The Monitor-register., 1897-01-01

vdozen positions to
which each legislative session gives birth.
lSingularly enough, it is the smaller honors
that furnish most of the contention. There
is no contest for the chair in the senate OF
the assembly. In 1zformer chamber Sen
ator Robert - IS of Passaic will pre-
side In the ci5sing hours of last year
session President of the Senate Thompson
resigned to accept the lucrative clerkshiI
in the court of chancery, and Senator Will
liams filled the chair for the balance of the
session. By courtesy he now succeeds him
self. Senator Williams is a lawyer by pro
fession, a graduate of Princeton, and h,
has had considerable legislative experience
having been in the assembly for two year
previous to entering the senate. In tn,
assembly the gavel comes to George w
Macpherson, Trenton lawyer, who hal
the unusual tuck of seeing the office seek
him rather than he going after 1t. Like
Senator Williams, he is an affsble, pleasant
gentleman, conscientious and impartial
and with the requisite ability to preside
gracefully and well.
The secretaryship of the senate will 90
again to Henry B. Robinson of Union,
and the engrossing clerkship to Edgar Will
liams of Essex. For the office of sergeant
at arms. which pays $780, there is the live
lest kind Of struggle between William
S. Sharp lot Mercer, Dick Star of Salem
and others, and the fur has been flying so
lively that there is now talk of taking up
an entirely new man in the person of L.
W. Ashley of Mercer county. Several of
the other senate offices are also being
sharply contested, and it will take caucus
action to decide between the claimants
In the assembly the clerkship apt to go
to James Parker of Passaic, who has al
ready had two terms. Ex-Assemblyman
Charles Duncan of Essex is also hot after
the place and is using the argument that
Parker has already had his share of the
plums, both at home and at Trenton, and
that Passaic county has the lion portion
in state patronage. Still Mr.. Parker eff
ficiency is apt to give him strength with
the assen1blymen, who depend largely on
the clerk for the orderly and expeditions
transaction Of business One difficulty
with Mr.. Duncan's candidacy and that OIL
other Essex men for various places is that
the Essex representation in the legislature
is split in two factions, under Dr. Helold
and Carl LEM respectively, and unless
these two succeed in combining on one
harmonious programme before next week
the county will exercise little force in the
caucuses.
There will, of course, be the usual
scramble for the positions of doorNeepers,
pages, committee clerks etc.
Immediately following the organic. ton
| of the two houses they will each receive
copy of Governor Griggs' message, upon
which he has just put the finishing touches.
The workIn Prospes.
The governors message disposed of,
about so out of the 81 members WI arise
in their respective chambers, and asfast
as the presiding officer can recognize tnel
they will call out, 'Mr. Chairman,
sire to introduce the following bilis!'
And before the little pages get fei
they will have delivered to the senate az
assembly calendar clerks stacks Of leg
!. cap SO high as to obscure the view and
wilder the brain of the rural visitors
the gallery.
What are all those bills about, and wi
wants SO much new legislation?
Many of the measures come from
lawyer members, who want statuteXh
meet certain cases in their practice thai
present are unprovided for or are ad5Ae
/ ly provided for. A few bills are kaitsei
by various municipalities to enablthen
r to effect reforms in their governments
Many more are wanted by politicians u
: further their schemes. The corporation
always have few "jokers'' on the caler
dar, too, though their energy is expeAde
rather in defeating than in creating ne
u legislation.
/ To Elevate the Tracks.
: One of the important topics of the ses
> sion will be that of equal taxation. A stat
E commission has been giving the subiec
1t attention during the year, and the Hudso
), members promise to present united from
;, in the legislature in favor Of some amend
E ment to the existing statute which vii
compel the railroads to contribute NOR
literally to the treasury of Jersey City ant
- other municipalities In that end Of the
o state. There are, however, two sides to
the question, and the Hudson members
S will not have all the argument to them
selves. The Representatives, d the railroads
$ will show the iramense SUNS they are pay
ing annually joto the staa treasury, thus
! relieving citizens from state tax, and
they win present f1gura to prove that it
would be an impositioi to mulct them in
further assessments. fhe subject promises
4 to evoke the finest efforts of the legislative
| orators
The matter of track elevation is going
TO claim attention. Senator Ketcham OF
Essex is particularly interested and wants
more definite action than was taken year
ago. He favors state board with power
70 supervise the elevation of tracks in the
smaller cities as we'll as In Jersey City and
Newark The legislation Is aimed chiefly
at the Erie railroad.
There is talk Of proposition to permit
horse racing and gambling within certain