The Jersey City news., 1906-07-10
Governor Stokes Refuses to
Sign the Municipal Owner
ship Measure
PROVISIONS ARE IN ANOTHER
so IT WOULD BE UNWIsE TO
COMP LIcATE THE STATUTES
BY APPROVING THE WRIGHT
AC.
Special to '.rhe Jersey city News y

-AsA@~'L oAt' Cuiy Ivy ACOO.--AAi6 allu7
nicipal lighting situation was settled by
Governor Stokes when he approved AS
sembly bill 1873. by Mr.. Jones, which en-
ables cities to construct and maintain
light, heat and power plants, and dis
approving Mr.. Wright's bill, SO, which (
enabled cities to acquire electric plants
and operate the same and issue bonds to
pay for same.
In his veto of the Wright measure,
the Governor says:
"This bill is disapproyed. A bill
has already been approved SO similar in
its provisions that it would not only be
unnecessary, but unwise, to add other
laws, which would not onlyconfuse leg
islation and not promote the object in
question. The legislature left this sub
ject in an uncertain attitude. 1t passed
several bills contradictory and at the
same time passed resolution providing
for the appointment of commission to
investigate this subject and declaring
that in the judgement of the legislature
it would be wiser to postpone legislation
on this question until the next regular
session of the legislature.
~ bile these bills were pending sent
message to the legislature requesting
that all measures relating to this subject
be grouped into a comprehensive general
act, stating that would not be able to
approve variety of bills on this subject
containing inconsistent provisions
'One general measure on this subject
has been approved. After an investiga-
tion such as is being made by the civic
federation and such as will be made by
the commission yet to be appointed unr
der authority of the legislature, whatever
changes years experience may show to
be wise, can better be made as amend
ments TO one act, than to a variety OF
measures lacking uniformity both in
principle and in provision"
The text of the bill signed by the gov
ernor is as follows
"1-It shall and may be lawful for the
governing body of any city in this state.
whenever, in it's judgment it shall deem
it expedient so to do, to purchase, take,
hold. enjoy and convey and dispose of
city all such real and personal property
as may be necessary for the manufac-
ture generation, accumulation. storage,
transmission and distribution of light,
heat and power for the purpose Of sell
ing and supplying the same in such city
for public and private use; and to con-
struct. maintain and operate munich
pal light, heat and power plant or 4 US
and ali buildings, stations, machinery,
apparatus, wires. poles, pipes, subways
or conduits and appurtenances of every
kind that may be necessary and useful
for such purposes, with full power and
authority to erect and maintain poles and
string wires thereon, for the transmission
of electric currents on any and all
streets, avenues and highways of said
city and to build, lay and construct and
use. for any of the purposes stated
above, underground pipes, subways or
conduits in any and all streets, avenues
and highways in said city and to string
electric wires or lay pipes or other heat,
light or power conductors therein.
"2-It shall and may be lawful for
any city taking advantage of the terms
and provisions of this act TO sell, dis
pose of and furnish the light, reat or
power so to be manufactured or gener-
| ated by it under such conditions, ac-
cording to such rules and regulations
and for such rates or rents as the gov
erning body of said city may from
time to time prescribe.
s.3-It shall and may be lawful for
the governing body 0 any icity tak-
| ing advantage of the provisions of this
act to elect or appoint any and all
| officers, agents, engineers, employees.
or committeeman that they may deem
necessary to be employed in and about
the maintenance and operation of any
such light, heat and power plant or
works as aforesaid, to define their
duties, regulate their compensation
and provide for their removal; and
said governing body Of any city as
aforesaid shall have power, and they
are hereby authorized to make, or
dain and establish allFFsuch ordinances,
resolutions rules and. .hregulations as
lsaid body may deem uecessasx and