payments arising under section two of the act entitled "An act prescribing the liability of an employer to make compensation for injuries received by an employee in the course of employment, establishing an elective schedule of compensation and regulating procedure for the determination of liability and compensation thereunder," approved April fourth, one thousand nine hundred and eleven," Which was read for the first time by its title, ordered to have a second reading, and referred to the Committee on Banks and Insurance. The following message was received from the Governor, by the hands of Mr. Croasdale, his Secretary, which was read as follows: To the Legislature: STATE OF NEw Jersey, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, On the eve of your detail consideration of the constructive. program of the session, and other matters which will necessarily come before you, may I not have a further word supplementing the more or less usual ceremonial functions of the opening day? You are sitting in a day of war. I deem this sufficient reason for emphasizing the necessity of a session different from the average; different in that its deep keynote of Americanism must absorb customary partisanship, discourage consideration of unimportant details and overshadows self-centered demands on your attention. I know that you gentlemen, irrespective of party consideration, sincerely desire it. My sole reason for sending this message is to strengthen you in your lofty purpose and to emphasize the partnership I feel in it. I want you to know that the executive branch of the State government is ready to assist you in your praiseworthy ambition to co-operate with a government at war; that if any needed detail of legislation be inadvertently overlooked in the patriotic concentration on national success in the conflict, the executive department pledges itself to supply the deficiency to the limit of its powers and resources. Such sup port will be impersonal and non-political. We agree it is of paramount importance that the introduction. of bills be limited strictly to such as bear upon subjects worthy of serious consideration, in a year when retrenchment and sureness have the call over extravagance and experiment. I pray that the legislative calendar may not be clogged with a mass of meaningless measures. There is seldom any excuse for a wholesale addition to our statutes; certainly none at a time when all thought and energy are concentrated on the solution of a grave international problem. Bills applying to purely local situations may be needless in view of past and prospective home rule legislation. I ask individual legislators to exercise judgment before feeding in such bills and overloading the legislative press. Measures already before you seem to cover every essential public need, although, of course, I have no desire to in any way confine your activities or initiation. Never did legislators have greater cause to summon political courage and refuse to stand sponsor for the ready-made bills of those invisible lawmakers who every year attempt to prostitute the Legislature to their own selfish ends. Again, distinctly "war legislation" should be carefully considered with the welfare of the whole country in mind. Bills permitting the State to control fisheries and municipalities, to buy and sell food and fuel in emergencies, are proposed. They should help a situation growing more serious every day. But I deem it proper to warn you against any agitated legislation apt to interfere with the aims of the national food and fuel administrations. This problem is national in scope. Any permanent relief must come from national enforcement of nation-wide regulations. This is evident from the plain fact that present troubles are largely due to too many food and fuel bosses. The Federal Government has taken over control of all railroads and no State utility commission would assume to interfere. Legislation. certain to confuse the national food and fuel regulation would be equally unwise. Any shortcomings in this regulation must be supplied by Washington; patchwork in individual States can only add to the confusion and impotency. It Finally, it is my earnest hope that such business as comes before the Legislature may be transacted without recourse on the part of either majority or minority to the familiar custom of partisanship. Time is of the essence of victory in this war. is unthinkable in this hour, when essential industries are hampered for want of power and help, that costly legislative session should be wantonly prolonged and men of the able type of legislators unnecessarily detained from other useful pursuits while precious moments are wasted in political repartee and partisan bickerings. May not New Jersey look forward to a Legislature without a minority-with only an American majority? May not New Jersey provide a patriotic inspiration for the country and Congress in this respect? I sincerely hope so. Let New Jersey's war Legislature clip the red tape of political tradition and co-operate with the United States and her Allies