New-York tribune., 1900-01-08
NEW-JERSEY NEWS.

The one hundred and twenty-fourth annual
session OF the New-Jersey Legislature viii begin
at O'Clock tomorrow afternoon when the
members elect VIII take the oath OF Office and
Senator W. NJ. Johnson. OF Bergen County. win
be chosen President OF the Senate, and Assem-
blyman B. F. Jones. OF Essex will be made
Speaker OF the House. The organization will be
completed by the announcement Of the commit
tees in each house, and Governor Voorhees,
message viii be read. A few bills may be intro
duced. and the Legislature VIII then adjourn for
the week prepared 20 begin work In earnest on
the following Monday evening. The people Of
the State can look with confidence TO the assem-
bling Of the Legislature. because the control OF
each house will be in the hands OF able, upright
and sensible men, who will do much TO carry on
and perfect the good work which has character
ICED Republican ascendancy in New-Jersey.
The Governors message viii be a businesslike
document of about eight thousand words. with
out spectacular features. It is understood that
the message, besides discussing franchise tax
legislation Will be largely a digest OF the re-
ports made to the Governor by the several de-
partments and commissions. and that IT viii be
especially valuable to the members OF the Legis-
lature as presenting IN convenient form infor-
nation which they need to the proper discharge
Of their duties feature Of Governor Voor-
hees's administration has been his careful mas
tery OF all the affairs Of the State and it's many
institutions. This viii enable him to speak with
personal information. and viii make his message
especially valuable as State document.
The further the investigation into the
agement Of the Burlington County almshouse
proceeds the more does it appear that the zeal
Of the State Board Of Chidren's Guardians out
ran their judgment and carried them consid-
eraby further than the facts warranted.
The State Teachers Association has likewise
suffered from overnuch zeal on the part Of some
Of its members, who are now accused Of using
the organization TO further the establishment OF
the Teachers Retirement Fund, which is good
enterprise, but which ought to stand on its own
merits The Teachers Association also suffers
in the estimation OF many Of its best members
by the effort Of certain teachers to 1t TO
further the political purposes OF the Hudson
County Democratic leaders. For the sake OF an
organization which is Of great value TO the
cause Of education, 1t is TO be hoped that II will
be permitted to go on its way unhampered by
alliance with the Retirement Fund with
Bob Davis.
The Democratic machine in Jersey City. hnd-
ing that It had overreaChed itself in endeavoring
to make the building of high school means
TO improve certain real estate values, now comes
forward with another excuse. which is in effect
that the enormously and unnecessarily expen-
sive water contract Is all that Jersey City will
be able to bear in the way OF public improve
rnents and that the city will have to wait some
time for the sorely needed High School
Senator Reeds bill to require the publication
Of assessments will have earnest support in the
Legislature. It is a practical plan to secure
equal and equitable valuations.
The people Of Newark have all the delibera-
ton Of the Honanders IN considering public
projects, and it is characteristic OF the com
munity to decide finally IN sound business
way. An example of this the adoption
Of the present water supply. The city had been
taking its drinking water from the Passaic at
Bellevile, and the quality OF the water was
deteriorating, when the proposition was made
to go to the head waters Of the Passaic for
supply. This was discussed pro and con for
nearly q decade. An effort was made to get
Jersey City, Paterson and other neIghboring
cities TO Cooperate but IL met with no response.
Then Newark decided TO go IL alone. and con-
tracted with a private company for the plant
AS a result the city has obtained a splendid
water supply actually without cost to the munic-
ipality, the income from the sale OF the
water to consumers pays the interest and prin-
clpaI OF the bonds issued 10 pay Tor plant
Newark is now seriously discussing railroad
track elevation. This question has been on the
tapis for several years. and the signs are
that the grade crossings will be abolished. In
the same way Newark decided the question Of
county parks. It was by the vote OF Newark
that the County Park act was adopted and that
an additional loan of S1,5OOOO0 was authorized.
Newark people had been talking about parks
for over ten years. A large new reservoir for
the water supply. which has been debated since
1892, is about TO be constructed. Only recently
a new city hospital. new high school and a
new technical school were built, after the usual
season Of discussion. A charge Of extravaganza
in public improvements has not been seriously
made or entertained since the era OF specula-
tive street experiments, q quarter Of a century
ago. That experience was a costly lesson by
which Newark has profted.