The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-03-27
GOVERNOR SEEKS
BOSSES SUPPORT
OF PET MEASURES
Likelihood OF the Legisla=
ture AdiOurning Next
Week.
AND SENATE
CROWDED WITH BUSINESS
Special Session RumOrs to Act
on Reform Measures-Oust
Leader Martin Gossip.


TRENTON, March Ex-Governor
Fort, State Treasurer Voorhees, and
State Assessor David Baird are in con-
ference this afternoon at the State
House. The object of the conference Is
that Governor Fort may try to enlist
the support of Voorhees, and aid for
the passage of such favorite bills of
the Governors as primary reform, pub
lie utilities and civil service.
1t is now believed certain that there
will be no adjournment of the Leglsla-
ture next week despite all the talk
about the possibility of it. 1t is said
that much of the gossip that has filed
the papers Is the result of unnecessary
alarm ON the part of the House ma
jority leader, William p. Martin, owing
to his misrepresentation of the intention
in presenting the resolution In the
House to adjourn on April 3. 1t is
stated that April 8 was only a tentative
proposition.
Following Custom.
1t is the custom in the Legislature,
when preparing for final adjournment
TO fix a date tentatively and nave 1T
altered as conditions may require
| Thus. with April 3 fixed by the Senate,
the House, when it considered the reso-
luton, might change the date to the
tenth or the seventeenth. The Senate
could not adjourn more than three
days under the constitution until the
House agreed TO final adjournment.
pyt - 11a1ar, %, ~ tlanf fhiC wa &
the intention this year and that Mr..
Martin, through lack of experience ana
a desire to resent what he thought was
a device of 'the bosses to interfere
with the reform measures pending
made attacks on the party without
justification.
This is the explanation given by the
Regular Republicans, and while 1t is
plausible, the other elements in the
Republican majority are doubtful
about it. and say that the Regulars
really do want to get the Legislature
off their hands, and without having
any reform bills passed.
Can't Adjourn Friday.
AS a matter of fact, it would seem
as If the amount of business before
the two houses would prevent the pos
sibility of quitting next Friday, while,
with the civil service n untility com
mission bills hanging fire, there will be
additional work cut out. 1t is, there
fore, confidently stated that the adj
journment will be two weeks from to-
day, at the earliest.
A petition to call a caucus on the
subject of adjournment received thir-
teen signatures. among the House mem
bers Yesterday afternoon. The slgners,
however, did not want the caucus held
unless there We're votes enough to put
the proposition through the House. The
Senate will take care of itself, as the
majority is known to favor finishing at
once.
AS was told yesterday in THE
EVENING STAR, there is a contir-
uance of the bitterness between the
regular Republicans and the New Idea
men. as we'll as between the regulars
and Governor Fort. The executive is
between the horns of a dilemma, In
that he has declared for an early ad-
journment and yet has insisted hat all
the reforms he proposed in his inauBu-
raj address should be acted on.
Fort Calls in Leaders.
The Governor called in some of the
men who were active in urging the
caucus call. and had heart-to-heart
talks with them as well as with some
other members of the House, with the
result tina the signatures of twenty
one men, necessary in order to call a
caucus of the forty Republicans, was
not obtained.
If twenty-one in caucus should vote
for a%djourning next Friday, the entire
forty Republicans would be bound to
vote with them or bolt the caucus.
Whether the leaders on the floor could
afford to DO this is doubted.
1t was said that the Governor stated
that HI would call a special session oil
the Legislature to act on the reform
bills, unless they are either passed or
defeated at the regular session.
That preparations for an early adj
journment are being made was shown
by the adoption OF a resolution yester-
day that all bills acted on in the House
be sent at once to the Senate for action
instead of being held until there Is a
batch of them.
There was some gossip that Mr.. Mar
tin might be busted as leader if the
caucus were held, but he laughed at
w. SIylnE II WIS the result vi iio =
fbsal to attend a conference on the
subject OF adjourning.
Railroad Assessment Revision.
Il Among the bills that received second
reading was one authorizing the State
. Board of Equalization of Taxes, upon
petition, to increase or reduce tax as
sesslnents on railroad property made by
the State Board of Assessors. This is
In line with proposed reform legisla-
ton, as the State Board of Assessors
has been charged with keeping these
assessments too low.
To Study Crime Increase.
Professor Princes bill. providing for
a commission to study crime and sug-
gest corrective measures. was passed.
after the professor had stated that the
first period of criminal statutes pro
vided for vengeance for crime; the sec
ond period Zone we are TO- I'M, pro-