by dutting corners to war-time preparation and fitness. [SEAL] Attest: Respectfully, WALTER E. EDGE, Governor. FRANCIS E. CROASDALE, Secretary to the Governor. Mr. Richards moved that the usual number of copies of the Governor's message be printed. Which was agreed to. Mr. Pilgrim, on leave, introduced Senate Bill No. 66, entitled "An act to amend an amendment. to 'An act respecting the fees of surrogates, county clerks, and county registers of deeds and mortgages in counties of the first class and providing salaries for such officers,' approved Apri! second, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight," Which was read for the first time by its title, ordered to have a second reading, and referred to the Committee on Judiciary. Mr. Stevens offered the following resolution, which was read and adopted: Resolved, That the privileges of the floor be extended to the Honorable George G. Smith, a former Senator from the county of Ocean. Mr. Richards offered in nomination additional Senate officers, as follows, and moved their election to their respective positions: Page-Joseph Navatto, of the county of Somerset. Stenographer-William P. Drew, 115 Glenwood avenue, Jersey City, Hudson county. The officers nominated by Mr. Richards were then elected by the following vote: In the affirmative were Messrs. Ackerson, Allen, Barber, Case, Fithian, Florance, Haines, Hammond, Mackay, McCran (President), Mc Glennon, Munson, Mutchler, Pilgrim, Richards, Runyon, Stevens, Sturgess-18. In the negative were-None. Mr. Allen offered the following resolution, which was read and adopted: Resolved, That the Senate express its sincere sympathy to Senator David G. Conrad in his illness, and joins in the hope for his speedy recovery; be it further Resolved, That the Secretary send a copy of this resolution to Senator David G. Conrad. The following message was received from the House of Assembly by the hands of its Clerk: Mr. President: STATE OF NEW JERSEY, January 8th, 1918. I am directed by the House of Assembly to inform the Senate that the House of Assembly has concurred in the following concurrent resolution: Resolved by the Senate (the House of Assembly concurring), That no bills or joint resolutions (excepting the usual appropriation bills and bills submitted by special investigating committees) be offered in either House of the Legislature after the legislative week commencing Monday, January 28th, 1918, unless by the unanimous consent of the members of the body wherein such bills or joint resolutions are proposed for introduction. UPTON S. JEFFERYS, Clerk of the House of Assembly. The following message was received from the House of Assembly by the hands of its Clerk: Mr. President: STATE OF NEW JERSEY, ASSEMBLY CHAMBER, January 8th, 1918. I am directed by the House of Assembly to inform the Senate that the House of Assembly has concurred in the following concurrent resolution: WHEREAS, The Legislature of 1917 provided in Chapter 277Pamphlet Laws of 1917, in item 91 as follows: For indexing the Journal of the Senate and Minutes of the Executive Sessions, and the Minutes of the House of Assembly, and other incidental and contingent expenses of the Legislature, twelve thousand five hundred dollars ($12,500); and WHEREAS, Chapter 158, Pamphlet Laws of 1914, requires that a requisition officer be appointed, and the acts regulating receipts and disbursements require the designation of approving officers for the payment of the necessary expenses of all divisions of the government; Resolved (the House of Assembly concurring), That the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Assembly be designated as requisition officers for the Legislature; and be it further Resolved, That all statements of expenses of the Legislature be referred to the Committee on Incidental Expenses of the Senate and House of Assembly respectively, and when approved by said committee, said approval shall be indicated by the signature of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Incidental Expenses, for expenses of the Senate, and by the House of Assembly, together with the signature of the Secretary of the Senate, or the Clerk of the House of Assembly, respectively, and said bills, when approved, shall be forwarded to the Comptroller of the Treasury for payment. UPTON S. JEFFERYS, Clerk of the House of Assembly. Mr. Richards moved that the Senate take a recess of five minutes. Which was agreed to. Upon the conclusion of which, and under the direction of the President, the Secretary called the Senate, when the following Senators appeared and answered the call. Messrs. Ackerson, Allen, Barber, Case, Fithian, Florance, Haines, Hammond, Mackay, Martens, McCran (President), McGlennon, Munson, Mutchler, Pilgrim, Richards, Runyon, Stevens, Sturgess, Wells-20. Mr. Richards, Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, reported Senate Bills Nos. 1 and 2 favorably, with the accompanying amendments. Signed-Emerson L. Richards, Clarence E. Case. The following amendments to Senate Bill No. 1 were read and adopted, on motion of Mr. Richards: |