The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-03-26
Consideration of the Perkins
Measure Will Have Pre-
cedenoe Over All Other
Business
COLBY FOR ARR0WsMITR BILL
RAILROADS ARE SAID TO FA-
voR THE s9ovEL suBsrI-
rUTEs WHICH May BE UNcoN-
sTITUrIoNAL.
lspeeial % ..rhe jersey city News.')

Especial to THE Jersey CITY NeWs.')
TRENTON, March 26, 1906. This
week will tell whether equal taxation
will continue to win victories and land
in the Governors hands for his signature
or whether 1t viii be blocked or distorted
SO that it will prove of little popular
value.
The signs now are that equal taxation
will be successful, and that the Perkins
bill, in practically the shape in which it
passed the House, viii pass the Senate.
Its passage ought to occur before the
week is over.
The Senate has agreed to make it the
special order for business tomorrow, so
that the amendments offered last We'd
nesday can be carefully considered and
debated before being inserted in the
measure. Senators Colby and Bradley
have put in the Arrowsmith and Scovel
measures as substitutes, while Senators
NIinturn and Ackerman have submitted
short amendments dealing with the fran
chise taxation question.
The issues, it is expected, will be con-
fined to the Colby and Bradley substi-
tutes. While Senator Colby and great
MANY of those who have given the mat
ter study, believe the Arrowsmith prepo-
sition is really the fairest and best Of all
the tax schemes, and the Attorney ZEN
eral has upheld its constitutionality in a
written opinion, it will not be allowed to
interfere with the ultimate passage of
the Perkins bill if the latter shows the
more strength.
Senator Colby will speak and work
earnestly for the Arrowsmith proposition,
but if he finds he cannot win he will drop
all opposition and interpose no delay.
This he will do, it is said, even though
the railroad representatives should offer
to back him in a fight. preferring the
Arrowsmith to the Perkins scheme, in
the event of Senator Bradley's failure to
have the Scovel substitute, which the
railroads best favor, adopted
So the situation may. before the end
Of the first days debate, come right down
to a question of the Perkins or Scovel
propositions The railroads. while stat
ing senli-officially that they are not de
laying the advancement Of an equal tax
alton measure, are at heart very anxious
to have Mr.. Bradley win out with the
Scovel substitute.
Rumor has it that Attorney General
McCarter has expressed an opinion that
the Scovel substitute would be uneonsti-
tutionaI if enacted He did not give a
written opinion to that effect, but has
expressed himself in a manner that can
not be misconstrued. This. if true. will
prove a severe blow TO Senator Bradley
and several others who are advocating
the Scovel substitutes.
Governor Stokes and Chairman Frank
o. Briggs, of the Republican State Conn
mittee. are said to be working together
to accomplish the passage of the Perkins
BILL While their followers and support
ers are more or less at odds and while
battle royal all along the line is likely
to, happen after the session closes, just
now the big leaders are in apparent uni
son.
The railroad forces hope to have the
Governor secure them some compromise,
although in what shape it is hard to tell.
Mr.. Briggs. it is said. will not consent
to any change in the programme, and the
Governor could not cons silently expect
any change. The main proposition, as
stated in the Perkins bill, must go
through, the leaders say. to Insure the
State the railroad money. Then theme
can be changes and compromises on the
details Of in connection With the assess
mert and taxation Of second class prop
erty.