The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-02-26
NO MORE
HEARINGS S
Legislature Decides That
Too Much Agitation Of
Bills Keeps the Law Mill
From Grinding
LITTLE WORK DONE YET
EQUAL TAX BILL LIKELY TO BE
PASSED THIS WEEK AND THEN
THE FRANCHISE AND CANAL
BATTLES BEGIN.
Especial to 'The Jersey city News.",

ThENION, Feb. 10, 19O0.-boln
branches of the Legislature have devoted
so much time to public hearings on inn
portant bills since the session began
eight weeks ago that it has been decided
not to grant any further hearings on amy
bill unless it is of such paramount inn
portance that the interests of the State
demand it. While the hearings We're be-
ing given both Houses were able to do
but little work in the way of grinding
out new laws, and as result the calen-
dars are over-stocked with measures still
unacted upon.
Beginning with this week both Houses
purpose to settle down to hard werk.
The committees will be urged to report
the measures now in their possession
and then the law-making machinery will
be kept up until the close of the session
Although no date has been fixed for sine
die adjournment it is generally Thought
that the session will not be kept up lon
ger than FIVE or six weeks more. All the
leaders are anxious to fix a date for sine
die adjournment. but are reluctant to
agree upon a time until after the Equal
Tax, Morris Canal Franchise Taxation,
Auto bill and other equally important
measures have been disposed of by both
Houses.
1t is thought that the railroad equal
tax bill will be passed by both Houses
before this weeks work is concluded.
Then the Morris Canal Abandonment.
bill or the Franchise taxation will be
taken up. The committees which hAlve
these bills have not reported them as yet
but it is expected that they will some
day this week. The Railroads and Ca
mails Committee, it is thought, viii ig-
more the Parker bill by reporting the
Mills BILL better known as the Lehigh
Valley Railroads. measure, for the
abandonment of the Morris Canal Ii is
almost similar to the measure introduced
last year and which created scandal
when passed by the House. That the
Mills bill will precipitate lively debate
in the House is expected, and its fate is
problematical.
Whether the Judiciary Committee will
report the Martin or Calvin franchise
tax bill is still unsettled. The committee
will meet tomorrow afternoon to decide
It is generally thought that the Calvin
bill, which provides for five per cent.
tax on the gross receipts of all public
utility corporations. will receive a ina
jority of the Committees approval, al
though Mr.. Martin feels confident that
the majority will favor his bill.
The Senate still has the Frelirghuysen
automobile bill on its hands, because the
judiciary Committee is unable to agree
upon the amendments to be tackled toits
tail. The committee, it is said, realizes
that the bill in its present shape is too
drastic and requires amendment, but how
to amend it to satisfy the automobilists
and farners and good roads men is some
thing that stumps the committee.
Senator Jackson's anti-toxin bill, which
provides for the manufacture of this drug
by the State, to be distributed to the
needy at the nominal cost of manufac-
ture, seems to have struck snag. The
drug trust is fighting the bill and Ere
dictions are now freely made that it will
never be reported by the COMMITTEES on
Public Health.
Senator Cornish's Assembly district
bill, which provides for the division Of
counties into Assembly districts, is still
in the hands of the Judiciary Committee
and is not likely to be reported until the
Republicans have agreed upon distlnct
lines suitable to the party leaders. The
lines in the Cornish bill were drawn ac-
cording to the Democratic plan offered
in 1892, and are far from being satisfac-
tory. In Hudson it only provides for The
creation Of ten Assembly districts
whereas at present Hudson County is en-
titled to twelve representatives.
Since it has been conceded that Assism-
blyman Berg's anti-hanging bill has no
chance Of being reported BY the Ctm-
mittee on Revision Of Laws. eonsiderab Bile
attention has been directed to senator
Wakelee's electrocution measure al 4
substitute for hanging. Senator Hutchin-
son intends to offer an amendment to
the WaKelee bin when It comes up fot a
second reading to allow the Board q