The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-03-22
Senator Wakelee Declares
He Will Not Vote for ADJ
journment Till the Ques-
ton Is Satisfactorily Set
tied
FIGHT ON IN THE SENATE
SENATOR MINCH LEADS THE OP-
POSITION WITH ACKERMAN TO
ASSIST COLBY DEFENDS THE
FRANCHISE CLAUSE.

TRENTON. Mar. %, 1906.-The
equal tax fight is now on in the Senate
and ii promises to be very hot. Indfca-
1 tions are that before it is settled to
the satisfaction of the majority in botn
Houses the session win be prolonged for
at least another month. In fact, Senator
Wakelee gave notice yesterday that he
for one would not favor adjournment
until fair and just equal tax measure
was passed if the Legislature had to be
kept in Session all summer.
The Perkins equal tax bill was called
up in the Senate yesterday afternoon.
President Bradley vacated his seat in
favor Of Senator Minch, SO that he might
be in position to offer amendments to
! the Perkins bill. He is leading the fight
against the Perkins bill and promises to
make it warm and interesting before it
succeeds in passing the gauntlet.
Senator Ackerman. of Union. offered
the first amendment to strike out the
words, Including the franchises" from
the Perkins bill. He does not favor the
taxation Of franchises in such BILL but
by a separate measure.
Senator Colby opposed the Alderman
amendment on the ground that the high
est court in the State had declared that
franchises were property and had value
and therefore should be taxed as other
railroad property.
Things became interesting at this point
and it looked as if the debate would ex-
tend far into the night and then the equal
tax bill would be no farther advanced
than when the debate was started. Sen
ator Hillery came to the rescue with the
suggestion that it would expedite matters
if all the amendments that the Senators
desired to offer were put together and
printed so that they could be read by the
Senators before the next session.
Senator rWakelee advocated caution in
passing an equal tax bill and that it
would pay to be deliberate and on the
safe side.
Senator HiHery said he did not care
how much the press and the people might
criticise him on account of delay. He
declared that they should perfect the bill
in every particular, including the ques-
tion of its constitutionality, before reach
ing decision 1t would be beneficial
in the end.
Mckee said he would vote for the Per
kins bin now if it was put ON third read
ing right away, but he did not think he
could act intelligently on the amendments
that would be proposed on such short no
tice or without careful study.
Senator Wakelee then moved that the
Perkins bill lie over until next Tuesday
morning, and that. in the meanwhile. all
the amendments be submitted and print
ed.
Senator Colby urged that the Dill be
acted upon without further delay, which.
he said. there was no need Of. He
thought the amendments to be offered
many of them in the shape of substitu-
ton, were familiar enough to the Senate
to warrant getting ahead. 1t was abso
lutely important, he said, to obtain the
Attorney Generals opinion in any event,
and if all the amendments we're in shape
the Attorney General could make prog
ress.
Hillery said after all there was only
one Of two plans to be adopted. Either
the Perkins bill or local assessment
scheme would have to be selected. He
thought it probable that the Senator
from Essex favored the local plan. That
was his idea. He thought it would be
well. however. to adopt the Wakelee
motion.
The Wakelee motion was adopted,
Colby alone dissenting. These amends
ments were handed in without being
read. Colby put in the Arrowsmith bill,
| in printed shape. ais substitute. Brad