The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-27
WEARY SOLONS.
Legislators Disguised With
the Present Do Moth
ing Policy.
HARD WORK EXPECTED HEREAFTER
Think the Court of Errors
Law Judges Are Getting
Too Much Pay.
HARD WORK EXPECTED HEREAFTER
rsnsc,a, TO ..The Jersey city News..l

Especial to The Jersey City News.'l
TRENTON, Feb. 81, 1S99.-The eighth
week of the legislative session will open
tonight. There will be no holidays, nor,
perhaps, snow storms to interrupt the
proceedings hereafter, and the expecta-
ton is tina the lawmakers will settle
down to real business for three or four
weeks more, and then get ready for a
final adjournment. So far there nave
been introduced altogether 29S bills, ISL in
the House and III in the Senate. That
the mountain has brought forth a mouse
is evidenced by the fact that out OF that
large number of bills only three have
reached the Governors hands. This IS
the poorest record for work that mas
been made by any Legislature in a long
period. To make up for lost time, then,
the Solons must remain in session Tor
three or four days a week until 1T is
deemed practicable to order a dissolu-
ton of the l~awmaking body.
It is reported that the Governor has
informally served notice on the Legisla-
ture that he will refuse to consider any
bills that may be sent to him after final
adjournment. OF course, he could not
very we'll carry out that idea, because
on the last day of the session scores OF
bills will be passed, and it would be I'M
possible to nave them all delivered to
him before the hour for dissolution. 1t
is likely that the Governor has only CIV
en- that notice for the purpose OF spur
ring the legislators to activity and to
have himself relieved, in some degree,
of the great burden of bills which is
usually dumped into the Executive Cham
Der after the close of the session. 1t is
out of the question to insist upon a re-
form of the methods of doing business
on that line. 1t can never be carried
out. There is no law to enforce it. and
the obnoxious custom will prevail, de-
spite all attempts to stop it.
There is no mistaking the fact that
the Legislature is in a dilemma over
the question relating to extra pay for
the volunteer soldiers of the late war.
The volunteers insist upon the passage OF
Kings bill, which would take out Of the
State Treasury over $500, 900, provided
there is a sufficient balance from which
that amount can be drawn. 1t is stated
that there is no such balance on hand,
and, consequently, il Kings bill became
a law, a special State tax should be
imposed to meet its requirements. 1t is
true that at the beginning of the pres
emit fiscal year there was a balance of
over one million dollars. Since then
there have been necessary disbursements
which have reduced that balance to less
thar $500, 600. In view of that situation
then, the Legislature is very reluctant to
pass any bill which would drain the
State Treasury of every dollar it pos
sesses. Senator Braun's bill would re-
quire a disbursement of about half a
million of dollars. That, too, is deemed
impracticable.
The concensus of opinion among the
legislators, generally. is that Senator
Ketcham's bill is the one that should be
passed. Less that $200, eco will be re-
quired to satisfy it's provisions. There
seems to be a disposition On the part of
the Legislature to do everything that is
practicable, holding in view the welfare
of the State, to reward the gallant volun-
teers for the Invaluable service they have
rendered the State in the hour OF need.
At first the Ketcham bill was frowned
upon by quite an element in the Legisla-
ture. A compensation of Sc per month
for married and 81 for single men was
deemed p-arsimonious, and it looks SO. 1t
seems that the bold soldier boys deserve
more recognition. But then how can 1T
be given? The State has not the money
to spare, and the imposition of a State
tax for the purpose would raise a storm
of opposition. The volunteers have ST.
ready denounced the Ketcham b~ill-they
do not want it at all. And perhaps they
| are right. The Legislature, however, will
pass it or some similar measure, and then
| look out for squalls! 1t will receive I'M
limited and unstinted, criticism, and the
| Legislature will have to bear the brunt-
| It is suggested that the least the lawmas-
| ers can do in this matter is to pass a law
| which will compensate the soldiers to an
| extent that has been done by the Legisla-
lures of other States in similar cases.
| Then, perhaps, all would be well.
1t is surmised that there is a mysteri-
| Gus power which keeps this Legislature
| from doing business. That power is not
political by any means, although, OF
course, the Republican leaders desire as
little legislation as possible. The ques-
| ton is asked, has the East Jersey Water
| Company anything to do with The
| tardy record? Are the trusts and troll
ley roads concerned, and are the powers
| that be in league with these elements
in the policy that is being pursued
Time alone can tell. The Republican
majority will be held responsible for the
outcome, whatever it may be, and it is nc
wonder, then, that such caution is being
exercised and pains taken to crush the
Democratic minority whenever it gets or