Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-02-13

municipalities benefited, may soon be
introduced. The opposition from the
Passaic people is that the two principal
municipalities benefited, may soon be
led to bear the heaviest part of the ex-
pense, while other places will reap the
most benefit
1t now appears that the Meeker anti
spring election bill is to be amended
and not repealed, as was at first pro-
posed. The amendment will provide
for the extension of the provisions of
the Meeker act to all municipalities of
the state without respect to size or
class.
The Automobile Measure.
Another measure which is being
strongly opposed is Senator McKee's
bill prohibiting local authorities from
requiring a less rate of speed from au-
tomobiles than eight miles an hour
along streets and roads in built up
sections and fifteen miles an hour in
sections not so thicllly populated. The
contention of the opponents of the bill
is that each community should ordain
speed rates and that the state should
not interfere. The friends of the bill,
however, claim that there should be a
uniform law regulating the rate of au-
tomobileS.
Raids on the Treasury.
If all the demands on the state treas
ury now contemplated. are complied
with, the surplus now on hand will be
more than completely wiped out. Be
cause of the large amounts which the
state nets on the granting of charters
to corporations there has been an enor-
nous balance in the state treasury for
the past several years, and each year
frequent attempts have been made to
have large sums of money diverted
from the states funds for various uses,
but the appropriations committees each
year have zealously guarded the states
cash box, and the sums that have been
appropriated have been comparatively
and reasonably small.
But this year there seems to be nu-
merous designs on the states surplus,
and unless the appropriations commit
tee exercises the greatest care an ex-
ira large slice of the states funds will
be made away with.
Governor Murphy's recommendation
in his inaugural address that the bal
ance in the states treasury be eXpend-
ed judiciously for state improvements
has inspired many requests for a share
of the money. Among the most i'm
portant of these requests is one for the
establishment of a state normal school
in north Jersey. There are already
two bills before the legislature provid-
ing for such a school. One of these
provides for the school in Essex coun-
ty, and $250,000 is asked for its cree
ton. The other gives the normal school
to Hudson county and fixes the appro-
priation at 100000. A bill introduced
by Senator Hutchinson of Mercer pro-
vides for the appropriation of 100000
for the erection of a new senate cham
Der at the statehouse and other adorn-
ments to the states capitol building.
Many Demands For Money.
An appropriation of $4,000 is asked
for the Trenton armory, and like sum
is requested for Il similar purpose for
the Red Bank cavalry troop. There is
a bill in the house providing that the
.Terseymen who served in the Spanish
war be reimbursed for the money they
paid to the government for clothing. If
this measure becomes a law, it will
mean the expenditure of more than
100000. A bill of like character was
killed in the house last year, and it is
not expected that the present one will
pass Another bill provides for the
appropriation of $4,000 for an eques-
trian statue of the late General Viii
liam J. Sewell in front of the state
house here. Still another appropriates
$4,000 for a silver service for the bat
tleship New Jersey, another appropri-
ates $4,000 for the erection of mon
ument to General Mercer at Prince
ton, another sets aside the sum of $10,-
900 for the scientific investigation of
the mosquito question and the eXter-
mination of this pest if any means can
be found for such determination, an
other appropriates $4,000 for the cree
ton of a monument to the New Jersey
soldiers who fell at Antietam and still
another appropriates $4,000 for new
dormitory st the Soldiers home at
Eearney.
The Jersey City Journal forsees that after
the next State census Essex and Hudson
counties, combined with one other, viii
control the legislature, and suggests as &
remedy return to the district method oi
ele ting members Of the lower house.
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