Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-02-02

ing their best to make political capltai
out of the matter. urging that only
through a constitutional convention of
the peoples delegates can proper reme-
dies be established for curbing the
growth of monopolies and preventing
the formation of trusts antagonistic to
popular interests. They hold that little
can be hoped for through the legisla-
ture. owing to the dominance of cor
porate influences at the statehouse. The
Republicans, on the other hand, being
now safely intrenched in power, do not
fancy the throwing down of the bars by
providing for a constitutional conven-
ton which might introduce radical
changes in our system of government
and serve as a stepping stone for re-
turning the Democratic party to power.
1t is claimed that all the necessary re-
forms in relation to state control of cor
porations can be provided by legislative
act and that such reforms shall be
forthcoming in due season.
New State Librarian.
The political headsman has got in his
work at the state library as anticipated,
but the job has not resulted to the en-
tire satisfaction of the executtoner.
Colonel Morris r. Hamilton. the state
librarian, has been displaced. but in his
stead another newspaper man has been
appointed, who is in no sense rank
partisan The new appointee is Henry
C. Buchanan. news editor of the Tren-
ton State Gazette and Trenton CORE
spondent of the New York Sun. Mr..
Buchanan has served a long appren-
ticeship to Journalism, having begun
''at the case and through sheer merit
mounted to the proofreader's desk and
then to the most responsible position in
the Office of leading New Jersey daily.
He is a man of marked force of charac-
ter. possessing fine executive qualities
in addition to the ability to write CO.
gently and interestingly. He will be
missed, for awhile at all events. from
The Gazette. but the transfer to the
more placid duties of state librarian
must be for himself great relief. Mr..
Buchanan is a Republican. but not Of
the aggressive sort, and his selection is
very pleasing to those who had no SYM
pathy with the horde of now disap-
pointed office seekers who brought about
State Librarian Hamilton's removal.
Mr.. Buchanan was twelfth hour can
didate but an easy winner. His term
is for five years.
Newspaper men. by the way, are do
ing fairly we'll in public life in New
Jersey. The secretary of state is Editor
wurts of the Paterson Press. while Ed
kor Choke of the New Brunswick Free
donian is one of the riparian commits
sioners. Other berths of less promi-
nence are held by newspaper men. In
the legislative organization not a few
plums fell to the craft. The senate is
particularly favorable in this direction.
President Reeds private secretary is
Charles H. Bateman of the Somerville
Unionist- Gazette. Editors Barber of
Gloucester and Lindsey of Norris are
secretary and assistant secretary of the
senate respectively. while Edgar Will
liams OF the Orange Journal Is engross-
ing clerk Then there are Walter e.
Edge of Atlantic. journal clerk; John
W. Cliff Of Union. assistant journal
clerk; William H. Fischer of Ocean.
calendar clerk. and others And 1t may
be said with truth that there has never
been a more efficient set of legislative
officials.
Stokes school Bill.
Senator Stokes bin to secure an an
nual allowance from the general state
funds for the maintenance of the public
schools, which was commented on in
this correspondence last week. has been
attracting favorable mention in the
newspapers of the state In its original
form it did not fix the amount of the
annual appropriation. but left it to be
decided by each legislature. Yesterday,
however, the senator, after thinking
the matter over. had an amendment
inserted providing that the minimum
amount TO be appropriated each year
should be 100000 1t is hoped that there
will be an opportunity to vote a much
larger sum.
In discussing the bill with your CORE
spondent Senator Stokes said: THE
general party policy should be econom-
ical administration of state affairs and
the distribution of the available funds
over and above the expenditure re-
quired to the taxing districts to relieve
the burdens of local taxation Now,
how can this best be accomplished ?
Among the plans heretofore adopted In
addition to the states expenditure Tor
the care of the insane, the blind and the
feeble minded and the defective classes
generally, which to this extent relieves
the taxpayer of the burden of their
maintenance. 100000 has been added to
the state school appropriation. and
about 100000 of the revenue from the
railroad tax has been remanded to the
several taxing districts through which
said railroads pass. This makes $500 00C
distributed annually from the state
treasury to the taxing districts that
was not distributed under Democratic
administration
However meritorious the object of
this distribution, the practical effect is
that the governing bodies in those dis
tricts which receive the moneys use il
in furthering some local scheme or i'm
provement. meritorious or otherwise.
without reducing the local tax whatev-
er. The taxpayer therefore does not d.
rectly feel nor appreciate the benefit
which the state is thus endeavoring to
confer on him.
The bill / have introduced proposes
to bring this benefit directly to the
pocket of the taxpayer. The state
school tax is levied upon the several
counties of the state according to their
ratables to an amount equal to IS per
head for every child in the state be-
tween the ages of and 18 years. I'm
der the scheme proposed in the pending
senate bill this amount win be reduced
BY whatever sum the legislature APP
propriates annually for this purpose,
and the balance will be apportioned
among the several counties. as now. ac-
cording to their ratables. This win re-
6uce the tax of every taxpayer in the
state, and that reduction viii show
upon every individual tax bill"
Legislature and the War.
The house of assembly yesterday
adopted resolutions offered by Repub-
lican Leader Mckee indorsing and
praising the war policy of President
Mckinley and expressing the hope that
the treaty Of peace will be promptly
ratified by the United States senate.
in the senate Senator Ketchsm Of
fered this resolution:
Whereas, The state Of New Jersey has
within her borders distinguished citizen,
q high officer of the United States navy.
Who during the recent conflict with Spain
WAS intrnsfed ny the president with the
exacting duties OF commander in chief
and who by his absolute thoroughness
and consummate ability aided by his as
sociate officers and the men Of the ships,
was enabled 70 bring renown to the nation
and the state Of his adoption, be 1t
Resolved Thai We fha sspeta ss9 hnusa