The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-04-14
The Legislative Mill Was
Fourteen Weeks At Work
and Ground Out About
Four Hundred Bills
OVER 800 INTRODUCED
THE LOWER HOUSE WAS THE
MORE PROLIFIC, BUT THE SEN
ATE WAS NOT FAR BEHIND
FIGHTS OVER MEASURES MADE
THE SESSION MEMORABLE
Special to "rhe Jersey city, News.'o

kopeclai 10 1ne Jersey lily <NSHs- ,
TRENTON, April "A, 1906. = The
both session of the Legislature, which
adjourned sine die at 1926 o'clock yester-
day morning, was of unusual length
fourteen weeks-and had more important
bills to act upon than any other Legisla-
ture during the past twenty-five years.
There were $50 bills introduced in the
House against $50 in the Senate, making
a total of 885 bills in both Houses. This
is the largest number of bills in nearly
a quarter of a century. OF this number
not more than one-half succeeded in rum
ming the gauntlet through both Houses,
but nevertheless the measures passed
would not have been half that number
if the committees had shown any dispo-
sition to suppress them.
Nearly all the recommendations made
by Governor Stokes in his message were
enacted into laws. One exception is IN
regard to the Governors suggestions
found under the caption Fewer Laws"
The Legislature showed little disposition
to avoid the erroneous precedent pointed
out by the Governor that '1egaI advisers
find it easier to induce the Legislature
to pass a law to provide for the wishes
of their clients than to search the stat
utes to find an already existing law that
will serve the same purpose"
The Perkins bill, providing for the tax
alton of main stem railroad property, has
been passed and signed by the Governor
and has been supplemented by the bill
taxing secondselass railroad property;
that re-defning main stem; that proyid-
ing for the distribution of the railroad
taxes; the maximum tax rate bill; the
county tax board bill and the franchise
tax bill.
The bill limiting the lives of pubic
utility franchises was another of the i'm
portant measures that was passed.
The bill abolishing fees and SUBSTITUTE
ing salaries for county officers, which
was urged by Governor Stokes in his
message, has been passed and has receiv-
ed t he approval of the executive.
Jury reform was another matter touch
ed upon by Governor Stokes in his mes
sage and this has been acted upon by the
Legislature by the passage Of the Hut
Crimson jury bill.
The matter of automobile regula.
ton, which, next to equal taxation and
the liquor question, occupied a place
of prominence before the present leg
islature, has been disposed of for this
year by the adoption of the Freling-
huysen bill in form very much modi-
fed. Many of the provisions demand
ed by the farmers were eliminated.
The bill for which the farmers IS
the State have so long been begging,
permitting trolley roads to carry
freight, has been passed and signed by
the Governor. The Morris canal and
the Passaic pollution questions. beth
of which have received considerable
attention from former legislatures.
were treated by the both session in
a manner calculated TO make their
final disposition less difficult for fu-
ture session. The former is in the
hands of the Attorney General and the
latter is to be solved between the par
ties in interest at special session In
September.
The question of municipal owner
ship of public utility franchises re-
ceived the attention of the Legislators
by the introduction of IA bills, some
of which were passed, but the matter
was closed for this session when Gov
ernor Stokes sent message recon-
mending that the whole subject be
thoroughly investigated and a definite
plan of action be reported upon.
The bill changing the death penalty
from hanging to Siectrocution; a num-
ber of measures calculated to pro-
tect New Jersey fishermen from mem
haden pirates; bill to extermlnate
mosquitoes in the State; a forestry
reservation bill; the remedy against
over-capitalization of corporations; an
assembly redistricting bill and the
new State military measure We're
among the other bills of general import
anee and interest that have received
favorable consideration from this legis-
lature.
This Legislature must be charged
with having betrayed the temperance
people on the liquor question, in its
disposition of the Bishops excise bill.
No such uprising has been seen in the
State in years as was behind this bill
introduced by Senator Hutchinson,
With one exception the hearing on the
measure was unprecedented.
Despite the demands Of the friends oe
the bill. the measure turned out by the
lawmakers is plain turn down Of thosa