The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-26
TIE WEEK OF HEARINGS
Legislative Committees Will
Listen to Arguments for and
Against Cheap Gas, Ri
parian and Many
Other Bills.
spccfai to the jersey cYtu Nears.

TRENTON, Jan. 26, 1896. Next week
promises to be an unusually busy one
in legislative circles. Beginning at two
O'clock Monday afternoon the various
committees will meet and give pubic
hearings on various measures up to and
including Wednesday afternoon. On
Monday those who oppose or favor the
cheap gas bills which have been intro
duced for the purpose of reducing the
price of gas in Jersey City and Hobo
ken. At four o'clock the Senate Com
mittee will listen to arguments for or
against Senator Days bill, which pro-
vides for the reversion to the State of
all riparian rights heretofore granted to
the Commissioners, and on Tuesday the
same committee will give a hearing on
Mr.. Bradley's bill. which seeks to pro-
hibit the further sale outright of riparian
rights. At half-past three O'Clock the
House, Committee on Judiciary will lis
ten to what the public has to say about
the bill for the repeal of the mechanics
lien law.
BULLOCK'S BREAD BILL.
On Wednesday afternoon the Commit
tee or Miscellaneous Bills will give a
public hearing on the bill regulating the
weight of bread. This bread bill was
introduced by Samuel Bullock, the young
labor champion of Paterson, who sprang
into prominence by boiling the caucus
which nominated General Sewell for
United States Senator, saying that his
people would never forgive him if he
helped send a rank corporationist like
the General to the United States Senate
He must have discovered that his peo-
pie We're more forgiving than he thought.
for on the day the General was elected
Mr.. Bullock voted for him.. Mr.. Bull
lock was born in England not quite
~thirty-two years ago., n some fifteen
years ago came to Paterson, where he
has lived ever since. He is a silk weaver
and a prominent trade unionist. He is a
man of considerable natural ability,
which he has improved at every oppor-
tunity, and has written forcible articles
on the tariff and trade unionism. He has
introduced several bills, among which is
one which provides for a three-cent fare
on all street railways between the hours
of five and seven in the morning and
evening, and which will never get much
further thar the Speakers calendar, if
it ever comes out of committee.
THE BAKERS FIGHT.
His bread measure is House bill No.
Is and fixes the weight of leaves of bread
at two and four pounds, and provides a
penalty for Eight weight of $50 or three
months imprisonment in the County
Jail, or both. This bill will be appre-
ciated by the public, which has been sys-
tematically robbed by the bakers for SOM
time past, Residents of Jersey City will
remember the contest which has been
going on for some time between the big
and small wholesale bakers and how the
big concerns of New York and Newark
have been striving to push the smaller
local bread bakers to the wall.
The competition has been most lively,
and whenever one made a cut in price
ments were held out to the groeers and
retailers 70 buy their bread from the
rival bakers. All this would be fine
enough if the consumers received any
benefit from this competition; but they
did not. and whatever profit there was
in the fight it went to the retailers. In
fact, the public was the only real suf-
reason why they should lose anything
when they could make the public bear
their losses, and so every time they
made q cut in prices they recouped
themselves by making q cut in the weigh
of the IoaYes. whilc the retail price re-
manned the same to the poor man, who
had to buy the bread. Thus, when one
wholesaler, in order to catch a customer,
reduced his price, he reduced the weigh
of his bread, SO that he lost nothing
but the public did. Mr.. Bullock's bill,
will 20 away will any more such pro-
ceedings. If the wholesalers wish to en-
gage in a cut throat process it will be
their own blood that will be wasted.
and not that of the poor laboring man.