The Penn's Grove record., 1909-01-22
GOVERNOR SEES
DEFICIT AHEAD.
Martin Of Essex Introduces Measure on
Which House and Senate Split Last
Year-senator Osborne Provides For
Sunday Liquor seIIing-Wants coun-
ty Tax Boards Repealed.
Especial Correspondence

Sunday Liquor SeIling-Wants Coun-
ty Tax Boards Repealed.
+. Especial Correspondence.1
Trenton, Jan. 20.-The event Of the
second week Of the current session OF
the legislature, which came to a close
yesterday at noon, was the special mes
sage of Governor Fort upon the fnan-
cial condition Of the state, which his
secretary, Leslie r. Fort, delivered to
both houses Tuesday morning. That
the lawmakers were impressed with
the seriousness of the situation the
message dealt with vas evidenced by
the manner in which they received the
document. With very few exceptions,
they closely followed in their copies the
reading of the clerk.
The gravity Of the situation was
clearly brought home to the members
by the governor plainly showing that
unless some action was taken to avert
1t there would be a deficit Of $750,000
in the state treasury on Oct. 81 next.
The apprehension which this tended to
create was dispelled by the governor
pointing out that the state was not
on the verge Of bankruptcy, but, on
the contrary, no state in the Union was
more sound financially or more pros
porous. Nevertheless the governor de-
clared the parting Of the ways had
come and the situation must be faced.
There were only two ways, he pointed
put, to meet this condition:
Frst.-Repeal or modify the law of
1906, Ex-Governor Stokes measure,
which limits the amount Of taxes for
state purposes to. One-holf of l per
cent of the taxes derived from the
assessment of the tangible personal
property and franchises of railroad
companies, distributing the balance
among the counties for the support of
the free public schools.
Second.-Repeal all the present rail-
way tax laws and throw the railroad
property into the general property of
the state for taxation locally and here
after have a direct state tax for the
support of the state.
It is probable that a bill to meet
the situation will be presented next
week.
First Bill of the Session.
The first bill of the session passed
the house Tuesday morning under a
suspension Of the rules. 1t provides
that cities may appropriate money. for
the Lincoln celebration-in first class
cities not to exceed $1,000, in all other
cities not to exceed $1,000 and munich
palities other than cities $500. Before
the clerk could get the bill over to the
senate that body had adjourned, and
90 the measure could not be made a
law until next week.
Another feature of Monday nights
session was a further attempt by Mr..
Martin to have business expedited by
preventing committees from smother
ing bills referred to them.
On Monday afternoon the governor
had a talk with the state board Of ed
ucation in regard to the amount of the
railroad taxes which should go to the
maintenance of the public schools.
He insisted that in order to meet the
expenses Of the state in the future the
proportion of the railroad tax moneys
reserved by the state be increased
from onezhalf Of 1 per cent to three
fourths of 1 per cent. Some members
of the board evinced a disposition to
take issue with the chief executive
upon the proposition, but after some
forcible remarks and astute reason
ing IN the governors part the board
finally adopted resolutions indorsing
his views upon the subject. The az
pearanee of the resolution took Leader
Lewis by surprise; but, quickly recov-
ering himself, he moved that it be re-
ferred to the committee on rules, of
which he is chairman. Mr.. Martin,
however, saved it from that death by
securing the adoption of a motion that
the resolution be laid over for a week
In order that it might be printed.
End of Petty Graft.
Senator Leavitt of Mercer put an
end to a system Of petty graft which
has long been a sort Of scandal. For
years it has been the custom at the
opening of each session to give the
members pocketknives, fountain pens,
pocketbooks and other stationery sun
dries. Two years ago the Hahn in
vestigating committee delved into the
matter and unearthed some petty graft
which would have been comical had it
not been so shameful. Senator Leayitt
secured the Introduction of a resolu-
ton a%bolishing in the senate this dis
tribution of graft. The house, how
ever, up to this time has taken no &C.
ton in the matter.
As usual, the first Monday night of
the session was devoted almost exclu-
sively to the introduction of bills. For.
ty-six bills, n joint resolution and
three concurrent resolutions made their
appearance in the house, and thirty
four bills and three concurrent resolu-
lions made up the senate's compile
ment. The honor of introducing the
Arst bills, whatever 1t may amount to,
went to Senator Alderman Of Union
and Assemblyman Nichols of Cumber-
land. Senator Ackerman's measure
was an employers liability act that
nxss the liability for injury or death
on account Of defective machinery or
tools in the absence of negligence on
the part of the employees, while Mr..
Nichols measure repeats the act Gre
ating the county boards Of taxation. 1t
is known that the governor favors the
adjustment Of these boards, but pow
erful interests are known to be heartily
in favor Of retaining them.
Assemblyman William P. Martin, the
leader Of last years house and n of
the survivors of the disaster which be-
fell the new idea'' movement in Essex
county last fall, early opened the fight
for a public utilities law. 1t is almost
a duplicate Of the Hughes bill Of New
York and 10 the ouo moo orrrn which