The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-03-13
bILL.STHAT AWAIT
N ARINGS
Hillery's Maximum Rate
Duffield's Court of Tax
alton and the Canal
Measure to Be Dis
cussed.
FAcAN's BILL DOOMED
The Republican Majority viii
Never Let It See Daylight
AS Duflsld's Measure
Is the Party's
Choice.
FAGAN'S BILL DOOMED


Especial to ''The Jersey City News.H)
TRENTON, March 13, 1905.-The
tenth week of the Legislature, which be-
gins with the session of both housese at 8
o'clock this evening. will undoubtedly be
characterized by some lively doings.
There are now 459 bills before the Legis-
lature-2S2 in the House and 1T in the
Senate-and of these less than a dozen
measures have reached the Governor.
As the usual life of a session is limited
to about twelve or thirteen weeks, it is
evident that the lawmakers will be
compelled to do considerable hustling if
they intend to clear the calendars before
sine die adjournment is taken
Among the important bills that are
still pending are the equal taxation
measures, representing the views of the
majority and minority and also Mayor
Fagan's administration in Jersey City;
Senator Hillery's maximum tax rate bill,
which limits local tax rates to $l.6T;
Assemblyman Duffeld's bill providing
for a court of equalization of taxes to
supplant the State Board of Taxation.
and the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. bill intro
dueed By Assemblyman Duffeld author
uing the abandonment of the Morris
Canal by the Lehigh Valley Railroad.
An these bills are still in committee
and will not be reported until the people
interested in them have been hard. The
Committee on Judiciary, TO which the
equal tax bills were referred. gave Mayor
Pagan and the Board of Trade of Jer-
sey City hearing on their bill, drawn
BY Corporation Counsel Record, last
Tuesday. It was a veritable farce. The
Republican majority, in caucus, had de-
cided to support Leader Duffeld's equal
tax bill, which was introduced on the
opening day Of the session and which
contains the views of the Republicans as
adopted by the recent gubernatorial CON
vention which nominated Governor
Stokes. Anything that the Jersey City
delegation might say or do at the hear
ing given them could not alter the views
of the committee. The latter was IT.
revocably committed to its party bill and
the Jersey City people might as well
have saved themselves the trouble of
discussing the subject before it.
It is expected that AssembIyman Duff
field, chairman of the committee, will re-
port his equal tax bill at tonight's ses-
sion. Under the rules it will be given
a second reading and then laid over un-
ii tomorrow, when it will probably be
taken up for third and final reading
Then the fight for equal taxation will
begin in earnest.
= the Republicans report their equal
tax measure tonight, Assemblyman Ham
III. the minority member of the Judiciary
Committee, win present minority re-
port recommending the adoption Of the
bill drawn by Senator james +. Min
turn and adopted by the Democratic
members Of both houses as a party or
eauens measure. This viii precipitate
a fight but tile Democratic members in
tend 70 stand by their leader and force
the RepulaIiean majority to vote them
down before they give up the struggle
for tIe passage IF their party bill.
As i finale they intend to lombard
the Dugieid bill when it is taken np for
second reading with a series Of amend
nents ana thereby force the Republic
can majority 10 place itself on record
in defence Of railroad interests or in
fAsos of The people. These amendments
VIII be offered not with any hope that
they ali be adopted but merely to force
tle Isepnbliean majority to show its
l.and
The fight On the quail tax bill will be
ore Of The liYeliest Of the session. Party
lines viii be closely drawn, and the Re
pabfeans win be compelled to bear the
burden Of tile bill that it finally passed.
Il Is conceded that the Fagan-Record