old statute into ridicule and getting il
wiped off the books or so amended as
to catch the spirit Of these later days,
Half a dozen clergymen have been
crusading FOR a year or more against
Sunday performances at the motion
) picture and other theaters. They have
been lambasting the authorities for not
acting against the managers and own
ers of the play houses. They in
voked the statute o. 1898 as evl1enct
of violation of the stated law of the
: land. The police dug up the old chap
, tiers and found that if they prose
cuted the theater folk they world. also
have to prosecute about everybody who
ventured abroad in the land on Sun
day unless thes, people weic church
goers, doctors, midwives or undertake
ers.
The police also found much to their
amusement that up to 1904. the po-
lice Of New Jersey were not permitted
to make arrests on Sunday. An
amendment was passed to the blue
laws at that time giving their power
10 the blue coats.
Before acLng the police consulted
the Judges of the New Jersey court
and they have held that it would
not be fair TO single out any one class
of law violators and fail to prosecute
others coming under the blue law
ban.
Find 10000 VioIatOrs.
Therefore the second Sunday in
March, being fine spring day, the
police ventrred forth to gather evil
dence. They did not make any ar
rests for they found something like
10000 violations of the law and they
didn't half look. Most Of the viola
tons were booked in Jersey City and
along the Hudson county boulevard.
The police didn't know where they
could jail 10000 persons overnight.
The railroads accounted for some
several thousands of violations for
the trains traversing New Jersey were
busy all day run. ing to and fro. 1t
is held that all the electric light and
power people, the telephone operators,
the street car conductors and motor
men. da;rymen, everybody was more
or less guilty. The cases will be
presented to the grand jury for its
dc. ,rmination. The police have in
disputable evidence of the violation.
The law provides against dancing.
singing, fiddling or any other music