Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-03-27
PUBLIC SERVICE IN
ROLE OF B"ENEFACTOR
Reduces Ra,es for Customers
Claims Mr.. Lindabury in Fighting
Municipal Light Bill.

TRENTON. Mar. 27.-The senate
committee on municipal corporations
gave a hearing yesterday afternoon
on the municipal lighting bills intro
duced in the house by Assemblymen
Jones and Wright. Both bills have
passed the house. The Wright meas
ure is house SO, and provides that it
shall be lawful for any city in this
state to acquire by purchase or other
wise an electric light plant to supply
the city or private consumers with
light and power.
The cost of the plant is not to eX-
coed the following sums. In cities OF
the first class, n per centum of the
ratables; in second class cities, where
the ratables are between $4,000, 900
and sos, 200, 900, $500, 900; where
the ratables are between 100000, 600
and $35,00O,0 900, $780, 900; where
the ratables are between $40, 900, 900,
and $50, coo, 900, $125,00 where
the ratables are under SO, 900, 600.
$4,000. Trenton is in the class
which would permit it to expend
100000. The cost is to be met by
an issue of bonds.
The Jones bill permits cities to ac-
quire or construct electric plants to
supply light and power to the city
and to private individuals. Under this
measure the cost is to be met by a
bond issue to the extent of one per
cent. of the ratables of the city ac-
curing the plant.
The hearing was attended by men
from Passaic, Paterson and Camden,
and other sections of the state which
are interested in securing municipal
lighting plants. A petition was pre-
sented from the mayor and common
council of Passaic' city favoring the
Wright bill. 1t stated that the petit
TONERS were satisfied that more and
better light could be produced by the
city in its own plant under the
Wright measure.
Counselor Bleakley. city solicitor
of Camden, said the Wright bill was
not favored in Camden. That city
thought the basis of classification was
wrong. In his own opinion it was un-
constitutional. He suggested that
both bills be passed with a referen-
dunn inserted, then Camden and the
Passaic county cities could take adj
vantage of the bill they liked best.
Senator Mckee pointed out that
the Wright bill provides for a cCI'-
mission to take charge of the plant.
and the Jones bill has no such prov
sion, as Camden is opposed to tli.
method. He thought, therefore Z
best plan would be to pass bot N'ii
with a referendum, and eaci
could select the bill it desired.
Richard V. Lindabury, counsel +
the Public Service Corporation o
posed botn bills. His chief poi2-
that the proposed legislation was .OC
radical. He claimed that the general
principle of municipal ownership was
at the bottom of the proposed meas
ures, and that principle has not prov
ed satisfactory. He held that the the
DRY was beautiful, but not practical.
He insisted that these bills would be
the entry to the road of municipal
bankruptcy, and it would not be fair
to saddle this burden on the taXpay-
ers.
Others who spoke in favor of the
bills were: Frederick r. Lowe, presi-
dent of common council, Passaic; A,
d. Sullivan. city counsel. Passaic; V.
l.. Mason, president of the Passaic
city board of trade: Mayor John
Johnson. OF Paterson.