Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-03-31
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Jersey Legislature Adjourns
After Eventful Session.
IMPORTANT MEASURES PASSED.
Chief Among Them the Tenement
House and Child Labor Bills-IsquaI
Taxation Question Goes Over =
Special session Likely.
[speclal correspondenee.l

Especial Correspondence
Trenton, March 81. The one hundred
and twenty-eighth session of the New
Jersey legislature has been brought TO
a close after a term of the average
length and with about the usual mum
Der of new laws enacted.
AS a result of a conference held Tues
day in the governors office there is
likely to be a special session of the
legislature in about month to con-
slider the Morris canal project and take
action on the pigeon bill.
Among the most important measures
passed by the legislature We're the ten
ement house and the child labor bills.
The lawmakers seem to have been
fortunate in the child labor bill at
least, for it seems to be accepted in all
parts of the state as beneficial law,
especially to future generations.
1t is understood to have met the ap
proval of labor leaders as well as man
ufacturers, who We're better pleased
with it in its amended form, which cut
out the provision prohibiting children
under sixteen years of age from work
ing at night. This provision was most.
strenuously objected to by the glass.
manufacturers of south Jersey, many
of whom threatened to quit the state
if the clause. was allowed to remain in
the bill. Manufacturers from Passaic
county also were more favorable to
the measure with this provision out
of it.
The Equal Taxation Fight.
The session was relieved from a
great degree of dulIness by the row
over the equal taxation measures.
These bills, emanating from Hudson
county, proposed to tax railroad and
canal property at local rates and would
mean the expenditure of millions by
railroad and canal companies in taxes.
The majority members were conserya-
tive on the subject, and when the bills
were not reported promptly the minor
ity members charged their Republican
colleagues with suppressing them.
while, on the other hand, the majority
alleged that the minority's sole object
in agitating for the bills was the hope
of making political capital for the next
election. Then when Mayor Fagans
letter to tile governor charging the leg
islature with holding up these bills and
other matters of benefit to Jersey City
was published the lid was off, SO to
speak. The governor refused to talk
about the matter, and Secretary Of
State Dickinson sided strongly with
Mayor Pagan, but Republican Leader
Colby of Essex and Messrs. Hillery OF
Norris and Duhield of Essex denied
the charges of corruption of the legis-
lature made by Pagan, challenged him
to prove them, repudiated his Repub'
licanism and denounced him as tool
in the hands of the opposite political
party.
Democratic Leader Hamill of Hud.
son and Assemblyman Swackhamer
of Somerset and Assemblyman Field
er of Hudson were the stanchest sup
porters of the equal taxation bills. The
majority members after a conference
on the subject decided to introduce in
the house joint concurrent resolution
placing the whole matter in the hands
of a commission to investigate and re-
port on it. This resolution was adopted
in both houses.
Commission Appointed.
The commission that has been NAM
ed by the governor to investigate the
matter of equal taxation follows:
Chief Justice William S. Gummere,
Justice Charles B. Harrison, Hon. Will
liam NJ. Johnson of Hackettstown,
Chandler Riker of Newark and Charles
G. Black of Jersey City.
A note of discord between the sem
ators and the governor occurred dur
ing the last hours of the session, when
the senate refused, in executive SEES
sion, to confirm the names suggested
by Governor Murphy as members of
the board of prison inspectors, with
the exception of William FL. Carter,
who, being an ex-senator, was con-
firmed by virtue of this fact. Those
nominated were William FL. Carter, ].
E. Mitchell, James II. Davenport, Will
liam P. Berry, Jacob Shurts and Bcr-
hard Feeney-
Senator Welsh of Morris objected to
the suspension of the rules for the rati-
fication of the nominations, declar-
inc fbaf Govoruor Murphv had DrOn-
ised him that he would appoint s A..
Crook Of Roclzaway as a prison in
spector. Several senators who commu-
nicated with Governor Murphy return
ed and said that the governor had
stated he had not promised to appoint
Mr.. Crook because of the difficulty of
making one of two appointments from
Morris county The appointment be
had decided upon was that Of John
Copsticlz as a member Of the state
sewerage commission.
ss.nxsr,.~ f.o-Hrv..od