Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-21
P. s. c. FIGHT ON
HOME RULE BILL
DELAYS PASSAGE
Measure at First Given Smooth
Sailing Strikes Rocks Placed
byLObbyists.
LEGISLATION HINTS AT
PROJECT FOR CHEAP GAS
Old Battle in Passaic Said to Be
One of Hidden Issues
in Struggle.
[From a STAFF correspondent.l


most innocent-looking bills of the pres
ent legislative session is being vigorous
ly opposed by a great corporation, part
of one of the most powerful financial
groups in the country. The corporation
is fighting with all it's strength to have
the bill killed in committee, and men
of big influence who are In another
business alignment are anxious to see
1t passed.
The bill is the ~sorcalled "home rule
measure listed as Assembly No. 155, in
reduced February 1 by Edward T,
Moore, of Passaic county, and now be-
fore the House committee on miscel-
laneous business, of which Monroe v.
Poole, of Monmouth county, lis chair
man.
The first interest manifested in the
bill was when ~fifty-seven mayors OF
New Jersey municipalities at Governor
Forts invitation, n headed by Gen.
: sral Bird w. Spencer, millionaire
mayor of Passaic city, met to confer on
the subject. General Spencer commit
ted the conference. to home rule and
then appeared before the committee on
miscellaneous business, accompanied by
q strong lawyer bodyguard, which
echoed his approval of the bill and
urged that it be favorably reported.
When Mayor Charles J. Fisk, OF
Plainfield, a New York financier, point
ed out defects in the two sections re-
garding debt limit and bond issues,
they were hastily stricken out by the
= introducer n General Spencer. That
left the bill consisting of one single
section, which, sin addition" to the
WI ger powers of municipalities, con
1erred very broad authority to conduct
internal affairs, an excellent definition
of real local self-government or home
rule.
Mr.. Moore soon had the committee
on miscellaneous business lined up In
favor of reporting his bill. At first 1t
was said that the measure would be
unanimously reported. Then the vote
was said to be 4 to / in favor of re-
porting it. Later it appeared that
the me..eure was destined to stay in
committee. Mr. Moore bestirred him
self. Seven times he has appeared be-
fore the members of the committee at
public hearings and private sessions.
Last week the way was clear for a
favorable report with a single member
opposed.
On the day that Mr.. Moore looked
for the report a change took place in
the committee. Lobbyists for the Pub
lie Service Corporation, including AS
isemblyman Duane E.. Minard, of Essex,
saw the members of h committee and
after q long talk with Chairman Poole,
they succeeded in having it held up.
AS MIR. Minard, combining the duties
= No. 1--:.IatA. anI Dth1fn CnrUind
lobbyist: put it, the bill is "a nasty slap
at Public Service" Here is the story:
In the first place General Spencer
was formerly at the head of the real
estate department of the Public Service
Corporation and is now listed by the
lobby of tbas corporation as an OPP
ponent of ITS interests.
Years ago, Passaic city was selected
asa site for a new gas holder to supply
that territory. The Public Service Cor
poration owned property on Main ave-
nue. near the old car barns and planned
to build the big drum there. The
foundation masonry was finally COM
pleted at a cost of several thousand
dollars before a protest from residents
Of the city against having the insight
~ holder on the city's principal thor
oughfare reached proportions h a
brought it to the attention of President
Thomas N, McCarter, of P. S. c.
Mr.. McCarter listened to the objec-
tors and when Mayor Low, who was at
that time the executive of Passaic, sug-
gested that there might. be a happy
way out of the controversy, he went
to the city and looked yer other sites,
finally agreed not to build the holder
on Main avende n the foundation
work was abandoned. The holde went
on a side street, but not on a site h a
had been selected for it by some citi
zens OF Passaic.
Some of those behind the home rule
bill were lined UP against Public Serv-
ice IN that tangle and the lobbyists for
that corporation are very positively as
serting-on the q~uiet-that the Moore
bill is aimed to give Mayor Spencer and
others control over local affairs so that
shey may embarrass the Public Service
and possibly force the remoya of the
gas holder. 1t is suggested that there
may be a plan to arrange to compete
with Public Service or to force down
gas rates.
"a mar has a right to change his
mind" said Mr.. Poole when a Public
Service agent asked that the Moore bill
be smothered in committee. Thu mem
bers of the committee on miscellaneous
business are Poole, of Monmouth;
Goldingay, of Essex; Pikaart, of Pas
sale: Hand, of Cape May. and Auf der
Heide, of Hudson.
The bill as it now stands follows:
BE 1t enacted by the Senate and
General Assembly of the State of New
Jersey:
'In addition to the powers granted to
the municipalities of this State by their
respective charters and by the general
laws of this state relating to munich
~palities, the municipalities shall have
the mower and authority, and are here
nv invested with the general powers
and authority to enact all ordinances
necessary for the protecticn OF lie,
health and property. to declare ana
nrevent and summarily to abate nuts
ances. to preserve and enforce GOOD
government, general welfare n order
and security of such municipalities, ana
the inhabitants thereof; n every
municipality shall have all powers OF
municipal government not PROMPTED
by the laws of this State or the pro
,,;sions of the Constitution, and snail
bave power, through legal tribunais
now existing or that may hereafter De
araated 10 enforce any and all ordi-
nances In carrying out the purposes
az this act by the imposition OF reason