Page 26

The Herald and The Lantern

Wednesday, December It, 1»78

pHitorip H

Law Will Aid Boating

' c^l COUNTY V

t/LL-L OvJ-L -LCL-L v_ —■—>

GrowtE And Safety

81 Lai-tmareataUM

84r8CI88> OMMFrec Wc«Uy

The Joy Of * Christmas

A temptation to pontificate on society’s decided tendency to place nfaterialism before spiritual reflection, more often than not proves irresistable to editorial writers with the approach of the Christmas holidays. The Herald and Lantern is not going to beleaguer our readers with another relHition of that same, tired out theme. People should know better than to gp» caught up in crass commerciaiism on the occasion of such an obviously metaphysical celebration by now anyway. % So, we won’t tell ypu to think about the spfritual significance of the holiday, which is, by the way. the birth of the Christ to human. understanding, when you’d much rather stand in long lines to pay too much for something you didn’t want to get for Aunt Tillie but you did because you always have and you wouldn't dare forget -because-it's Christmas! . We won’t even mention the important aspects of the holiday such as compassion, communion, regeneration of the best things in our higher natures and the brotherhood it fosters. It might distract you from that pile of Christmas cards you're rushing through before the post office’s ominous deadline, falls like a two-ton hxe. And. we won’t even hint

at the fact that peace and serenity and reflection are called for on Christmas while you’re struggling with a sheaf of credit cards and calculating finance charges. « No, WE wouldn’t do that to you. We, at the Herald and Lantern would not deprive you of one second of the bustle and irritation and harrassment of the giftgiving facet of Christmas. Kept in the right perspective, it is a fine and endearing tradition that mirrors the Joy and unselfed love symbolized by the coming of the idea around which the whole celebration started. Christmas is, can be, a day of great accomplishment for mankind. Because, somewhere, amidst all the; harrassment and down-in-the-mouth complaining and bother the season encourages, no one can help but remember the real meaning behind it all: the immortality of the Christ, truth, which comes fresh to the human understanding when most needed. And, with each succeeding Christmas experience, yes, with each succeeding experience of life, the full significance of the truth and love and goodness presented on the human scene that first Christmas come yet nearer to our apprehension. A Joyous Christmas to our readers. -KCS

Gas Company Profits Up 11%

ASBURY PARK - New Jersey Natural Gas Company reported Dec. 12 that its per share earnings for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 were $2.15, an 11% increase over last year’s: $1.93. James T. Dolan. Jr.,! President of the company, said “Primary factors in this improvement were increased number of customers, increased sales; to industrial customers and a timely settlement of our j request for rate relief." I In its annual report toj stockholders, the company i

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House has given final approval to a bill sponsored by Congressman Bill Hughes (D-NJ) which is designed to promote recreational boating safety programs around the country. In addition, Hughes said the legislation authorizes matching federal funds to help States construct new marinas and other public boating facilities. "This legislation marks a major step forward in our efforts to encourage safety among recreational boaters," Hughes said. "It gives States, for the first time ever, an assured source of support for their boating safety programs. It also authorizes federal assistance to build launching ramps, marinas, docks and other badly needed boating facilities. “There is a clear need for this legislation,’’ he continued. "Recreational boating has increased greatly in popularity in recent yfears. Unfortunately, so have the number of recreational boating accidents, which last year accounted for 76 per cent of all Coast Guard rescue missions." „ The new legislation reauthorizes the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971. That Act established federal safety standards for boats, and assisted

States in setting up boater education iprograms., However, thfl|istate grant. program is due to expire in I 1900. < Hughes said' the boater, safety program has proven remarkably successful. Since its inception, he said! boating fatalities declined; from 1,581 in 1971 to 1,321 in; 1978. This decline occurred i even though the total boating population more than doubled from seven; million to over 14 million, during the same period. The new bill, authorizes $20 million a year in grants for State boating safety programs. It also authorizes $10 million a year in matching grants to States for construction of public boaUng faculties. These grants are designed to help ease the critical shortage of adequate boating facilities which exists in many areas of the country. Hughes emphasized that the programs for boating safety and facilities would not be funded at taxpayers expense. Rather, he said the program would be financed by part of the c cent a gallon f« marine fuels fund for these l "This tax is paid exclusively by boaters," Hughes said, "and it is only fair that they receive some direct benefits from these revenues."

Oer Mwfwfh V—r tonrtw Cape May Ca—ty P.O.BM8 Awrfe*. MJ.NMI Phon* **7-3313 PuMMwd Ivory WarinMday By »*»• Corporation Dor roll Kopp Idltor and Publisher KathleanCox Schaaffar. .. .. Kaportar Bill Shannon . . . ... Sportsidltor Boyd Tylor Pishing Columnist J.A. Cunningham Pooturo Writer Cheryl Crews Peature Writer Peter Dunne. Columnist Chorles P. lamey Columnist Cheryl Crews Orephlcs Contributor Gall Corino Advertising Graphics DSABtnm ttowsAMiotm mtndrnf Friday • S p-m.

