The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-04-05
FINANCES WILL
KEEP LEGISLATURE
BUSY THIS WEEK
Leavitt's Administration Bill
Will Be the Centre of Tren-
ton Battle.
MEASURE DESIGNED
AS A COMPROMISE
Governor Fort in East Orange
Defends Projected
Tax Plan.
[From a Staff correspondsnt.l


TRENTON, April 5-Having spent
twelve weeks dilly-dal1ying when they
have not been deliberately evading the
pressing problems of statecraft, the
members of the Legislature will now
get down to business and in the last
two weeks of the one hundred and
thirty-third session try to enact con-
structive and remedial legislation of
far-reaching effect. AS matters are
shaping up it will be continuous fight
Tor the next ten days as to what will
happen to the school moneys. Senator
Leavitt's bill authorizing the distribu-
tlon of the 1907 main stem taxes will be
the centre of the controversy.
The administration bill offered by
Mr.. Leavitt is planned as a virtual
substitute for all the other bills intro
duced to cover the method of carrying
down to the municipalities the $780,
000, approximately, that is now in the
hands of the State treasurer under the
assessment levied in 1907 and collected
from the railroads in 1908.
Parenthetically, it may be explained
that this enabling act for the distribu-
ton OF these funds is necessary for the
reason that the Perkins act passed In
1908, provided that the money accruing
from the operation of the measure
should be paid to the municipalities
when 1t "alP' had been collected.
AS 1t happens, small proportion of
the taxes due under the Perkins law
mas been held up each year because of
the inability or refusal of one or two
small railroad corporations to meet the
ophgations when due. Under this cir
cumstance, the money has not "all"
been in hand at the proper time, and
Following the strict letter of the statute
no part of 1t could be distributed ex-
cept by an enabling act.
Designed ms Compromise.
The administration" bill Is designed
as compromise. Its first provision
authorizes that so per cent. of the main
stem taxes on hand be distributed
April 10, which is a concession to those
VINO favor the Radcliffe bill, already
passed by the House, but now buried
IN the Senate beyond reasonable recall,
Which would distribute immediately
every penny of the money now on
hand. The latest Leavitt bill provides
1or the distribution of the balance on
hand June Is.
Prohibftory Features.
: A very important clause of the "ad-
mlnlstrat1on" bill is that 1t prohibits
the use of any of the money distributed
this year by its authority for the liuui
dation of any public school debts here
tofore Incurred. Under this clause.
those municipalities, and there are a
large number of them in the State
that have obligated themselves for
school expenses, in anticipation of re-
ce1ving the 1907 taxes to be expended
without reservation, except as provided
Tor in the Perkins act, will be left
up tree" In such circumstances the
only recourse for the municipalities
will be to collect by local taxation the
money necessary to pay the bills in
question.
The administration" bill was pre-
sented following a conference Thursday
between Governor Fort and several Re-
publican Senators. During the confer
ence Governor Fort agreed that he
would not attempt to secure a repea.
of the 1906 act, as 1t applied to school
moneys. The Governors personal
views still remain to the effect that
the 1905 act ought to be repealed, and
the Legislature then be permitted to
annually appropriate to the schools
whatever Of the main-stem taxes the
State itself does not require.
Public Sentiment.
However, he has at last realized the
force Of public sentiment, and he ad-
mitted to the Senators that it seemed
expedient not to make any further at
tempt to disturb the 1906 act. The
Senators left the Governor with the
understanding that the latter was to
draw a. bill, or have 1t drawn, by the
Attorney Generals Department, under
his personal direction, which would
embody a scheme for distributing the
1907 taxes without impairing in any
way the right of the schools to all of
the main-stem taxes in excess of one
half of 1 per cent, as provided for in
the 1906 act.
Forts Views.
Speaking of the criticisms launched
at the Leavitt bill. Governor Fort de-
clared that the amendment would be
effective only in that regard, and the
that has gone abroad that
the bill is to seriously affect the pres
ent provisions is entirely erroneous and
The suggestion that the repeating clause
n section 5 Of the pending bill may modify |
the act of 1906 other than as TO dates Of |
payments is unfounded,'' declared the Gov
ernor. Last year. by chapter 267, of the |
avs OF 1908, an act was passed to distribute |
the moneys from the taxes Of 1906 on May |
|, 1903. and the fifth section of the bill now
pending Is In the exact language of the re- |
pealing section in the act of 1908, under |
which the taxes of 1905 were sent to the |
counties last year.
''If. therefore, section of the pending |
pill could repeal the act of 1906, il is al |
Continued on Second Page.)