The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-11-27
SAME FLOOD OF
BILLS EXPECTED
Jersey Observers Say Session
Could Pass Twenty-Five and
Quit Without Harm.
MAY BE SOME REFORMS
Mixups Due to Late Night SittiHgs
Started Move for changes-court
Makes Rule for Receiver
ships to Alleviate Evils.

Trenton.-Republica managers ap-
pear to have encountered little diff
Guilty in arranging the states for the
organization of the Legislature, but
little has been heard of the program
for the session. AS a matter OF fact,
most of the observers conversant
with the situation agree that about
twenty-five bills could be drafted, in
troduced, acted upon and adjourn
ment taken without in the least de-
gree jeopardizing the interests of the
people No such course is at all prob
able, however. There will be the
usual mass of measures, the usual
delays at the beginning and the usual
jam at the conclusion of the session,
with several hundred new laws to
which the people give scant heed
Last year the party managers planned
the end of the session at the very
beginning, setting a time limit for in
PRODUCTION of bills and day for final
adjournment That course was not
productive of any high degree Of salts
faction for anybody because in the
final roundup the hurry and scurry
was accompanied by the customary
scandal and misunderstanding
Several of the members of the AS
sembly in that session gave fair
warning that If returned to the House
they would take some steps to rem
edy conditions with especial refer
ence to late uight sessions and con-
fusion in rSIl-call Several of these
members will be in the House in the
forthcoming session and they will
have opportunity to project their ideas
ideas Of what may constitute reforms
in tbs conduct of the sessions.
1t is generally known by those who
hevs attended more than one sitting
OF che New Jersey Legislature that
political schemers have taken all pos
si5le advantage of the lnte-hour ses-
sions to put across measures which
might have scant chance in a body
more alert to the evident purpose of
such schemes. In a number of nota-
BILE instances bills of a suspicious
character have come forth as laws
under such circumstances, and in
more than one instance last winter
there was a bit of a row over glazing
errors in roll-calls, due largely to the
confusion and inattention of the
weary members sitting until the early
morning hours and suffering from
fatigue.
1t is probable that the party man
ayers, so soon as they have given final
touches to the states for the senate
and house and allotted the long list OF
patronage, may turn their attention to
the suggested reforms and bring some
thing out of the suggestions. The peo-
pie of the state will have no ground
for complaint if the law-making instt-
tuition purges itself of some of the
causes for criticism which have arisen
in recent years. While there will I'M
doubtedly be a great raft of bills, the
necessities of the state can easily be
met with a very few laws, and there
may be some possibility of short,
satisfactory session.
Governor Silzer will undoubtedly
have some important matters to pre-
sent in his annual message, which will
be next to his last.
Election Law Changes
1t is rather probable that early at
tention will be given to needed
changes in the election laws. Despite
the annual tinkering with these acts,
much confusion and misunderstand
ing remain. One of the needed
changes is in the hour at which the
primary election closes. 1t is now
o'clock p M, and under daylight-sav-
ing time, which prevails in Septem-
Der, it is actually 10 o'clock when the
polls close after permitting voters to
cast their ballots from o'clock in the
morning. That is little less than bru-
tai for the election boards, which are
obliged to count the ballots after that
unseemly hour, and in numerous cases
in the state the count cannot be con
cluded until far into the morning. In
some instances last September the re-
suit was not known until noon of the
day following election.
Many men and women in the state
believe that the primary polls could
be closed at z, the hour fixed for the
general election, without any great
harm to anyone. Indeed. there is
widespread feeling that the polls of
the general election could be closed at
o'clock in these days of the automo-
bile and other means of quick trans
portation without harm to the voters
With such tremendous vote as ap
peared at the recent food, some ac-
ton would appear necessary.
The people are also greatly dissat
isfed with the huge sheet of paper
called the ballot upon which they are
obliged to make their marks, and nu-
merous recounts have disclosed to
what tremendous extent errors in the
marking can be carried with such a
mass of paper printed names and
filled spaces. 1t is believed that many
voters remain away from the polls be-
cause of tmidity in attacking the
formidable sheet which makes the bal