The evening star and Newark advertiser., 1907-09-25
Try to Agree on Plan
Of Action on Public
Utilities Bill.
CHANGES IN IT PROPOSED
Want to Abolish Present Railroad
Commission and Extend AU-
thOrity of New Department
TO Telegraph, Telephone
and Other Companies.
Especial to the Evening star.l

TRENTON, Sept. 25.-Democrats of
both houses of the Legislature were
called into caucus today by Senator
Gebhardt, who took upon himself the
duty of calling the caucus in the alb
sence of Senator Minturn, the chair
man of the joint caucus. The purpose
was to agree on program of action
on the public utilities bill.
Senator Gebhardt told the members
of the caucus that the Democratic ma
jority of the House should get to-
getlTer and understand the situation
and know exactly what course to fol-
low on the bill and on other matters
that might be thought advisable, es-
pecially as the Republican party in its
State platform had declared for meas
ures previously acted on by the Demo-
Gratis in the House. He said the bill
would probably be amended in the Sem
ate considerably and made stronger
than it was at present. He himself had
seven amendments, and he said lie
thought the Republicans would hardly
dare to defeat some of these.
One of the propositions was to
change the terms of the utilities COM
nfissioners from two, four and six
years to one, two and three years, and
also to make the commission bi-parti-
san. To the latter proposition the an.
swer was made that If a Democrat
were named. he might be a weak
brother. Amendments to the Senate
bill were proposed making it apply to
telegraph, telephone, oil and water
companies, as well as to railroads, and
to abolish the present railroad COM
81, la4 in
those of the Public Utilities Commis-
sion, and thus saving the State the
$4,000 a year now spent on the railroad
commission.
Senator Silzer stated that he had re-
drafted the Wright bill making it an
extension of the Hughes bill in New.
York and making 1t more effective.
Assemblymen Morris and Lane both
said the caucus should take the best
features of the various measures pro-
posed and put them into one bill and
thus give the people what was best
They thought the thing to do was to
obey the people.
These statements brought out dec
larations from all the members in the
caucus that it was their purpose to
do all they could for the dear people,
as by so doing every Democrat in the
State would be benefited
The only Assembly members absent
from the caucus was Mr.. Pawelski, OF
Passaic, and Sullivan, of Hudson. An
other matter taken up was that Oh
direct primaries. House Leader
Abraham Klenert stated that as 1t was
honored by both parties the Democrats
could force the Republican Senate,
through the strength of public opinion,
to pass the bill and thus compel the
Republicans to carry out the pledge
they made in their platform.
The question of final adjournment
was also brought up. This developed
some talk about the work of the Hahn
investigating committee, and it was
decided to continue the work as the
committee might consider wise.
Messrs. Alexander, Wright and Sena-
tor Silzer were appointed a commit
tee to go over the Senate bill to deter
mine whether the bill be satisfactory
or q new one be drafted.