Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-12-17
GIVES
HIS PROGRAM
Essex Reform Leader Wants
Civil Service Senatorial Nom.
inatiOn and Other Bills.
coNfRoNTs THE LEGISLATURE.
Recites the Pcrils of the Hour and
Tells What He Thinks Is Needed
to Make the Legislature More Use
full to the People of the State-Un-
wise to Advance Measure Not Thor
oughly Understood by Members.

NEWARK, Dec. 17:--In a state
ment made public yesterday as to im-
portant legislation that should be
taken up at Trenton this winter, Sen
ator Everett Colby says i'll part:
Just at this time, when legisla-
ton of the most radical character is
SO often sugg ssted as a remedy for
this or that evil, it would seem un-
wise to advance measures that were
not thoroughly understood by the
members themselves and for which
no one could be held directly respon-
sible by the people To correct this
tendency and place directly upon the
representatives themselves the re-
sponsibility for legislation, | believe
a legislative reference department
should be created, along the lines of
the one in the state capitol of Wis
| consin
Accumulate Data.
I 1T is the duty of those in charge
of the department to accumulate data
| on all public questions, so that when
I the constituency of a representative
requests him to introduce a bill he.
does not have to get some friend or
attorney, inexperienced perhaps in
1 this particular line of work, to draft
it for him, but goes directly to the
reference bureau, finds the history of
all such legislation, what the law on
the subject is in every state and what
its effect has been.
Working out his own ideas in the
provisions of the BILL it is, if he so
desires, put into correct form by the
bureau. Legislation in this way is
drawn along scholarly and scientific
basis. l shall try to get the legisla-
! ture to authorize the formation of
such department.
Civil Service Bill.
81 shall seek also to have the leg
islature pass civil service bill which
places under civil service regulations
all public officials in state, county
people, those appointed by the gov
ernor with confirmation by the SEN
ate, school superintendents and prin-
cipals, election officers and heads of
departments and law officers of cities
and counties. This measure, TO my
mind, is most important as a COM
panion bill to the direct primary, for
while the convention lent itselfreadily
to the manipulation of party bosses,
and it's removal from politics will be
great step toward popular govern
ment, yet even the direct primary can
be used by the leaders of reform
movements, in which experience has
taught do not remain politically i'm
maculate for more than few years
and who soon learn to make use of
the very methods they condemned.
1.-The office holder being the first
to feel the pressure of political infin-
ence should therefore be protected
in the fulfilment of his duty by law.
The u. S. Senatorship.
.There seems reason to believe that
bill providing for the expression OF
popular choice for the party candi-
date for United States senator will
pass this winter There is probably
no question before the people of the
country which is meeting with such
favorable response AS is we'll known,
the house of representatives has five
times passed a resolution in favor OF
change and once the measure has
been reported by senate committee.
Thirty-one states have passed resolu
tions calling for the popular election
of this branch of congress. OF the
thirty vacancies that will occur in the
senate of 1907 fifteen had in Sep
tember last already been filled by
methods similar to the one proposed
in my bill of last winter.
Il shall stand also for the local as
sessment of the main stem property
of railroads, a law which would pro-
vide for the taxation of franchises at
their value and lobby bill similar to
that introduced last year. The law
providing for the appointment of
county tax boards will undoubtedly
receive careful consideration and be
amended to meet the defects that
were found to exist"
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