Gloucester County Democrat., 1909-01-14

"
tee Of its own or BY counsel appoint
ed by itself
There is no reason why members of
the senate or house could not be ap-
pointed as counsel for their respective
bodies to conduct the examinations
and receive reasonable compensation
for such service.
Automobiles.
All vehicles upon the public highway
should be required to carry lights.
Speed regulations In the open coun-
try should be liberal. Thirty miles an
hour could be allowed there with
safety.
Arrest and trial should not be sum-
mary, but the right to stop should only
exist to inquire as to the possession by
the driver of the machine of the requi-
site authority or to obtain it's number,
If violation of law be claimed
Suit should only be instituted by di-
rection of the. department in proper
courts near the residence of the alleged
offender or at convenient points within
the state for the nonresident
Willful injury to person or property
by the driver of q car, or such injury
by an intoxicated driver, should be a
misdemeanor and punishable accord
ingly, without, of course, the loss of
right to maintain civil suit by the in
jured party or the owner of the dam
aged property. The present license
fees are not excessive.
Employers Liability Act.
The enactment of an employers LA
bility act is in line with the best opin-
ion of our time. The old common law
rule, which prevents an injured man.
although innocent of any negligence
himself, from recovery because some
of his fellow servants were negligent
is not adapted to our day.
By the decisions in our state, the
superintendent of the factory is a
fellow workman with the employee,
under many conditions, and the un-
fairness OF this rule in modern con-
ditions of work is self evident.
Another Objectionable rule has grown
up by court decision-namely, IL a
workman works at defective ma
chine or uses defective appliance,
knowing it to be defective, even
though the master also knows it and
puts him to work thereat, or there
with, and the workman is injured, he
cannot recover.
The rule as to contributory negli-
gence of the workman himself, which
results in his injury, l would not re-
lax.
An employers liability act modelled
judgment, be wise legislation; but
this is so important that it should be
drafted through commission appoint
ed for that purpose and not be under
taken in the hours of hasty legisla-
tive session.
Conservation Of the States Resources.
New Jersey has not been behind in
this matter. We have great problems
in this line That part OF cur state on
the west bank of the Hudson river,
for a radius Of twenty-five miles from
the center ct jersey City, is to become
practically a solid city within few
years. The future water supply of
such mass of people, as will here be
found, is a problem of great magni-
tude. Newark and Jersey City have
gone into the hills and impounded a
supply of pure water which will be
sufficient for their needs for a few
years; just how many depends largely
upon the rapidity of their growth.
Paterson, Passaic, Bayonne, Hobo
ken and all the towns between Jersey
City and the Passaic and others with
in the twenty-five mile radius men
toned have no water supply of their
own. They are compelled to rely upon
a private corporation.
The cost of esta ablishing great wa
ter plant for the supplying of all cities
would be very heavy. The great prob
lem is, How can it be done?
First and foremost, nothing can be
done by the state, If the state is to do
it, until all the water rights of the
East Jersey Water company and its
SuDSluldIy dEsQ oliiC0 COluPuhACo anu
the Morris canal are condemned and
taken over by the state.
The water plant of the city of New
ark, as 1t stands today, has cost about
$13,O0O,OO0 and that of Jersey City
probably $S00O,000. AS to the value
of the plant of the East Jersey Water
company and It's water rights Gnclud-
ing those of the Society For Useful
Manufacturers and of the like rights
of the Morris canal, there are no fig
ures that care to accept but $5,000,-
900 would probably more than cover
them all. That would give a present
value of $2e00O,0O0 in the plants and
water rights in the hills of northern
New Jersey at this time, without
counting franchise values.
Considering the enormous value of
these rights in that section of the