The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-04-01
Hearings on the New Char
ter Bill at Trenton
This Week.
THE FORCE OF FARREL'S WRATH.
Partisan Legislation May Again Be
Delayed if He Is Not Placated---
The Water Bills and the Swindle-
Gates.
[special to the JERSEY ctr Ne,cs.l ]

Especial to the jersey CitV Neacs.l
TRENTON, April /, 1ss9.-The eyes Of
Jersey City will be turned this week in
the direction of Trenton as the quarter
from which succor may be expected. The
metropolis of the State of New Jersey is
in the power of the enemy, and heA Sciti-
zens are anxiously awaiting deliverance.
The burden of unfaithfnl officials and
bad government is as intolerable as the
presence of q hostile army would be, and
is much harder to get rid Of.
Something ought to be done for Jersey
City, is what everybody about the Legis-
lature says, with emphasis on the word
''ought." Some people think that the
situation is a good deal like that OF
respectable citizen assailed by roughs.
The bystanders all agree that something
ought to be done, that somebody ought to
interfere, but nobody stirs The Jersey
City members all say that the new charter
bill will pass the House; that whatever
faults it may have any change would be
an improvement on the present state of
things Farrell thinks, on the contrary,
that the bill will not get through. The
general talk among the members who
agree that something ought to be done
for Jersey City, is not particularly favor
able to the prospects of the measure.
Much will depend on what kind of a
representation of citizens there is before
the Committee on Municipal Corporations
next Tuesday at noon, when a hearing on
the Charter bill will be given. If Jersey
City's demand is made in clear, convinc-
ing tones; if leading citizens put aside all
personal and individual interests, re-
nounce for the time all political consider
ations, and speak only Of the needs Of
their city, the House would probably be
forced to pass the bill. Should, however,
disposition be manifested to push one
set of theories or one set of interests in
stead of another, the division of sentiment
among the friends of the new charter will
be promptly seized upon by those who op-
pose it. The plea will instantly be made
that all sides should be heard, and every
means will be used to have one hearing
after another until the session of the Leg
islature ends and the measure fails to be-
come law, having been talked to death.
TACTICS OF THE OPPOSITION,
Delay will be the chief weapon of the
opponents of the new charter. There re-
main only two weeks of the session at the
outside and there are many important
measures yet to be considered the friends
of which will want to push them ahead of
the charter BILL There is danger, then,
that the charter may be crowded to one
side. 1t has, however, friend in Speaker
Hudspeth, who has expressed himself
generally in favor of it, and who, by virtue
of his position, is able to determine to
great extent the order of precedence of
bills.
So far the opposition to the charter has
been working chiefly under the surface.
Much of it naturally comes from office
holders who fear that they would lose
their fat jobs under the new order of
things proposed and who have, therefore,
a more pressing interest in defeating the
bill than the friends of good government
show in advocating its passage. They
are getting in their fine work on the mem
bers outside of Jersey City and are doing
it very quietly They dodge in and out of
committee rooms, buzz members in the
corridors and are busy as bees at the task
of trying to save their official heads A
great swarm of them may be expected
this week.
TWO HEARINGS
The committee will give two hearings
on Tuesday. She first will begin at noon
and will be specially for citizens of Jersey
City. The second was ordered to be held
at seven in the evening to accommodate
citizens of Newark who have something
to say on the subject The committee is
strong one and should be able to solve
the problem before it satisfactorily to the
public Its chairman is Assemblyman
Feeney of the Seventh district of Jersey
City, who favors the charter as whole.
Another member is Pagan, the man who
wants to cut Hudson County in two, and
who is committed to the principle of
voting for any measure which the people
but is interested in Jersey City's welfare
as an owner of property. Newark is re-
presented by Frier and Wiedmayer.
Their principal anxiety is to make sure
that nothingin the bill shall affect their
on the committee, but he is a big one,
namely, Voorhees,, the leader Of the min
ority. He belongs to the band who say
that Something ought to be done for
Jersey City, and he took a copy of the
charter bill home with him on Thursday
to study it.
THE STATE TAX
Mr.. Voorhees, is also the author of the
bill which will be discussed Monday even
ing in Committee of the Whole, levying
n state tax of three quarters Of a mill on
when he introduced it that he did 30
entirely on his own responsibility, and |
that it was in nowise u piece Of parti
san legislation. As a matter of fact,
as the deficit was caused largely
proper that the Republicans should find
means to pay the appropriations which !
have resulted in the deficit. 1t Is not inn
probable that an attempt will be made to
increase the tax from three-quarters of a
mill to a mill. This would produce be-
tween $500, 600 and $500 900, and in addition
10 navin1 off old debts. would enable the |