Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-04-12
EDITORIAL COMMENT.

1 lllAaAh'A va
Fourteen bills providing for mum
icipal lighting have been introduced
in the legislature of New Jersey, and
five of them have passed both houses.
This was a situation which the bene-
ficent and patriotic Public Service
CORPORATION could not but view
with alarm" IA much trouble and
EXPENSE this beneticent and patriotic
aggregation had undertaken TO save
the municipalities OF the state the
worry incident to the manufacture
and distribution of gas and electric
ity for lighting purposes. True, the
light it furnished was poor in quality
and high in price; but PATRIOTISM Is
expensive, and the aggregation had
TO reimburse itself for. the financial
| sacrifices it made in running cleo
lions and keeping in office the trled
! and true statesmen who knew Whal
was good for the people-and for
the Public Service Corporation.
Wat would become of the people
| of New Jersey if these fourteen Dllls
should be permitted to pass, or even
| if the governor should be permitted
to sign the five bills already through
both houses? Shall light be made
| CHEAP and the habit of frugality
| which consumers had formed under
the influence of big gas bills be lost?
Perish the thought, President NC
Carter. of the Public Service Corpor-
| alton, appears to have come to Tren-
ton just in time to prevent a caiam-
itv. The fruit of his earnest-and
MISUNDERSTANDING with the powers
that be in the New Jersey capital APP
peared yesterday in the form of an
executive message to the Legislature
calling attention to Inconsistencies
in the fourteen municipal lighting
bills, five of which have been passed
Worse than the Inconsistencies is the
fact that the legislature has omitted
the essential requisite of eliminat-
ing politics from the operation o!
such municipal plants" The COVER
nor recommends a comprehensive
measure to cover the whole subject;
but how would politics be eliminated
from an omnibus bill? Would the
governor graft on to such a measure
the Civil Service Reform bill Whicl
now sleeps in committee? If so, hi!
suggestion would be as surprising as
it would be commendable.
The governors recommendation
comes rather late. two days before
the probable date of final adjourn.
ment of the legislature. His mess
age is premonitory of a veto OF Tho
fourteen bills, or of as many Of then
should pass the two houses, The
of New Jersey are to be saved
for one year at least from the inflic
ton of municipal lighting plants
McCarter has saved them. The pat
riotism of the Public Service Corpor
alton is touching.
Jersey City Journal:
The proposition TO abolish thu
state board of arbitration has fire
quently been made, but IL has no
proved as popular as its advocate
could wish, and not because the mem
bers of the board have lobbied
against it either. for they have no,
been conspicuous enough in or about |
the state house to attract attention
is a belief, or a hope. So some
thing of the kind. that the boarC
could be made use, and that hope has
operated to keep it alive.
II IL Ne DOSolblt " accomplish ANY |
hing through the instrumenrality OF
he board that will lessen the number
Of strikes, then by all means give the
board all of the power it wants, OF
use.
Strikes are detrimental 90 employ
'rs and employees. They produce mis-
cry for those who are dependent on
he strikers, and they disarrange bus
ness.
But what kind Of power can the
BOARD exercise that will be beneficial?
low far removed from slavery Is
compulsory arbitration?
'lainheld Courier-News
The Colby cult of political reform
which it is now proposed TO apply TO
fnion county. does not regard the di
'orcing of public Office from one sci
IT politicians to be awaited OF by an
'ther class of p~ap-seekers as the es
entail idea. Mr.. COlby's reform prin.
iple may be summed mp in the sim
lie statement that it demands admin
stration of public duties for the pub
ic goow, In detail il means an en-
orcement Of the spirit of the laws
ather than a passive acquieScence