The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-02-19
OUR TRENTON LETTER.
Especial Correspondence

ed States senator has been elected the
legislature will get down to it's real
work. Notwithstanding the fact that
this is the sixth week of the SEES
sion, just one-half of the usual length
of the legislative session. but little of
Importance has been done in the legis-
lative line. This lack of action is due
to the keen interest taken in the SEN
atorial contest and only three of four
bills have been passed, all of these be-
ing unimportant. The work of the leg
islature this week was retarded some
what by the fact that the legislators
did not meet until Wednesday, owing
to the observation throughout the state
of Lincolns birthday on Tuesday.
Corporation Legislation.
Among the recent house bills intro
duced was No. ITO, by Mr.. Hendrick-
son, which is designed to prevent
frauds in the capitalization of incorpo-
rations. The bill requires statement
under oath by all the incorporators set,
ting forth the details of their connec-
ton with the incorporation and the
amount of money truly subscribed by
them. Another bill under consideration
introduced by Mr. Hendrickson pro-
vides for the annulment of all compa-
MES transacting business in restraint
of state or interstate trade and COM
merce and authorizes the attorney gen
eral to proceed in the court of chancery
against such corporations. House bill
173, another of Mr.. HendricksOn's bills,
authorizes the mayors Of cities to con-
vene the boards of tax commissioners
when in his judgment the urgency or
necessity of the public requires it. The
object Of this measure is for the pur
pose of apportioning sufficient moneys
to meet unexpected or extraordinary
conditions. The boards are by this bill
given power to appropriate temporary
loans and issue bonds. A bill by Mr..
Hendrickson applies particularly to
trusts and is to prevent their incorpo,
ration. 1t provides that such concerns
shall file with the certificate of incorpo>
ration a verified statement that such
is not the object of the corporation.
A measure by Mr.. Hahn repeats the
penalty of the bookmaking act. The
bill wipes out the $1,000 fine in the
penalty for bookmaking and pool sell
ing and leaves the punishment within
the discretion of the judge in the case.
A $1,000 fine is the minimum of the
sentence.
Not Aggressive.
The lack of aggressivness is appar-
ent about the state capitol. Both the
Republicans and the Democrats are
either affected with stage fright or
they are sparring to get line on each
other. There are great many bills
of the utmost importance on the SEN
ate and house calendars, but nobody
seems to be making the slightest move
to get them out where they will be-
come the subject of debate.
In any passive warfare the Repub-
Leans would have the advantage, as
they can fall back ON their advance
legislation of the past two or three
years. OF course the Democrats can
say this legislation was forced upon
the Republicans by the new idea"
movement
There are many bills relative to tax
alton, selection of juries, control of
corporations, Furnishing bribery, regu-
lating railroads and public utility COM
panies, but they are still in committee,
and no opportunity is therefore pre-
scented for forming any estimate Of
what is likely to be done. The Essex
and Hudson delegations, which are
Democratic, are not entirely harmo-
NOUS, and there is no strong leader
ship as yet developed in the house on
the Democratic side When the house
gets down to work, this, Of course, may
change.
The bishops law and the proposed
legislation amending the same con-
tinue to be of permanent interest, but
no one seems to be able to determine
how far the Democrats are likely to 90
in repeating or modifying the measure.
A new element has been injected in
to the situation by the demand of the
temperance people for law which
will give local option as generally I'M
derstood and not the local option that
will authorize the sale of liquor on
Sunday during certain hours. The
temperance people are flooding the
state with literature in favor of bill
permitting municipalities to vote on
the question Of license or no license.
The Senatorial Election.
In the matter of the election Of a
United States senator the expected
was what happened, although Mr..
Dryden's withdrawal came sooner than
had been expected. To the experienced
observer there never was a time after
the first days balloting when Mr. Dry
den had anything that looked like a
chance to win. And the outlook be-
came darker instead of brighter for
Mr.. Dryden with each succeeding day.
That Mr.. Dryden would eventually
witharaw rather than perpetuate a