Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-02-23
SOLDIERS WANT CASH.
New Jerseys Defenders Look
ing After Their Interests.
KErcHAM BILL NOT APPROVED.
Uodifying the Township Aets-A Re-
ceptton 10 the states National Sem
ators-BuiIdIng and Loan Matters.
Various bills Introduced.
Especial Correspondents. ]

Trenton, Feb. 22.-The present legisla-
tive week was made notable by the
presence here of numerous representa-
tives of the New Jersey volunteers. who
want state pay. The boys in blue are
very much agitated over the matter,
as was shown by the set of resolutions
passed at Paterson and printed in this
correspondence last week. Since then
their feelings have been aroused still
more in consequence of the introduction
in the senate of bill by Senator Ketch-
am making the allowance from the
state Sc a month in the case of married
men and 81 month for single men.
This rate is to extend over the term OF
actual service. and it applies to mem
bers of the naval reserve as well as
members of the New Jersey regiments
who were mustered into the regular
army. It does not apply to those who
enlisted directly into Uncle Sans serv-
ice. The soldiers do not fancy Senator
Ketcham's bill at all. Meetings have
been held in Newark, Paterson, Cam
den and various other cities since its
introduction, protesting against so small
an allowance, arraigning everybody
who advocated such measure and
praising those who have intimated a
willingness to grant a larger sum. A
hearing was granted to the soldiers al
the statehouse yesterday. when their
views were freely ventilated. They re-
sent the notion that Senator Ketcham'
bill should be passed. and they ask that
the legislature substitute either the
bin of Assemblyman King, which votes
each volunteer the lump sum of 1928
or the bill of Senator Braun. which al
lows 800. Just what the outcome will
be remains to be seen. 1t is remem-
bered by the lawmakers that the pas
sage of Senator Braun's bill means the
depletion of the state treasury to the
amount of half million dollars, and
that Massachusetts is paying bounty
of only ST per man to her volunteers
but these facts hardly form an impreg-
nable defense against the eloquent pleas
of the New Jersey soldiers. 1t is ques-
ton of cold figures versus sentiment,
and sentiment is a powerful factor in
settling a states relations with her
brave defenders.
The Spanish war is furnishing various
themes for our legislators. The pur-
chase of a sword to be presented to Adj
miraI Sampson. resident of New Jer-
sey, is one subject under way. The
Joint legislative committee. having the
matter in charge, held meeting yes
terday and heard from some of those
willing to submit designs. The sword
will cost about 81 500 but the presenta-
ton cannot take place till Admiral
SIMPSONS return from Cuban waters
which will probably be subsequent t.
final adjournment of the legislature.
A bill growing out of the war is the
one offered by Mr.. Jones in the house
which exempts all honorably discharged
soldiers and sailors from poll tax and
also from tax on $500 worth of property
Senator Ketcham has laid before The
legislature a joint resolution providing
that the governor shall have media
prepared and presented to each of the
officers and men of the New Jersey vol
unteers in the Spanish war. AS much
as IS. 900 may be spent for the purpose
Another measure growing out of the
war is the bill offered by Mr.. Mckee
appropriatipg $500 for q monument to
be erected to the memory of the New
Jersey sailors killed by the destruction
of the Maine.
New Township Acts.
The new township acts presented
from the special commission appointed
three years ago to codify and revise the
numerous statutes bearing on this sub
ject constitute one of the most imTor-
tant subjects before the legislature. The
new acts which are now before the leg
islature are four in number and the
longest contains about 10000 words. The
commissioners also offer a report in
which they explain how they did theii
work. At the outstart they found that
the existing township legislation owes
a great deal of its volume and confusion
to the fact that number of the COM
munities governed by 1t have outgrowr
this form of government. The township
law was originally the simplest form oil
local self government and was intended
to be used only by farming commune
ties. Nowadays. however. there are
townships. especially in Hudson and Es-
sex counties. that are townships only in
name. but in reality are small cities. In
trying to provide for the needs of these
latter, which wanted modern municipal
conveniences, the township laws have
become incumbered with all sorts ot
special legislation. The commission, in
stead of reducing the laws to their old
scope of meeting only the demands OF
farming sections. decided, after consid-
cradle deliberat ton. that it would be
possible to frame certain general enact
ments that would enable township
government to meet the requirements
either of the populous localities referred
to above or of thinly settled places The
commissioners seem to have succeeded
too. In the principal one of the four
bills offered ample provision is made to
enable any township to operate a water
and lighting plant and to enjoy the
other conveniences of municipal life,
but at the same time the smaller and
less wealthy townships are protected
from any schemes which would impose
these modern improvements upon them
against their will. for it is provided that
the township committee can enter upon
no such work till an appropriation has
been voted by the town meeting. This
leaves the determination of the matter
to the taxpayers themselves. A public
hearing will be given on the bills in the
senate chamber on Wednesday. March l.
Building and Loan Matter.
The building and loan concerns of the
state are making a strong fight against
any sort of state supervision in addi-
ton to the requirement of an annual
report. as now to the bureau of labor
and statistics. This bureau has nc
power to investigate anything. but sim
ply to receive the report. The discov-
cry of this fact when certain Trenton
loan concerns were wrecked a year OF
more ago startled the public. Last WIN
ter an effort was made to get remedial
legislation, but without effect. This
winter two bills to provide for closer
state supervision are pending-one in
troduced by Mr.. Guenther and one by
Mr.. Bell. On Friday last the State
League Of Building Associations met
IN Trenton to consider the matter. and
after lively interchange of views a
resolution was adopted declaring that
the present laws are sufficient and that
no new legislation is required. 1t may
be that the legislature will ignore this
dictum from the loan officials and pass
either the Bell or Guenther act.
The character of the investments
made by savings banks in this state
has always been carefully guarded. and
the law has always insisted on gilt
edged securities. The existing law per
mits the purchase of municipal bonds
of various kinds, but does not cover
the bonds of ''boroughs or villages" fol
the reason that there were no such mu-