The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-30


ting the voice Of the people on measures.
The referendum takes nothing from the
Legislature; it merely makes you respon-
sible for each act of your power. Inc
adoption of the referendum will destroy
the power for evil of the lobby; 1t VIII
stop the mud singing with which every
public man is assaulted; 1t Will recan
the better class of citizens. whether rlch
or poor. to an interest in politics; 1t VIII
replace legislation on the pedestal wnere
men will look up to it and revere the
legislators.
A resolution, by Mr.. zabriskie, was
adopted, directing the Committee OF the
Whole to recommend to the House that
the Committee on Judiciary carefuiiy
| consider the referendum amendment.
A STANDARD LOAF.
TIL usually obscure Committee on Mis-
| cellaneous Business of the House IS
| now engrossed in settling the pread
| question raised by Assemblyman buI5
| lock. of Pasiac, through his bill NO. 70.
They are destined to have q pretty hVe-
ly time of it, too. While the direct leg
| islation people were telling the rest OF
the members of the beauties OF the refer
! endum, the Miscellaneous BUSINESS Sohi
| mittee betook themselves to a room Oh
| the second floor of the State Rouse 10
| hear what a delegation of bakers haa u
| say about bread. They learned that ie"
| firms turn out loaves of a uniform sizsi
| They come in twists and squares anu
many other shapes, ana are piaeeo upon
the market in even peun0s' III ~ ~
pounds and ounces, ana lToan IL; a vop,,e
was said there was no system IN soSut
that could be relied upon 10 Sualaate
| a loaf of bread at ~ "SafSsrht
The bakers, in scaling the dough. infsnr
Ia ~, ottunp 0r two to a QOullu U "
iop off an ounce OF tW0. braad of
There were a dozen loaves OF prsau -
| various shapes and sizes and OF olilersn.
| weights offered in evidence. ana t4 &
were exhibited now and then as III
speakers desired to strengthen lnea5
arguments. Mr.. Bu udh3ss f nas loaves Of
| ~ and 8 pounds. He disputed exelg
| point advanced by the bakers ana ns ba
mat they could make bread at ont
| Weights fixed by his measure without
Among the bakers who protested
AGAINST Bullock's bill were a Representa-
Adam Turkes of Newark. Jacob sehaef,
FER of the same city, Leonard Spawn
Of Newark n Hugh Wilke Of Kearng;
Mr.. Schaeffer explained that ms mr,a
loaves, with prices to suit. There was
what he called the milk bread, the Vienna
twist, rye, wheat and french nrsau.
5Iany other bakers had their specialtles
H SlS 0<t%
pans differed in size, too; . -
Il have been told that some bakers
use ground stone Instead of hour IN
their bread remarked MI. buiioch III
the course of debate.
You don't mean to say you peheVe
such a story?'' returned Mr.. Spawn.
yes; and 1 have been told that saw
dust is sometimes used" exclaimed AR;
Bullock. .It is put through a hemlca
process and the consumer can't detect
The fraud" =
Mr.. Schaeffer, but I think someone has
been guying you" -,
Mr.. Bullock secuted the idea that he
had been guyed and then declared tna5
IN a certain store at Paterson he nae
weighed five loaves of bread from as
many different bakers. They were sup
posed to be three pound loaves. one
weighed two pounds ten ounces; one,
two pounds three ounces; another, Two
pounds one ounce; another, two pounds
four ounces, n still another tWc
pounds.
Nothing tangible resulted from the argu-
ments, so the committee adjourned to
meet another day. s,oo
Immediately after the House adjourn
ed in the morning the Municipal Cor
poration Committee esuned the nearing
on Assemblyman Gruber's 81 gas Dill
Congressman McEwan, who led The dele
cation, urging the passage of the bill,
was prepared with statistics showing
that gas could be probably.
tDroQ Tor 81 cents d llOuSdIlu lCCl, oitN
there was no reason why it could not
be furnished for 81 a thousand. In the
measure, he said, there Were three points
to be considered:-First. had the state
the right to fix the price; second, would
it be expedient, and third, the actual
conditions governing the case. In re-
gard to the first, there was nothing IN
the State Constitution or the Const1tu-
ton of the United States which abro-
gated this right, and he found nothing
in the statutes which prevented it, and
even if there was the power that mads
the statute could enact the measure IN
der consideration. He dwelt at length
Upon the history of gas. and cited as
a reason for the passage OF the pill tht
great reduction in the cost of production
during the last decade. Material mao
decreased in price, and the cost of man
u~facture had been reduced more than
100 per cent, yet the cost to the con-
sumner remained the same, simply be-
cause competition had been prevented
by consolidation. The expediency OF the
measure was Illustrated here, and he
maintained it was undoubtedly. the duty
of the Legislature to do by legislation
what might nave been done by compe-
tition had the latter not been stransled-
originally, and it's rates were exorbitant:
Another came along, promised great
things for the people in the line Of
cheap gas and was given a franchise
consolidation was effected, and the price
rose above the original figure. A third
company appeared pledged not to con-
solidate, and another franchise was
granted. Within twelve months another
Consolidation was effected, and the story
was repeated again, and today the city
is at the mercy of the corporations anG
appealing to their representatives for re-
"You were elected to further the in
terests of the people and not the cor
porations,'' said Mr.. McEwan, land ]
trust you will be true to your pledges"
He referred to the reduction in the
and this caused Secretary of State KEEL
sey, who was watching the gas interests,
to ask if that reduction had been caused
by legislation.
sNo," answered Mr.. McEwan, 'it was
caused by competition, and where that
IS absent legislation is necessary" He
quoted the figures at which Jersey City
gas stock sold to show that a reduction
could be effected without loss, giving
the figures as S165 and $3.50.
When Colonel Fuller, another gas repre-
sentative, asked where the figures were
obtained, Mr.. McEwan said, From w.
z. r. Smith, a broker at 16 Broad
street."
Assemblyman Gruber had some care
fully compiled statistics showing the
cost of manufacturing gas and the encr-
vestment. The figures were furnished
by Levi Stevens an expert in gas manu-
featuring, and both Colonel Fuller and
Mr.. Kelsey objected to their submission.
until informed by whom they had been
submitted. He had other figures show
ing that in several cities smaller than
either Newark or Jersey City gas is
furnished for less thar 81 a thousand,
and that IS the price charged in New
V4r1r Dhi1odnlnhio and r. WI chin ptnr