The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-09
Goals OF FIRE.
Republicans Gaucusand Then
Pass Mr.. Abbett's Anti
Combine Resolutions
Unanimously.
NEW LAW MAY Be NECESSARY
Attorney General Grey's Re-
ply Will Direct the Fight
for the People-Free
Lances Jubilant.


Lances Jubilant.
Especial to 1.-THE Jersey City News."1
TRENTON. March 9, 1s99.-It appeared
today as though another coal combine
fight in the New Jersey Legislature was in
sight. Mr.. Abbett's resolutions pub
lished in THE Jersey City News yestef-
day, in regard to the rumored new coal
combine were considered in a caucus held
during noon recess, and it was deemed adj
visable to pass them. Accordingly, when
the House r~eassembled at three O'Clock
Mr.. ALBEIT moved to take his resolution
I from the table, and the motion was car
ried. Mr.. Albeit then moved the adop-
ton of the resolutions and made a speech
in their favor. He spoke of the former
( attempt of the big coal carrying roads to
make a combination several years ago,
and the manner in which the State OF
New Jersey putsan end to that dastardly
attempt. He denounced the iniauity OF
any movement which sought to exclusive
ly control that great necessity OF lie
coal. New Jersey had always protected
her poor against such encroachments' OF
capital and greed, and he was sure she
would do SO again should the necessary
arise. 1t might be that there was no
necessity for alarm, but the outlook was
grave, and it would do no harm to be pre-
pared on all sides to meet the danger
should it come.
Mr.. Mckee, the Republican leader, apoi-
ogized for the abrupt manner in Whlch ne
had disposed of Mr.. Abbett's resolution at
the morning session, and said thai he
thoroughly agreed with all that Mr.. Abb
bett had said. Nothing could be more DIS
astrous to the welfare of the people OF the
State. he said, han to have a powerful
combination obtain control of the coal IN
the State, that necessity of life which All
high or low, rich or poor, needed. A vote
was then taken and the resolutions were
adopted unanimously.
Much depends upon the reply of the
Attorney General. Should he declare that
there is not law enough in the State at
present to prohibit the operation OF the
new combine a bill will be Immediately
introduced into the Legislature for that
purpose and a long fight over it is con-
sidered certain. The prospect of getting
such a fight on is exceedingly pleasant to
the free lances of the lobby and has
cheered them up wonderfully. Their lines
have fallen into everything but pleasant
places this session and their time has
been wasted. Nothing in their line has
yet shown its head, and so desperate have
they BECOME that they have even planned
a raid on one of their fellow members
who they thought had struck something.
The prospect of a fight of this kind, with
its ~unbounded possibilities. has given
1. 49, rro-t,xr a axr- q nd rncfarr o1irnnSp nf
life and they begin to think the session
may yet yield substantial results.
The event of the afternoon session of
the House was. the fight over the. bill
which authorizes the merging of the
Northern Railroad INTO the Erie. The
bill came up at third reading and final
passage and Mr.. Blackwell made an
elaborate speech upon it. He produced a
map and traced the route of the Northern
from the west end of the Erie tunnel to
the terminus of the road in Nyack. N. Y.
Then he gave a brief historical sketch of
the road and said that for several years
it had been operated and controlled solely
by the Erie.
The Northern. hi declared, did not own
a wheel of rolling stock, but, on the con-
trary, its entire equipment of the road
was the Fries property. He could see
no reasonable reason why any member
of the House should hesitate to vote for
the measure. The bill was violently OPP
posed by Mr.. Bruder, who declared that
it was a part of the new Goa combine
scheme, and he proposed to protect the
w~orkingmen, who always felt the most
the effects of such combinations. He
then bitterly denounced GOAL combina-
lions generally and this one in particular.
Mr.. Jones, of Essex, said that he would
yield to no man in tina House in his de-
votion to the cause of the workingman,
but for the life of him he couldn't see
show this bill affected him. 1t was sim
ply a business transaction between two
railroad companies, which, according to
law, required the sanction of the State,
and all the bill did was to obtain that
sanction.
anne from Mr.. W~alscheid of Hudson. The
manner in which the bill came from the
committee and passed to second reading,
he declared, was suspicious. and showed
that the measure was not honest. 1t was
a monstrous bill and rave the rich con-
troll of the poor. He spoke of the death
of his amendment, which was killed on
Tuesday, providing tina the Erie should
not increase the present freight and pas
senger rates of the Northern or diminish
it's train service as an indication of the
Erie's intentions. and begged his coll
leagues not to pass the bill. The young
gentIeman'S elOquence, and Mr.. WalScheid
is really a good talker, was wasted, the
bill passing by a vote of At to Z Mr..
Walscheid changed his vote to Aye" SO
that he could vote to reconsider and de-
clares he will give the company another
fight Monday evening.
~