The Lambertville record., 1906-09-12


Il, N and is now of iucalculable benefit
To the large populations of the glass
producing districts In the southern
counties of our state and also to the
iron miners of the northern section.
who had for generations back been
Obliged 10 accept goods at company
stores instead OF the cash which they
had honestly earned by their labor.
Second, the tenement house law of
1904, under which Il board To control
the erection of tenemeuts was appoint
ed, whose duty il is To see that struc-
lures in which of necessity large mum
bers of our population must find homes
are provided with every safeguard of
health known 10 modern sanitary and
hygienic science.
Third, the general factory act of 1901
which fixes fourteen years ms the mini
mum age at which children of either
sex may be employed in factories or
workshops, provides for the fullest
possible protection for operatives in
the matter of factory construction. the
use of safeguards against accidents
and the installation of such devices as
are specially designed. like the eX
hauSt fan. To mitigate the dangers of
occupations known to be menace to
health
Fourth, an act appointing Il commits
sion 10 revise the master and servant
act in the interests of labor. an act
greatly desired by laboring people
New State Institutions.
There have been created by Repub
lican legislation since 1891 these new
and important state institutions, either
built or authorized 10y statute. in addI
tion To important enlargemcnts and i'm
provements of existing institutions.
The Railway reformatory, cost ST.
0lS. 80
The state village for epilcptics cost
$3l2. .95G.33.
Home for soldiers and sailors and
their wives. cost SlO3, 500
tolorcd manual and training school
A new state normal school ito he
built this year..
building1
State home for girls building, cost
$l2a,OO0
State armorieS coSt S9Sl 80
Two Millions For improved Roads.
From 1891 to l9O1 inclusive the
state paid In state aid for improved
roads Il total Of $f.Sl2.a162I The np-
preparation last year WAS S2I1. .OOu In
1893, the ltst year Of Democratic con
troll in the legislature. the appropriation
WIS S20.6Gl 81. There had been 10
previous appropriation Practically the
entire system of state aided good roads
in New Jersey Is the result OF Re
publican legislative appropriations.
The legislature this year was cNtraordi-
narily liberal in giving 10 this impor-
tant state object
Under the state aid law of 1882 there
We're built, up 10 Nov. |, 1909, Il total
| of 1.lilla miles of improved roads al
cost to the state of 81 .92a. .II11L OF
this total only 37S9 miles were bull
| prior 10 1891, when the Democrats wcr,
In power in legislation
New Jersey is today foremost of all
| the states in the extent of improved
roads, and her example has been of i'm
| mcnse benefit to the country at large,
while the Improvement has been of
| enormous benefit TO New Jersey farm
| crs and villagers and hns vastly stimu-
lated the growth of suburban places
a.. 4
property. The greater economy of
transportation for farmers and nrban
business houses, If capitalized. would
far exceed the cost of state aid for
improved road building
How Equal Taxation Has Been Ac.
complished.
The legislation Of the last two yenrs
has been described as epochal mere
schedule of the most important acts
passed in 1903 aud 1906 will fully ius-
tify that description II has been af-
iirmed and without contradiction, that
the legislation of the two years is in
comparaby greater IN its importance
and far reaching beneficial effects than
the sum of all the previous legislation
in this state since the adoption of the
constitution of 1914.
The greatest achievement of the last
two years was the final settlement of
the railroad Tux question, which had
been the great problem of state politics
ever since the first railroad received Il
charter from the state
Railroad enterprise in its infancy
was attended with great hazard, but
was welcomed by every community,
and its development encouraged by
consideration in the way OF moderate
taxes. The benefits that the state de
rived from railroad development were
immeasurably greater than were the
immunities in the way of taxation. At
that time taxes upon all kinds OF prop
erty were much lower than in the pres
ent day The railroads made possible
the marvellous development Of the re
SOURCES of our state. cities and towns
sprang UP and grew rapidly ana the
needs Of this deuScr and cnngestcd
population required an increasing
amount e." lac supp~t of municipal
| and state "rumcnt This increased
taxation on all kinds of property real
| and personal called attention TO the
difference ia the methods of taxation
as between railroads and other kinds
Of property ana resulted IN the aglta-
tion of this question. 50 that in 1881
Republican, senate and u Democratic
house enacted railroad tax law that
about doubled the amount of railroad
taxes, but came short Of equal taxa
ton. The first break In this law was
in 1897, when the legislature gave n
the taxing districts all the income
from the second class railroad taxes,
amounting 10 about S560,Oo6 annually.
In 1904 the Republican party, true te
its policy. took hold of the railroad tax
question q ain and declared In the
state convention for immediate legisla
ton for th taxation Of second class
property AT local rates. resulting Ia an
increase OF local taxes to municipalities
OF about oac-half million dollars and