The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-19

of detaching them from Hudson County
and placing them in Essex, 70 become 8
part of the greater Newark tnat Is also
| projected Whether a bill will~be intro
duced at this session to make a greater
| NewHx is not certain. 1t is always diff
cult 70 keep legislation affecting munsei-
| paEties free from the Influence of politi~
| cal consideration East Orange and sons
of the other nun A1alities IN Essex Couai
ty are strongly Republican, and would no
relish being made a part OF Newark al
a time when the latter city is In Demo-
cratic hands. There is no doubt that
| legislation will come in the near future
if not this session. which viii provide sos
a greater Newark and a greater jersey
/ city, each with over 200, 900 population
and give New jersey tne seyelstn sH4
eighth most populous cities IN the United
| States.
The question of substituting Commits
| sions of three or five persons to supersede
| the present Freeholders in the govern
ment of counties viii. be agitated again.
It was pressed a couple of years ago by
Senator Parry. of Burlington county, ana
! will be pressed this year by Senator-elect
Allan McDermett, of Hudson. Mr.. Nc
Dermott is particularly anxious. for the
| measure in Hudson county. n the propo-
| counties. and later extended. Political
considerations are not apt to invite oppo-
sirion to the proposition, as h Hudson
County Board Of Freeholders is already
Democratic. and the Democrats would get
no party benefit by the change. 1t is IN
tended to make provision for minority
4 III ~ E l. = <
is no certainty that the Legislature will
consent to the proposed innovation. as
there is a good deal of sentiment back OF
the Board of Freeholders' plan which
| gives representation to all the sub
divisions of a county.
One of the most important matters to
engage the attention of the Legislature
will be thai of State finances. The i'm
mense sums that the State is receiving
from trusts and other big concerns that
become Incorporated under the laws of
New Jersey are fast bringing the receipts
of the State to a point which will be far
The Democrats in their recent State plat
form declared for equal taxation, and this
Is understood by many to mean that the
| railroads should pay more taxes to the
municipalities \
Senator Stokes has given the matter
considerable consideration, and While he
has not yet put his views into the form
of a bill, intends to do so during the
| coming session. The Cumberland Sena-
| tor realizes that the States revenues are
Increasing at a rate that will soon mean
I a large surplus. He does not favor chang
ing the present system of the railroads
paying a large portion of their taxes to
| the State, but instead will advocate that
a portion Of the States revenue each
year be devoted to decreasing the amount
of money to be raised by taxation for
State school purposes. The State has
! now.n nearly finished aging off the bonds
issued on account of the war of the
| Rebellion, and he thinks it possible to re-
duce from So to 81 per child the ayntlunt
to be raised by taxation for State school
purposes, and yet leave the same amount
as formerly available for the schools.
| This would mean a reduction of 90 per
cent. in the State school tax rate. and
Senator Stokes says that as the revenues
might still further increase beyond the
necessary expenses there could be a still
! further reduction in the amount of State
school tax to be levied.