Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-03-25
uUR TRENTON LETTER.
Matters Being Rushed For FL
nal Adjournment.

N4dILGlS DCIllS NuSkACO "a A.
nal Adjournment.
APPROPRIATIONS WILL INCREASE.
The Freehold Bill Lost-Governor Griggs
Makes Number of Nominations-As-
semblyman wildes Creates Sensation
With His Kelsey Resolution.
Especial Correspondence
Trenton, March 24.-The legislature is
now paying the penalty of its dilatori-
ness early in the session. Both houses
are rushed with business, and it has
been discovered that while, as antici-
pated, there may be few important
measures deserving consideration, there
is a very large number for which indi-
viduals are pressing with might and
main. The expectation that the calen-
dars could be disposed of within few
days, whenever the two branches set
tied down TO work, has been disap-
pointed, and the result is that all hope
of final adjournment this week is fast
fading away. At the present writing
"wednesday it seems certain that the
members will have to come back again
next week. The general borough bill,
the constitutional amendments, the BIZ
cycle baggage bill, the marriage license
act and a number of other measures of
perhaps lesser Importance, but still of
great interest to many localities. are yet
pending. There is a disposition in the
lower house. too, to embarrass the lead
ers in return for real or supposed
sights, and hence every attempt at
final adjournment over there is OBJ
5tructed. Yesterday Leader Derousse
tried to settle on Friday week for final
Lloyd talked him down and the matter
was tabled.
Freebooter Bill Lost.
The senate this week sat upon the
bill which purposed to get rid of the
present government of counties by free
holders. Senator Parry introduced the
bill early in the session in response to
complaints from various sections of
extravaganza and Irregularities by the
county freeholders. AT the present time
an investigation is pending in Mercer
county relative to alleged misuse of
public moneys in the construction of
| public roads. 1t seemed as if Senator
Parry's bill, therefore, would have
smooth sailing, but when he called it
up on final passage he found himself
in the midst of a hurricane of oppose
ton. Senators Skirm of Mercer, Ketch-
am of Essex and DAILY of Hudson were
among those who thought the new bill
no improvement, and President Will
| liams of Passaic left the chair to OPP
| pose it. The new plan was that each
county which so desired it should be
governed by five commissioners, thus
fastening the responsibility upon a
small number of men, instead of having
| it widely distributed, as now. He
thought also that when only five were
| to be selected it would lead to a bet
ter choice of men. The opposition
thought that if only five were elected
the different sections of county would
not be all represented and there would
be partially in the erection of bridges,
etc. The upshot of the discussion was
that the bill failed of passage by one
vote. Senator Parry expects to move
for a reconsideration and try it over
again when Senator Hoffman is pres
ent, believing that he. will vote for the
bill.
Quite a few bills fell by the way in
| the senate this week. Among the more
important were the bill providing for
pensions for police officers so years of
age who have served 20 years, and the
bill permitting Essex county to issue
bonds for the erection of a $500, 900
courthouse. Efforts are to be made to
revise these.
Equal Taxation.
Kinks equal taxation bill was lost in
the house, while the senate got into
quite a little wrangle over assembly
bill No. 1874, which provides for dis
tribution of s205,0O0 railroad tax among
the taxing districts yearly. This sos, 900
Is part Of the present state tax. The
trouble arose oyer an inquiry by SEN
ator Johnson of Bergen as to whether
the distribution of the money would
begin this year. The act seemed ana
biguous on this point, and the senator
pointed out that if it went into imme-
date effect it would play hob with this
years budget, which had not been made
up with view to the withdrawal of so
large a sum. Senator Daily of Hudson,
whose county comes in for over half of
the S205, 200, labored to convince the SEN
of fhof 6ic or,c
be affected, and he was supported by
Senator Voorhees,, but the senate re-
manned in doubt. The riddle was finally
solved by introducing new bill in the
house providing that the appropriation
to the localities shall not begin till next
year. This bill passed the house yester-
day, and both measures will now go
through the senate.
General Borough Act.
The bill for the government of Dor
oughs was reported to the senate this
week with a number of amendments.
An increase in the tax rate limit is al
lowed from Is to 20 mills; mayors are
given the same power as police magis-
trates. and the right is conceded for
municipal ownership of electric lighting
plants.
Senator Parry, who seems to cham
pion agricultural interests in tl.e senate,
has introduced a bill to encourage the
raising of beets for sugar manufacture.
1t reviyes an old Law which expired by
limitation a few years ago. The bill
gives a bounty of so cents a ton on
beets made into sugar and allows 1 cent
pound for the sugar made by any in
dividual or corporation. The sugar
plants are exempted from tax. The
bounty is to continue for five years.
1t is claimed that half the sugar prod
uct of the world is from beets and that
New Jersey has special advantages for
making the industry successful.
A large number of other bills were
introduced this week, despite the near
approach of adjournment 1t is not
worth while to summarize them as they
are almost all doomed to die by mac
ton. An exception, however, may be
the one by Mr.. Derousse of Camden, to
wipe out the New Jersey naval reserve.
The naval reserve has been in existence
two years and cost last year $4,000, and
this year $4,000. 1t was thought at
first that the ANIMAL expense would be
slight, but the appropriation committee
say in this they are disappointed, and
that it is growing yearly. They say the
national guard is a necessary institu
ton, but not SO the naval reserve. The
200 members in the service will regret
the prospective dissolution of their or