COMMITTEE ON THE EXECUTIVE, MILITIA AND CIVIL OFFICERS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
STATE OF NEW JERSEY CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OF 1947
COMMITTEE ON THE EXECUTIVE, MILITIA AND CIVIL OFFICERS
Tuesday, July 1, 1947
(Morning session)
(The session began at 11 A.M.)
PRESENT: Barus, Farley, Feller, Hansen, Miller, S., Jr., Smith, J. S., Van Alstyne, Walton and Young.
Chairman David Van Alstyne, Jr., presided.
CHAIRMAN DAVID VAN ALSTYNE, JR.: I would appreciate it if all those who wish to speak at this public hearing would come up now and register with the Secretary.
The meeting will please come to order. This is a public hearing of the Executive Committee to discuss the Executive, Civil Officers, and Militia Sections of the Constitution. The first person appearing before us is Mr. Tierney, who represents the farmers of the State. Mr. Tierney, you have the floor.
MR. GEORGE TIERNEY: Members of the Committee: I am here on behalf of the New Jersey Grange, the New Jersey Farm Bureau, the United Milk Producers of New Jersey, the New Jersey State Poultry Association, the New Jersey State Potato Association, the New Jersey State Agricultural Society, and the New Jersey State Horticultural Society.
As we all know, this Convention has been called to rewrite a Constitution that has been in effect since 1844. That Constitution was written mostly by farmers because we were then an agricultural state. Today I am here representing the farmers of the State to make a plea that they be left to operate as they presently are. They have been successful in their operation, and in order to show you the method I would like to trace their history from the time of the original Constitution.
In 1855 there was formed the New Jersey Agricultural Society. Several men who were in that Society rose to prominence; two Governors of the State of New Jersey were members of the Society. In order to promote the best interests of agriculture, the Society used to run a fair every year. It invested large sums of money, and finally ended up owning what is now known as Weequahic Park in Newark, where the annual fairs used to be run, and through these fairs agricultural knowledge was disseminated to various agricultural groups throughout the State. Weequahic Park was
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