The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-27
TROLLEY DAMAGE Suits
DAILY and Voorhees, Have a
Scrap Over a Bill to
Shackle Lawyers.
Is IT TO AID THE coMPAEIESs
E~lizabeth's Senator Says Such a
Charge is Driyel = Five
Year Garbage Contracts.

r-cc.@zso JcrceJ Csty -ncatcs
TRENTON. Feb. 27. 1ssS.-When Sena-
tor DAILY came here Monday night he
was suffering from a severe attack of
rheumatism. and for the first two days
he was hardly heard from, but ne was
much better yesterday, and he made
things rather lively for his Republican
colleagues. He first paid his respects to
Senator VOORHEES, when that gentleman,
as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
reported favorably his bin which requires
the fling of the contract between lawyer.
and client in all cases for damages for in
juries sustained on railroads so that hey
can be publicly inspected. limiting such
actions TO two years and giving the court
authority to appoint an expert physician
to examine all who bring the suits. Mr..
DAILY moved that the bill be referred back
10 the committee in order that Samuel
Kalisch of Newark, Warren Dixon of
Jersey City. Thomas Noonan OF Bayonne-
and other lawyers interested could be
heard in opposition to the measure. He
t~tsexed that the bills were in the in
terest of the trolley companies and
against the poor litigant, and he thought
he saw in them the fine Italian hand of
Joseph Couit. the eminent corporation
lawyer of Newark.
All such talk. Mr.. VOORHEES, said, was
driveling nonsense. The bills did not
come from the trolley companies. but, on
the contrary. they were his own idea. He
had thought of them a year ago, and they
We're for the purpose of r~eseuing the
poor ~litigant. for whom Mr.. DAILY APP
peared to have so much concern. from
the voraeious sharks who took three
fourths and sometimes more of the judg-
nent they recovered for the poor man
who was injured for life and had nothing
except the damages ne obtained. He
had received more c-ommendatory letters
about those bills than any other. and it
was his purpose TO rid the legal profess
sen of the Shylocks that disgraced it.
Mr. Daily deeply regretted that Mr..
Voorhees, should nave found it necessary
to talk in such q manner of the legal
profession. He had, however, ventilated
the bills, and called the attention OF the
public to them, and il those interested
allowed them TO pass they would have to
take the responsibility. NJ. VOORHEES,
said he was perfectly willing TO take that
responsibility. The bills were in the m
terest Of every citizen in the State and
he proposed TO have them passed If ne
could The bills took their places on
the calendar.
Mr.. DAILY was in rare good numor by
allow Trenton to make a fve years con-
tract for the disposal OF the asnes anu
garbage of that city came up and the
mover evinced a more than ordinary
anxiety to get the bill passed. Mr.. DAILY
proeeeded to have some run with the
Mercer Senator.
postponed, calmly said Mr.. DAILY.
-Wha-Wha-What's that?" exclaimed
Mr.. Skirrn, in great surprise.
I move that the bill be Indefinitely
postponed, repeated the Hudson Senator.
with a olstinctness that could not be mis-
sWhy?o asked Mr.. skirm. Mr.. Daily re-
Pied because the Dill in its present shape
was a bad one. The Supreme Court
had decided that five years contracts
were against pubic policy.
In the absence of special legislation"
broke in Mr.. Voorhees,, land that's what
this measure seeks
Mr.. Skirrn was more anxious than mad,
and he made a long speech telling how
Trenton wanted to make a contract with
a crematory- to dispose Of it's garbage,
and found it could make one for five
than it could for one. e showed how
the city would save 5000 a year or 81, 600
IN all by the five year contract.
Rally-Round-the-Fiag Rogers jnterposed
the remark that crenaatories were expen-
sive !uxuries. They had one in Camden,
and it cost more for coal to run it than
il did for the water supply.
Have you made any provision FOR coal
In your bill?'' asked Mr.. DAILY, while the
Senate Chamber laughed.
Mr.. Voorhees, worried Mr.. Skirm a little
by saying that such a contract ought not
to be awarded unless competitive bids had
been advertised for. and by a decision of
the Supreme Court Trenton did not have
to advertise for bids except for the i'm
prover1snt Of streets. Mr.. Sksrm as
sired him that the city never awarded a
contract without advertising, ard that that
course would De followed in this case
If the bill nassed. Then AR. SkirTn whis-
pered to Mr.. VOORHEES,, that the contract
had already been made, but the discovery
had been made that the city had no
authority to do 50 and the bill was to
befp them out. He also whispered some
thing which made Mr.. voorhees, sTniie
and withdraw al opposition. Mr.. DAILY
thinking that he had had enough fun
with Mr.. Skirm, also subsidized and the
bill was passed.
tsDo you know why Skirm was SO anx-
jous to get the bill through" Mr.. Voor-
hees asked Mr.. DAILY wnen it was all
ever.
Dalv.
s'Oh. no: it legisiates a good Democrat
out Of the contract ard gives it to a Re
publican" remarked Mr.. Voorhees,, and
Mr.. DAILY began to wonder whether he.
rad nsd more fun with Mr.. Skirm than
Skirn had had with him.