Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-02-08
STATE LEGISLATURE
New Jersey Lawmakers Put In
a Busy Week at Trenton.
FRANCHISE COMMISSION REPORTS
Advises Against Municipal Operation
of street RaiIways--To Limit Grant
of Privileges to Tbfrty-three Years.
overcapisalfzation Denounced.
Especial Correspondent e i

Trenton, FEB. S.--Ine busiest week
the legislature has yet experienced was
closed yesterday "wednesday after 4
series of hearings, committee meeting
conferences and sessions. The calen.
dar was not cleared up Tuesday after
noon, the usual time for adjournment
for the week, and the lawmakers decid,
ed to remain over another day in order
to get a fresh start next Monday night.
They adjourned Wednesday for the
week.
The liquor traffic and automobile reg
ulation occupied considerable attention,
and well attended hearings were held
on these subjects.
One of the most important matters
of the week was the report of the COM
mission appointed last year to inyesti-
gate all franchises granted by munich
\ palities to public utility corporations.
The commission gives a brief resume
of legislation relating to the power of
municipalities to grant franchises.
They advise as follows:
First-Against municipal operation Of
| street railways, urging the difficulties in
! the way of such operation in view OF the
extension of railway systems through diff
ferent municipalities
Second. Recommending that the power
4 to grant franchises should remain with
the municipality.
Third.-AIl privileges hereafter granted
shall be limited and not exceed thirty
! three years unless majority vote shall
i decide to extend it for period not ex-
ceeding sixty-six years.
| Fourth.-At the expiration of the grant
| the municipality shall have to again fix
the terms of a further grant not exceed
/ ing thirty-three years.
Fifth-Recommend the repeal OF
laws limiting the construction OF street
i railways parallel to existing lines.
Sixth.-The practice prevailing in the Isl
| sue of excessive stocks and bonds under
guise of law should be made impossible
Seventh.-There should be changes IN
the standard of gas prescribed for COM
panies organized under the general law
/ or a new standard adopted for ALL
/ Eighth-Recommendi that the liml-
/ tations as to places in which water COM
4 panies may operate should be removed
! and powers given to acquire, build, own
/ and operate water and light companies.
Ninth-There should be no change In
the present method of imposing franchise
taxes or fees
i Among the house bills passed Tues
day was that of Assemblyman Wright
/ (Passaic) giving county boards Of free
holders complete control oyer roads
constructed by state aid. Another inn
/ portant bill passed by the house was
one fixing the annual meetings of
boards of freeholders on Jan. / at the
4 courthouse. The house passed the SEN
ate resolution thanking Captain Casio
and his crew for the heroic rescue of
passengers on the i'll fated steamer
Cherokee.
New Railway Taxation Bill.
Another railroad taxation bill found
its way into the house of assembly
when Asselnblyman Arrowsmith Of
4 Hudson introduced bill providing that
the real estate of railroads and canals
be assessed and taxed by local assess
ors in the same manner and at the
same rate as other real estate taxable
ia the same taxing districts. Taxable
personal property of such corporations
shall be similarly assessed and taxed in
the districts where located. The bill
provides that franchises and tangible
j personal property not located in a sin
gle taxing district shall be assessed by
state boards of assessors at an average
tax rate, which tax shall go to the
4 state.
Mr.. Everett presented a bill making
ii high misdemeanor to take from her
home any woman child under sixteen
years old for marriage or immoral pur-
poses.
! Mr.. Barber offered bill providing
for the taxing of all corporations not
now subject to state franchise tax
Mr.. Barber presented joint resolu-
ton authorizing the governor to APP
| point a commission of three to report
on the feasibility of law for a division
4 of the profits of public utility corpora
4 lions between the corporations and
such municipalities as grant them fran
4 chises
Mr.. Minturn introduced a bill which
prohibits corporations from contribut-
ing any aid in the election of public off
GERS.
Mr. Cornish presented bill to regu-
late the sale of patent or proprietary
/ IueulclHeS- IL tIONltteS tndt SFViy pat
ent medicine bottle must bear a sched7
ule showing ifs ingredients and their
proportions. The word poison must
be on every bottle containing certain
percentage Of alcohol. morphine Co
came and like drugs
The governor sent in these nomina-
tions Monday night for members of the
state board OF education: For the Sec
ond district, james B. Woodward; the
Fourth. S. st. j. McCutcheon; THE Sixth,
4 Francis Scott: the Eighth, James =.
Hays.
Appointed by the Governor.
These appointments were received
4 Tuesday from the governor Moses
Taylor Pyne, member of the public Il
brary commission; board Of managers
State Home For Girls, Alfred B. Car