Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-18
LAWMAKER
ALSO BORR0WS
BERGEKS BRAIN
! mre Pa1acea for Disgruntled
Taxpayers Copied from Law
yer's Old Bill.

Plagiarism of the writings of Frank
Bergen, chief counsel of the Public
Service Corporation, is said to have
invaded the sacred halls Of the State
and entered into the preparation of a
bill presented to the Assembly OF the
State of New Jersey by Mr.. Moore on
March 9, 1910. The bill in question Is
now before the ways and means conf
mittee for consideration.
Mr.. Bergen returned from Washing
ton this morning and though confident
that his works have been copiously
copied and incorporated in history. he
smiles over it; in fact, he always mas
time to smile, and blames his keen
sense of humor for the publicity which
he is getting over the charges mat
James II. Stark, OF Boston, historian,
stole fully two-thirds of his lecture on
THE Other Side of the Declaration OF
Independence and included II IN MS
latest book, the title of which smaeks
very strongly of the title of Mr.. Ber-
gems lecture being called The Loyal
lists of Boston; or the Other Side OF the
American Revolution.
The latest alleged plagiarism Is AS
sembly bill No. 401, which is entitled
IAN act TO regulate and equallze the
burdens of taxation and act as a pana-
cea for the woes of disgruntlea TAX
payers.' The original of this was writ
ter by Mr.. Bergen ten or twelve years
ago, when, as he says, the Assembly
seemed to be building JAMS, nofnes'
sanitariums, asylums and other instltu-
lions with the money of the taxpayers,
but was overlooking the taxpayer In
every detail, except that OF assessment
In its first clause the bill provides
for the appointment of a COMMISSION
Their duties are outlined as folioWs'
.,Tr,a said commissioners shall, as soon
as may be after their appointment ana
qualification, proceed to negotiate TOT
and purchase a tract OF lana NOT Elk
eeeding four hundred acres, IN a saiu-
brious locality within the state OF New
Jersey. and shall proceed to erect there-
on. by contract or otherwise, a puiio-
inc similar in design TO the reformatory
near the City of Railway, to be used,
when completed, as a or
asvlum for taxpayers sinking or
crushed under the weight of public
burdens.
ANY citizen or corporation of New
Jersey feeling aggrieved by excessive
opnressiye taxation nay apply, by PEI
tition. duly verified, to the Court of
Common Pleas of the county in which
such citizen may reside, or in which
the principal office of such corporation
" 1ax11 Cor E6iniCginn TO said
q syIu,n: said petition shall state
reasons upon which the applicant
Intends to RELY for admission to such
sanitarium or asylum; and said court
shall thereupon, in a summary man
ner. after due notice to h prosecutor
of the county, proceed to investigate
the allegations made in such petition,
and if it shall appear h a the appil-
ant is in fact oppressed or depressed,
or sinking or crushed under the ur-
dens of taxation, an order shall he
made admitting him to said sanitarium
or asylum for such period, not exceed
ing two years, as said court snal de-
termine; provided that no person who
now receives 4 pension or rebate, or
who Is entitled to and claims an eX
emption from the equal burdens of
taxation, shall be entitled to admission
to said sanitarium or asylum unless
he shall waive such right to pension,
rebate or exemption. in writing; said
writing to be filed in the office of the
clerk of the county in which said ap-
plication is made"
In connection with the alleged copying
of his handiwork in preparation of the
bill, the only action contemplated by
Mr.. Bergen is smiling, while he con-
siders the copying of his lecture by the
historian Stark also in the light of u
Joke.