The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-02-23

the property frcm which it was derived
was located The Perkins bill, with his
amendment, Mr.. Miller said, would quiet
the disturbance raised by the municipali-
ties which believed that they were wrong
ed by the present system of taxing rail
road property.
AssemblyInan Arrowsmith. of Hobo
ken, then tried to introduce the measure
which he introduced as substitute for
the Perkins bill, when Mr.. Perkins rails
ed the point that Mr.. Arrowsmith was
out of order, and he was sustained by the
chair
Mr.. Perkins then attacked Mr.. Miller's
amendment, saying that he was not ops
posed to any measure having for its OBJ
ject the proper distribution Of the tax
raised by the Perkins bill, but the object
of that measure was to produce equal
taxation and the question Of the distri-
button of the tax should be left for fur
ther consideration in another measure.
in union there is strength" he declar-
ed. Let US stand together until the.
question of equal taxation is settled Do
not raise quarrel over the distribution
and let the railroads escape their just
share of the tax in the turmoil
Mr.. Arrows1nith made second at
tempt to get his bill before the House
as an amendment to the Perkins measure
but failed. Mr.. Miller raised the point
that Mr.. Arrowsnith's amendment was
not gernane. and the Speaker sustained
him.
Assemblyman Elvins, of Atlantic,
sought to have the Perkins bill laid over
until next Monday evening and in this
he was supported by Mr.. Miller, but Mr..
Martin protested, claiming that the equal
tax question had been agitated by the
people for nine months and every mem
Der was familiar with the subject and it
ought. to be disposed of at once. Mr..
Perkins sustained Mr.. Martin in his po-
sition.
Assemblyman Barber of Mercer, also
advocated prompt action. He told how
the Judiciary Committee had given the
equal tax bills more attention than aIy
others and had heard arguments pro and
con. The committee would be conceited,
he said, if it believed that the Perkins
bill was perfect, but it was the opinion
of the committee that, in view of the di-
versified views upon the question and the
feeling of the people throughout the State
who believe in equal taxation.it was the
part of wisdom to settle the matter by
the adoption of the Perkins bill.
Assemblyman Scoyel, of Camden,
urged the House majority to follow the
advice and call Of their leader.
The Elyins proposition to defer action
was lost by an overwhelming majority
and then Mr. Miller again spoke for his
amendment, reading from the Governors
measure to prove that it provided for
the distribution of the tax in the line sug-
gested by the message.
Both Perkins and EIyins opposed Mr..
Miner's amendment. Mr. Elvins made
long appeal for the rural districts in
opposing the amendment.
The Miller amendment was defeated
by a vote of 21 to so. OF the Hudson
delegation Messrs. Arrowsmith, Berg,
Bierck, Coyfe, Dippel and Paterson voted
for the amendment, while Eggers, Calvin,
Scott and Wooney voted against it.
Thompson of Hoboken, and Joerg, of
Jersey City, were among the absentees.
Nothing daunted by his defeat, Mr..
Miller came up swiling with another
amendment which was also voted down.
When Mr.. Scovef moved that the
House rules be suspended and the Per-
kins bill placed on third reading and final
~ ssaee, Mr.. Arrowsmith managed TO get
the floor and put his bill in again. Clerk
Parker started to read it when Mr..
Wright of Passaic, interrupted and
asked if it was an amendment or a sub
stitute. It was an amendment, Mr.. Ar
rowsnith replied, whereupon the Speaker
declared it out of order. Still undismay-
ed Mr. Arrowsmith bobbed up with the
bill again and this time offered it as
substitute This time it was allowed to
go to a vote and was defeated by a vote
of 20 TO 81. The Hudson men voted as
they did on the Miller amendment.
Then the rules were suspended and
the Perkins bill forced to successful
passage by vote Of 81 to 0, the dissatis-
fed members realizing that further dill
tory tactics were useless and joined the
majority.
TWO May kAMG