$750,000 Added To Dredging Fund

indicated the improved supply situation permitted it to add business for the first full year since 1971, resulting in 4,200 new heating customers and an 8.7% increase in volume sales. The report stated that in order to provide facilities for new customers, the company made its largest capital expenditure in a single year, $9,760,000, and that it intends to spend at least $15 million for new construction in fiscal 1960 to "fulfill commitments made during the past year."

the SOVEREIGN STATE of AFFAIRS BOYD & WOOD'

TRENTON - Assemblymen Joseph W. Chinnici, James R. Hurley and Senator James S. Cafiero (R, 1st Dist) announced Jointly Dec. 12 that $760,000 will be added to the now existing dredging fund of $400,000 making available $1.1 million for future dredging of inland waterways and inlets, especially Hereford and Townsends inlets in Cape May County. The money is part of a $27.6 million supplemental budget to be acted upon In the General Assembly on Monday. Chinnici, a member of the Joint Committee on Appropriations, spoke with Donald Graham, assistant Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, who agreed that the dredging of Hereford and Townsend inlets are among the two most needed marine dredging projects in the State. The Assemblyman contended that "if allowed to remain in their present condition they will be Impossible to navigate.” Chinnici said that Graham received estimates for dredging of the inlets recently in the amount of $350,000. The Commissioner felt it would be fruitless to dredge the inlets Just prior to the advent of winter storms which shoal the waterways. He expressed concern, however, that any further delay would push up costs due to inflation. "Commissioner Graham feels that to dredge at this time would be the same as throwing the money out the

window since the inlets would fill in over the winter. He intends to take bids in the early spring and carry out the dredging before the boating season comes into full swing," said the Assemblyman. Chinnici said Graham now sees the dredging of Hereford and Townsends inlets as top priorities in the state, and is aware that they nut be dredged on an annual basis. "Commissioner Graham will have $1.1 million to work with, and these funds will allow him to carry out the dredging that is needed to maintain the fishing and recreational boating interests," said Chinnici, who added that "it is sad that the $20 million beach erosion and dredging bond issue was scuttled prior to the recent election since we need to keep attention focused on these proMems." The legislator said that he, Hurley and Cafiero are planning to sponsor legislation to place a bond issue on the ballet next November to more efficiently solve the shoaling problems in Hereford and : Townsends inlets and along other points in the Inland! Waterway. As a member of the Joint Committee on Appropriations, Chinnici said that he intends to make sure that ample dredging funds are available in the forthcoming year to con-

and to fishing

recreational boating

key the tourist, fishing

Capitol Comments By Aeeomhly Minority Lender

James R. Hurley ww—wT

After being left largely unchanged for many years, the state statutes governing the operations of the media, primarily newspapers, were revised by two legislative actions in a single week, while a third revision was

defeated.

The flurry of legislative activity with respect to the constitutional rights and privileges of news reporters resulted in two bills sent to the Governor’s desk for signature while a Senate committee rejected

thethrid.

Awaiting signature into law are proposals too: Establish rules governing law enforcement agencies searches of news offices and seizure of notes as potential evidence. Establish guidelines under which a court could require a reporter to allow his notes to be examined. The third revision which was defeated by a Senate committee would have permitted a reporter to disclose a portion of information given to him in confidence without revealing all (rf the in-

formation.

Under the legislation concerning news office searches, law enforcement authorities could conduct such an operation under limited circumstances: If a reporter is suspected of a crime, if investigators feel relevant documents will be destroyed, if the documents are needed to prevent death or injury. Originally, the legislation would have placed an absolute prohibition on such searches, but it was re-written by a legislative committe. It was drafted and introduced in response to a United States Supreme Court Ruling which upheld the right of law enforcement authorities to search news offices and seize documents. The fear was expressed at the time that such searches could turn into fishing expeditions with police officers rummaging in- . idiscriminately through i

files and notes and carting

them off.

The second bill which won approval would permit a Judge to examine a reporters’ notes in his chambers after making a written finding they are needed to help a defendant. The bill also requires a special court hearing to determine whether a reporter must turn his notes over to defense attorneys. The reporter could protect his notes and his sources by establishing that the information was gained under the promise of confidentiality and while a member of a news

organization.

This legislation arose from the nationally-famous case in which a New York newspaper reporter was sent to jail for refusing to turn notes over to the defense in a murder trial, claiming newsman's privilege. The court, in that case, ruled that the right of the defendant to the fairest possible trial overrode the right of a reporter to

confidentiality.

The bill which was defeated in committee would have altered the provisions of Rule 37 of the laws of evidence which provide that confidentiality of source Is lost althogether when a reporter discloses a portion of the information. The bill would have abolished that rule and permitted the reporter to disclose selected portions of the information. On balance, I find the Legislature's recent actions with respect to newspaper and media operations to be fair, impartial and objective. The protection of confidential sources remains strong and viable, while also recognizing the rights of a defendant in a criminal proceeding. It is an extraordinarily difficult task to balance two seemingly contradictory constitutional righto, but, in my Judgment, the actions of the Legislature have given New Jersey one of the nation’s leading programs in thto regard: j