Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-03-06
THE LEGIsLATURE.



Especial Correspondence
TRENTON, March g.. There was q
surprising burst Of energy on the part
OF the legislators this week. and there
Is now every indication that an effort
Is Delng made to bring the session to
close on Friday, March 21 The date
hAed by the resolution recently intro
uuced by Senator Hand of Cape May
is one week earlier than that, but this
resolution, which is now resting peace
Iuily IN the hands of the senate judi
cary committee, will possibly be
amended next week by changing the
uate to the 21st, and it will then be
sent to the assembly for consideration.
Inc lawmakers are almost a unit in
-oelng willing to close up the session
IN another two weeks, which will make
the length of the session ten weeks, or
week shorter than last years term.
Appropriations Committee at Work.
The Joint appropriations committee
began actual work this week and
disposed of considerable business. 1t
Went over the preliminary ground and
gave d hearing on Wednesday to those
interested in the appropriations asked
Tor the Soldiers home and other mill
tary and educational matters. Anoth-
er general hearing will probably be
given on Monday and third one dur
ing the week, and it is expected to
have the appropriation bills ready by
Monday night of the following week,
but they will not likely be presented
until day or two later. This is an
indication that the desire of the Re-
pubEcans to get away in another two
weeks will be fulfilled. If the final
adjournment shall be at that time.
1t means that there will be a great
rush of work next week and the clos
ing hours of the session will be the
busiest known in recent years.
There was no let up in the work
this week from the converting of the
two houses on Monday night until the
legislators left for their homes yester-
day. All the work in sight was clean
ed up, and not single bill was left on
the calendars, which viii be piled high
by the time next weeks session begins,
however.
The New Tax Bill.
The most important hearings held
this week, of which there were several.
were on the measure providing for q
state hospital for consumptives and Oh
Senator McCarter'S tax revision bills
The latter were prepared by commits
sion comprising Justices Dixon and
Fort of the supreme court and Charles
Corbin. The principal objections en-
tered against the bill emanated from
Comptroller Johnson and Tax Commits
sioner Otto of Newark. who claimed
that the changes in the assessment and
collection of taxes proposed in the bill
would seriously interfere with New
ark's system.
Mr.. Corbin stated that the bill would
help Newark and all other muncipali-
ties in the state. Other speakers want
ed the uniform dates for the assess
ment and collection of taxes provided
for in the bill changed so as to help
certain localities, but it was explained
that New Jersey was the only state in
the Union which did not have uniform
dates for the assessment and collection
of taxes, and it was designed to line
this state up with the others, and some
municipalities would have to put up
with some little Inconvenience for
time until the law became in full oper
alton, when all localities would be ben
Gifted. Another speaker wanted the
law amended so as to provide for the
publication of the assessed valuation of
communities in the newspapers located
therein, which proposition, it was CON
tended, would equalize taxation. 1t is
not likely that the bill will be changed
materially Three hundred and eighty
sections of various bills pertaining to
taxation have been boiled down to six
ty-siX in this revision.
For Consumptives' Hospital.
The hearing on the bill for a con
sumptives' hospital was attended by
over a hundred prominent physicians
The principal speaker was DR.. Law
renee f. Flick of Philadelphia, VINO
declared the disease to be durable. lie
strongly advocated a sanitarium. He
pointed out that in Pennsylvania there
had been a decrease of SO per cent in
tie death rate from consumption since
the authorities had taken the disease
in hand Fifty per cent of the cases, he
declared, are durable.
The other speakers warmly advocat-
ed the bill and said that with an appro-
priation of $5,O00,000 the state could
be entirely freed from consumption
They favored the establishment of a
sanitarium i'll the mountainous or pine
regions of the state, where the patients
could breathe pure air and be assigned
to light outdoor work. An appropria-
ton of $4,000 is asked for, and it
seems likely at this time that the bill
will pass.
There is a strong influence against
the bill proposed to benefit the Ocean
CITY Camp Meeting association now
before the legisla ture. 1t appears that
some wears ago this association gave
valuable piece of land to the authori-
ties of ocean City for park purposes,
and now an effort is being made to
have the title in the property restored
tn them. The bill is being bitterly OPP
posed by the officials OF ocean CITY,
and there is little likelihood OF its pas
sage.
Rutgers Colleges Claims.
Under a suspension of the rules the
legislature on Monday night passed the
bill calling fof the naming of commits
sion by the governor to inquire into the
claims of President Scott of Rutgers
college, who alleges that the state owes
that institution S131,000 for scholar
ships provided under law which mas
been declared unconstitutional by poh
Attorney Generals Stockton and Grey
The claim is made that the tuition was
furnished in good faith and that the
state is morally responsible for the
debt.
substitute was offered this week by
Senator McCarter for his bill reguiat-
ing the deposit of the states moneys
in banks at a fair rate of interest, ana
- 4 OTa IN l.