The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-02-27
HIGH SCHOOL BILL.
Amended to Provide for
Popular debate
Over Reeds Assess
ments Measure.

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey City News."1
TRENTON, Feb. q, 1900-Last evenings 9
session of the Senate was in keeping with
the previous Monday evening sessions of
this Legislation. Little business was
transacted and it was all over by nine
O'Clock. The Appropriation Committee
reported joint resolution No. l. authoriz-
ing the Governor to issue medals to
army and navy during the Spanish
American war with an amendment limit
ing the amount to be expended to 81, 500.
The amendment was adopted.
Mr.. McDermott amended his bill pro-
viding for new High School for Jersey
City, by providing that the measure
should be submitted to a vote of the peo-
pie before it should become operative.
Considerable of debate between Sena-
tors McDermott and Reed was occasioned
by motion of the gentleman from Hud-
son to strike out the enacting clause of
Mr.. Reeds bill which provides that the
assessments of property in municipality
should be published every two years. In
supporting his measure Mr.. McDermott
based his objection to the bill upon the
cost of carrying out its provisions, which
in Jersey City, he declared, would be a
quarter of a million dollars, while in New
ark it would be more. If it was desired
to permit people to obtain knowledge as
to their neighbors assessment, he said,
law might be passed throwing open the
Assessors books to public inspection.
Senator Reed said he thought the Sena-
tor from Hudson must be joking as the
carrying out of the provision of the mea-
sure would not cost Jersey City over
IS 900 and as the bill required the publica-
ton to be made every other year the cost
would be only $4,000 year. The Senator
then said that such objection to the bill
might be expected from Hudson County
and he made the usual Republican attack
upon that county. The bill, he declared
was step in the direction of the equaliz-
alton of taxes, a subject which was of
great Importance to the people of New
Jersey. Under the measure each property
owner could learn what taxes his neigh
bor paid and compare them with his own.
Such comparisons would be made all
over the taxing districts with the result
that irregularities would be corrected and
the municipalities would save more than
the carrying of the bill would. Such
system had been been in operation In
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island some
time and had worked well in both States.
Mr.. Reed spoke of the unusual procedure
in the Senate of moving to strike out
the enacting clause. in a manner which
left the impression that he considered he
had not been treated with Senatorial
courtesy.
a1 n 10 .el1aa
as to the cost of the carrying out the
provisions of the bill, but said that in
Difference to Senatorial courtesy he would
withdraw his motion and renew the at
tack upon the bill when it comes up on
final passage.
Senator Van Cleef withdrew his motion
of last week to recommit the West Jer-
sey merger BILL He said that Senator
,Pitney, chairman of the committee which
reported the bill, had informed him that 1t
was through an inadvertenee that it had
been reported without consulting him,
member of the committee, and that the
explanation was satisfactory to him.
Governor Voorhees, sent In the name OF
Peter v. voorhees, for Lay Judge Of the
Court of Errors and Appeals, vice James
N. Nixon, who resigned to become Circuit
Judge of Camden. In executive session
the Senate confirmed the nominations of
Benjamin r. Lee of Mercer, and zebina
K. Pangborn, to be trustees of the Home
for Feeble Minded Women.
A number of bills were advanced TO
second reading, among them being Mr..
Pitney's measure which authorizes the
Supreme Court to appoint a commission
to report the best methods of promoting
adequate educational qualifications. both
general and professional in candidates for
admission to the bar, the commission to
make its report to the court In Novem-
ber. 1900.