The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-01-10
LEGISLATURE
MEETS TO-DAY
VIII Convene in Trenton at
3P. NJ. To-Day for It's
10Th Session.
OFFICERS OF BOTH HOUSES,

The one hundred and twenty-ninth
session of the New Jersey Legislature
will convene at Trenton this afternoon
at 3. p. m.
The senate viii be called to order by
Senator Willianl ]. Bradley Of Camden
the leader Of the majority, ana tempo
rary officers. then permanent ones. viii
be elected, after which the standing
committees viii be named.
In the house Clerk Parker Of Pnssaic
will caIl the meeting 70 order ana a
permanent organization will be erect
ed. Speaker Hornef win tlien name his
committees.
The opening meetings of the senate
and house viii be purely formal. and
adjournment viii be taken for the
week. There will doubtless be tie usu-
al floral display on the members desks.
omcers of the Fwo esssAEerv
Following are t,.e s4ilate cii s.a thus
far agreed upon: aresill, e Joseph
Cross Of Isi5ns secretary, lIuwsmd n.
Tyler Of Cunheiae u Ito succeed Cap
tain Walter E. Edge OF Atlanticl; as
sistant secretary, Lewis I. Stevens Of
Cape May; presidents secretary, s.
Merchant Meeker of Union; supervisor
of bills, Isaac r.. Piersoh of Morris; as-
sistant supervisor of bills, Samuel T..
Gillin. of Monmouth; bill clerk, Daniel
A. Mcintyre Of Essex; assistant bill
clerk, Jonathan D. Watson of Camden;
sergeant at arms. James G. Norris Of
Mercer; assistant sergeant at arms,
Edward C. Stroughten of Burlington.
There are to be five doorkeepers in
the senate at the salary Of $3.50 each
and four pages at 5000 each,
The following will be the assembly
officers: Speaker of the house, John
Boyd Avis, Gloucester; clerk, James
Parker, Passaic; assistant clerk, Upton
S. Jefferies, Camden; journal clerk,
Robert S. Terhune, Essex; sergeant at
arms, George B. Lutts, Atlantic; first
assistant sergeant at arms, William 5.
Dey, AIiddlesex; supervisor of bills,
George A. Grover, Essex; bill clerk,
Edward f. Totten, Morris; assistant
bill clerk, Frederick w. Bender, Union.
AS soon as the Legislature settles
down to work it is expected that there
will be conference OF the Republican
leaders to considerable subject of equal
taxation and to formulate bill on the
matter. Governor Murphy and Govern
or Elect Stokes are both considering
the subject, one for his final message
and the other for his inaugural address.
The Republican party by its platform
favors the policy of taxation of second
class railroad property at local rates,
Equal Taxation Boards Report.
The equal taxation commission APP
pointed by Governor Murphy to inves-
tigate the subject is now preparing its
report for the legislature. Former Gov
ernor Werts, one of the members of the
commission, is making draft OF the
report, which will be submitted to the
full body, but just what its fate will be
is not at all certain. There may be .
minority report. Unless expectations
are disappointed Messrs. Riker, Blach
and Werts will take positive ground fol
reform in the railroad tax system
while Messrs. Lentz and West are con
sidered likely to favor the present sys
tenn. There is little probability of the
report being ready before the 1st oi
February 1t is believed that whatever
is said by Governor Elect Stokes in his
inaugural address on equal taxation
will guide the legislature, and there
fore his address is looked forward tC
with great interest. The equal taxa
ton subject. it is almost certain, viii
be the most important matter before
the legislature this winter.
1t is probable that early in the ses
sion the bill for the abandonment OF
the Morris canal will make its appear
aAce. This is a measure of vast inter
est to north Jersey. The subject was
presented at the dying hours of the last
legislature, but was not considered be
fore final adjournment.
schOOIteachera Want More Pay.
The schoolteachers of the state are
making preparations to invade Trenton
to persuade the lawmakers to enact
some legislation which will give then
an increase of salary, and the firemer
and national guardsmen, despite tht
rulings of the courts that the tax ex
emption law is unconstitutional will
make determined effort to have pass
ed measure which will give them thu
old time tax exemption.
The legislature this year may maxi
more generous appropriation thar
eyer for voting machines. There was
some opposition to the machines at th'
last election in several sections Of thu
state, and proposition to increase thei
number is likely to precipitate con
test. 1t is generally believed that thu
Legislature will decide to buy more ma
chimes.
Another bitter fight Is looked for thil
winter over the robin question. AS
semblyman Gibbs of Camden county
who last winter was strong advocatl
Of the DeCou bill permitting the shoot
Ing OF robins during the fruit season
has been. returned to the assembly, and
it is reported he will present and fight
for bill similar to the one OF last
year, which failed to pass. The small
fruit growers Of south Jersey are ex
pectssd to fight for the BILL A repeater
for the antipigeOn shooting bill is also