The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-07
COLBY'S- STAND
SENATOR'S VIEWS ON RE-
FORM BILLS.
Criticises Utilities Measure Passed by
Senate at Hollywood Club
Meeting for Fort.

The Hollywood Republican Club, of East
| Orange, gave john Franklin Fort, Repub-
lican candidate for Governor, a reception
Saturday night that was largely attended.
| Mr.. Fort was driven from Jersey City to
the reception in the automobile of Council
man JOSEPH NJ. Brown, of East Orange.
Mr.. Fort delivered a short address, and
talks were given by Sheriff Sommer, Will
lam P. Martin, Austen Colgate and John
Clark, of Nutley.
Senator Colby delivered a long address,
and he defned his position in the campaign
and particularly on the present action Of
the Senate on the public utilities bill.
IT want to say a word about the att;-
tude of the Republican Senate towayd the
platform that has been adopted by the Re
publican party" declared Mr.. Colby. at
seems to me important in view of the
charges that have been made rejecting
upon the sincerity of the party, to have
1t clearly understood just what is expected
by the people and what has been tenta-
lively offered by the Senate.
"Of course, the best evidence we can
have of good faith will be the satisfactory
disposition of some important measures the
people demand and the party has promised
in its platform. Experience has taught us
that a statute may be so worded that its
very intent and purpose is defeated, while
at the time would seem to cover all that
was requisite to satisfy the party pledge.
As this is often the danger I wish to call
attention to the prospective Legislation at
Trenton affecting four Of the pledges the
party made in the State convention.
First as to the party pledge promising
the enactment of a Law creating a public
Utilities commission that will have annie
jurisdiction and powers to enable IT IN
regulate such corporations effectively and
authoritatively.' The bill that passed the
Senate was In general a good one. and will
do much to relieve the abuses that now
exist, but in my opinion it has been drawn
SO that the commission can never be ag-
gressiye and the burden of enforcing the
law is driven back again upon the people.
In the first place, the operation of the
commission is completely tied up with tho
political machinery of the party in mower
In that the Attorney General, who is an
pointed by the Governor, is made the
counsel of the commission to prosecute
the corporations that disobey an order Of
the commission.
If the commission goes to work as the
New York commission has under tho
Hughes law, there will be work enough
for counsel appointed by the commission
to look after the interests of the public
without Involving the office of the Ar
torney-General, who will have no time to
make tre exhaustive and scientific study
of the problems which their importan ce
deserves.
Then, too. l believe the railroad cor.
mission and the public utilities Commission
should be consolidated. The functions oe
the two boards are practically the same
and will become more and more so as t,me
] goes on. To ave two boards thus re7,,-
lating practically the same service with
different rules, different procedure and
adopting different policies, would lead To
endless confusion and prevent a sober
, CONSISTENT ana enective solution of the
a varied problems the whole Question IN
wolves. "
Again, the bill that passes tho ssn,to
avoids with scrupulous care Tho 49,
regulating power. This, of course ;s tho
vital point and tho heart of the hin ora
1t was to secur the Commission eh,a
power that Governor Hughes made HE
fight, toured the State, received the united
: support OF the people, and won out. and
: lily so, because the whole uronos;tion
is sound. Things in New Jersey seem
radical that in other States are looked
upon rs conservative.
'They tell me that the bill is a rood
one and a step in the right direction;
/ hat we must go slow, and if it is found
: that the commission, undSr the bill has
: not sufficient power, why. then ne~t
year or the yenr after we will grant
them more power. Now, I am Willing to
70 Glow; believe in that principle, Int 7 7
see no reason why New Jersey should
/. always be trailing behind other States
equally conservative. ~
"A word about the direct primary nil,
This. I believe, will be passed next Fr,dgn,,
All candidates will be nominated bv dSraSt
vote except candidates for Governor and
Congressman. If the principle is sourd
: when applied to one office. ii is soma tnr
: all, but IT is hard for those who live in the
q southern part Of the State to grasn Az
idea that 1t viii not always insure ! csn9
h section" FP1'u
Continuing. the Senator took IN Tho o,,,,,
service bill. He declared that the sugges.
dunn was absurd. because 1t defeated itssif
He said to make II effective under tbors
4 conditions a certain number Of the lepel
= voters Of a county or municipality couI1
file a petition calling for such a referendum
! nd thereupon the authorities would nuf Il
to a vote at the next election. "