Morris tribune., 1909-04-17
fate of the tonnage tax bill seems now
altogether to depend.

W oORCuu.
If an agreement is reached in the
conference committee, which now has
the Thorpe bill under consideration,
a new and somewhat expensive ad-
ministrative department will be Great
ed by the present legislature. This
will be known as the department of
banking, and it will perform the du-
ties with regard to banks now assign
ed the public examiner. The officials
of this department. are superintend-
ent of banks at a salary of $1,000 a
year, deputy superintendent at a
salary of 800 year, eight examin-
ers at $1,000 year each, an office
clerk at $1,000 year, two stenog-
raphers at 5000 a year "and such other
employees as may be necessary for the
assistance of the examiners in the
proper discharge of their work. "
These clerks are to receive not more
than 81 800 year each. 1t is estimat-
ed that the expense of the depart
ment will be $61, 900 year, and that
sum is appropriated for its use. A
part of this expense is to be borne by
the banks, which will pay for the
semi i-annual examinations provided
for in the law, which varies with the
amount of the capital stock. What
the amount of these fees will be is the
question which has been submitted to
the conference committee. They may
amount to any sum between $40, 200
and $4,000 year.
If bill which has passed the house
become a law the practice of the
board of control of accepting rebates
from contractors for supplies for State
institutions will be put a stop to. This
practice was common enough several
years ago, and in one instance $10,-
900 rebate was received on coal con-
tract. 1t is believed that this method
of doing business is neither fair to
other consumers nor becoming the
dignity of officers of great State,
and its abandonment was advised in
both the majority and minority re-
ports of the committee appointed to
examine the accounts of the board of
control.
Although some eighty thousand
complimentary passes are issued an
nually by the State fair board the
house refused to sanction a law pro-
hibiting the issuing of passes even to,
the grand stand other than those
ordinarily given to the press and to
fair officers I
After extended controversy and re-
peated attempts to frame an employ
er's liability bill or workmen's COM
pensation act acceptable both to en-
ployers and employees the legislature
has been obliged to fall back upon the
plan which emanated from a joint
meeting of the representatives of cap
ital and labor. This plan involved the
of a commission to inves-
tigate the whole subject and report
by bill to the legislature in 1911.
Measures to carry out this program
have passed the house and are now
under consideration in the senate.
There probably would have been no
great objection to this plan in the
first place had the proposition not
been submitted to the legislature by
the governor in special message. !
Successive Republican legislatures
have become somewhat weary of the
claims made by the present executive
for credit for everything of value they
have accomplished. 1t was thought |
by the leaders that if they could at
this session pass a workingmen's !
oSU CddU WOuAA PloNS
acceptable to both capital and labor,
instead of deferring the reform for
two years as advised by the governor,
the glory would all be theirs and the
governor could claim no share of the
credit. So they set to work with that
end in view. The task, however, was
surrounded with too many difficulties,
and the bill involved, failing to meet
with the approval of either capital
Or labor, was rejected by the house.
It must be admitted that the bill
went but small way towards provid-
ng adequate compensation for in
uries received by workmen or max
ng the necessary risks of hazardous
occupation a charge upon their in
1ustry, which are the objects sought
20 be accomplis he'd by such law.
The legislature was, therefore, oblig-
tn fo11 haa &lo J.