New-York tribune., 1908-01-22
"E0RT ON NEK JERSEY"

Naming it after the fashion Of the law treat
ises with which he has long been familiar, yes
terday's utterance Of the new Governor at Iren-
ton might we'll be called Fort On New Jer-
sew" 1t was more than q conventional in
augural address," 1t was more than a message
to the Legislature and people of the state. 1t
was a succinct but comprehensive examination
Of the conditions and needs Of government in
New Jersey by a man who for many years has
made those conditions and needs the subject OF
intelligent and earnest study, and who brought
to the task clear, logical and judicial mind
and high integrity and courage There was not
word of mere rhetoric in it, nor word which
did not Enthusiastically mean business" If
there were those among his hearers who were
curious to see how his official declarations would
square with his professions and promises they
must have been abundantly satisfied. There
was left not a shadow of doubt that the Gov
ernor was committed in the strongest manner
to fuifilment of the candidates pledges.
Three topics have for some time stood in the
foremost rank of interest In New Jersey-to
wit corporations, taxes and excise. With them
all Mr. Fort as candidate dealt plainly. To
them he Yesterday devoted his chief attention
Concerning the first he advocated the creation
of a genuine public utilities commission, and
also a commissioner of corporations, for the
supervision and control Of corporate activities
with q view not to the injury Of the corpora
tions but TO the proper protection OF the cap
itaI legitimately invested in them and the safe
guarding of the rights Of the people. Governor
Forts logic is substantially this, that as the
state grants all charters and corporate powers
IL has the right and authority to supervise
them and Is charged with the duty and re-
sponsibility OF making sure that every cor
poration is honestly organized, so that over
ssaa will ha anti fa6
'pIe may know when they buy a share OF stock
"or bond of the issue of New Jersey cor
"poration that the name Of the state upon it
stands as q guarantee that there is value be-
hind it and reasonable safety in its purchase"
Governor Forts views on taxation were pretty
fully set forth a few months ago in an elab-
crate decision made by him as justice OF the
Supreme Court in Of the great railroad tax
alton suits He is, Of course, committed to the
general principle of uniformity of taxation, but
be also holds that railroad property and other
public utilities which are quasi public in char
acter and revenue earning, and upon which the
public, in passenger and freight charges or
otherwise, indirectly pays the taxes, may justly
be segregated as class for taxation and that
il would be a desirable and not an impossible
result to secure sufficient revenue from such
sources TO relieve private citizens from tax
alton. Already indeed, taxation of individual
citizens for state purposes has been eliminated,
and the Governor appears to regard it as possi-
bic that even taxation for local purposes may
be similarly obviated. Upon tn excise ques-
ton. which so many insisted was the paramount
issue in the late campaign and which Mr..
Forts rival persistently lodged, the Governor
spoke Yesterday with the unequivocaI direct
ness which marked his ante-election utterances.
He stands inexorably for the enforcement Of
the existing law uniformly in ali parts of the
state. and he purposes TO exert all the author
ty and power of his Office to that end He
would veto any repeal or modification of that
law and he would have the Legislature enact
further measures for the strengthening of that
law and for increasing the penalties for viola