The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-01-11
LEGISLATURE 10
MEET TOMORROW;
WILL OBEY FORT
Republican Majority to Work in
Conformity With States
Executive.
PUBLIC UTILITIES AND
FINANCES MAIN ISSUES
Executives Message of 10000
Words to Contain Many
Recommendations.

witt, the overwhelming Rerybltcsr
majority in both houses In better nc
cord than ~ has been before since Gov
ernor Forts election the 1884 LerIs,s-
fure will convene at Trenton Mt noon
| tomorrow with every prospect of trnps-
acting it's business in n smooth. .steam-
roller" fashion in close conformity will,
the views Of the chief executive.
The states made weeks ago will be
carried out. The discord between the
Regular and New Idea factions will be
at it's lowest ebb, as there are but five
followers of Everett Colby in the pres
ent Legislature, not enough even to
command the attention of the Regular
majority. The president of the Senate
and the speaker of the House are both
! warm friends of the Governor, and.
there is admittedly less friction between
the latter and the half dozen real lead
ers of his party than there has been
! for months.
Those who recall the comment and
squabbles which the Governors in
augural message created a year ago de-
clare that the present amicabie ar
rangement could easily be upset by n
similar message this year. AS most of
the Governors recommendations failed
of enactment into law, this is not ex-
pected The Governor himself has an
nounced that his message will be
business one without recommendation
1 or partisan nature.
The document contains approximately
10000 words. The Governor comedies
! that the lawmakers will be neither en-
thusiastic nor unanimous in enacting
some of his recommendations into law
I Among those coming under this head is
! said to be the long bill drafted by the
majority of the State Excise Comrnis-
! sion, as the leaders of the Legislature
/ have given the Governor to understand
+ that there will be no tinkering with the
excise law this term, it is said.
Public Utility Bills.
| At least two public utility measures
| will be presented at the very beginning
of the session. One has been drawn by
Assemblyman Martin, of Essex. He has
announced his determination of devot-
| ing himself almost exclusively to the
! work of forcing favorable consideration
| for the bill, which will seek to place
/ all public utilities-railroads trolley,
/ telephone, gas and electric companies
under the supervision of the State, with
| rate-making features Another bill of
this sort will be introduced at once on
behalf of the Democratic minority by
! Senator Gebhardt, author of a similar
measure last year.
The Democrats will also centre their
/ 1t e.. Il
providing equal taxation on the basis of
assessing second-class railroad prop
/ erty, on the same as local properties
are valued and taxed, and doing away
with the State Board of Assessors.
In the line of constructive work the
Democrats plan to direct their efforts
largely to public utility and equal taxa
tion legislation, and in addition to that
they have definitely determined to fight
! any attempt to repeal or modify the
provisions of the direct primary law.
I Senator Samuel X Robbins, of Bur-
lington, will be chosen president of the
Senate, with Senator Joseph S. FIRE.
! linghuysen, of Somerset, as majority
! leader. Howard Tyler, of Cumberland,
I will be reelected secretary of the Sen
! ate. Senator Silzer, of Middlesex, will
/
officer, while Senator Hinchliffe of
Passaic, will be accorded the honor of
! acting as temporary president of the
effected. Senator Gebhardt, of Hunter
don, will serve as minority leader.
i In the Assembly, Professor John D.
/ Prince, of Passaic, who was, bowled out
of the speakership in an unexpected
will hax on
bition satisfied tomorrow, and will re-
ceived the forty-five Republican votes
for presiding officer. Assemblyman
Griffith w. Lewis. of Burlington, win
be majority leader of the House James
Parker of Passaic, will be reelected
for the twelfth time as clerk of the
House. Assemblyman Mark Sullivan
of Hudson will again serve as minor
ity leader, and Assemblyman Edward
Kenny, also of Hudson, will be the
minority choice for speaker.
Forts Hand in Committees.
Interest centres in the appointment
of committees. 1t is generally be-
lieved that the chairmen of commit
tees will be acceptable to Governor
Fort Incidentally it is pointed out
that President Robbins of the Senate
is slated for appointment at the end
of his term, this year, to succeed
David @. Watkins, of Woodbury., as
State commissioner of banking and in
surance at salary of $6,000-unless
there is break between himself and
the appointing power
Speaker Prince of the House is not
sacrificing any of his popularity with
the administration. in view of his APP