Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-01-10

est and the proposition financed in
this manner.
But another method Of financing the
project is possible. 1t should be re-
membered that the Passaic food COM
mission is now laboring with the prob
kIem Of flood control The creation Of
this commission was due to the de-
struction of property to an amount es-
tsmated at more than $7,000,000, so
that If the section threatened by foods
should pay for the whole enterprise
1t would be wise economy on their
part. The expenditure Of this sum,
however, would not be demanded on
the part of the interested community.
Bonds secured by mortgage on the res
ervoir and its appurtenances could be
floated at low rate of interest and
money thus provided for the enterprise.
/ earnestly urge practical considera-
| ton of this subject and call your at
| tention to important reports which will
later be submitted
Assembly Districts.
The ACCESSIBILITY of changing the
method of electing assemblymen by
counties to election by districts was
considered in my last message. The
reasons therein advanced for the
change are as good today as then.
Representative government demands
that the unit of representation shall be
clearly defined, so that the representa-
| tive may have distinct constituency
to which he shall be responsible for his
acts Under our present system the
members of the house of assembly in
those counties that have more than one
member are responsible to no distinct
and separate constituency, but rather
! to a party organization or to a self ap-
pointed committee of party leaders.
This condition violates the fundamen-
tai principles of popular government.
1t promotes rule by the few rather
than government by the many.
United States Senators and the People.
United States senators are elected
under the provisions of the United
! States constitution and United States
statutes. The members of the legisla-
ture are merely the agents of the Unit
ed States government in choosing these
officials. Various methods have been
proposed to ascertain to certainty
the popular choice for United States
senator and to convey that choice to
the members of the legislature. Any
provision to this end must harmonize
as far as possible with the provisions
of the United States constitution and
the laws on this subject or it will
prove null and void. So long as the
members of the legislature are directly
responsible to the voters of their own
county any provision for the selection
of United States senator by popular
choice must be based upon the county
as the unit of representation. recon-
mend legislation to this end.
Separation of State and Municipal
Elections.
| State and municipal affairs are sepa-
rately administered. The state and the
nation are governed by parties that di-
vide on questions of general policy.
Municipalities present few issues, If
any, that require party government.
Their chief issues are good government
and economic administration. Partisan
politics is not necessary to this end.
Indeed, it retards rather than promotes
it. When municipal and state elections
occur at the same time municipal Off
Gals are likely to be selected on parti-
san grounds The municipal voter is
under the influence of his party ties.
| Good citizens interested in honest mu-
nicipal government should act together.
A clearer line of distinction should
! be drawn between state and municipal
legislation. The raising of the salaries
of municipal officers by the legislature
of the state is not commendable IN
practice or in theory. The responsible
/ ity for such increase should be borne
/ by the local authorities themselves.
Municipal ills should be remedied at
home. not at Trenton. Municipal re-
form should be inaugurated at home,
not at Trenton.
Division of Profits.
/ At the last session of the legislature,
in compliance with recommendation
/ in the executive message, a joint reso-
luton was adopted authorizing the ap-
pointment of a commission to consider
the question of the ACCESSIBILITY of a
division of profits between public util-
ity corporations and the municipalities
granting their franchises. This COM
mission was appointed, has been dill
gently at work and will soon submit q
report.
Last year an act was passed for a
gradual increase in the franchise tax
Of traction companies up to per cent.
The relations between public utility
corporations and the municipalities are
so interdependent that any considera-
ton of the taxation of franchises must
! <x,In-+;r,,c t1af O foot both the