Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-17

q
this legislation has been considered.
surely, since 1907, or longer. Hearings
of hours in length have beer given year
after year, and there is net a member
of the House who isn't able to vote
intelligently."
Colonel Edge insisted that the bill is
concrete and business-like. He con
fessed that he thought it quite prob
able that it would be ten years before
the full meaning of it and the extent
of the powers are understood.
'"This bill provides" the majority
leader continued, that the commission
shall have power to require safe and
adequate service. If we are going to
tell the commissioners, in the bill, ex-
actly how, and why, when and where
in minute detail. we are going to ham
per them at the Inauguration of this
new work"
Following Mr.. Edge, Mr.. Kenny de-
nounced the Pierce bill. He said it
should be subdued and termed it a bill
for the relief n assistance of the
Public Service Corporation. Mr.. Moore
spoke next for the Pierce bill, and then
Mr.. Tumulty made a magnificent
speech for the Sullivan substitute. He
quoted from speeches by Mr.. Pierce in
which he had insisted that ate regula-
ton is necessary.
But he has changed his mind" said
Mr.. Tumulty, the gentleman from
Bergen has whispered some words in
his ear. He la been able in the cold
gray dawn of the morning after to see
that the bill should be passed without
rate-making power in New Jersey"
Details of senate Fight.
Twenty-one amendments to the public
utilities bill were offered by minority
members when that measure came up
on second reading in the Senate. Not
one of them was adopted. Then. to top
it all off, Mr.. Silzer moved for the sub
stitution OF the Wakelee bill for the
Pierce measure, and when hat failed
he made a motion TO replace it by the
Sullivan-Martin bill. This, of course,
also failed of approval.
Mr.. Silzer started the fireworks. He
took the position that the Wakelee bill
contained no provision empowering the
proposed utilities commission to en-
force any of the DEGREES or orders it
makes, and moved that further con-
sideration of the bill be deferred until
the attorney-generaPs opinion had
been consulted upon the alleged de-
fectiveness of the measure.
The motion was beaten by a vote of
IS to 5. 1t was observed at this early
stage of the fight that Mr.. Cornish re-
fused to vote with his fellow Demo-
Gratis. In fact, he didn't vote either one
way or the other till the presentation
of amendments had been about half fir
ished. Then he consistently voted
against amendments offered by his mi
nority associates. Mr.. Price also failed
to stand with the other Democrats, and
both he and Mr.. Cornish supported the
bill when it came up later in the fna
passage.
Mr.. Osborne offered six amendment:
to the bill. Two of them were respon
sible for the most animated discussion
of the day. They were aimed at sec
tons S and 8.
The eloquent Democratic quartet tool
) the position that such a clause robbed
a municipality of the right to make
it's own arrangement with utility com
panies. All of the Osborne amend
ments were beaten, and only once die
a Republican speak in favor of any o
them. This was when section 5 wal
explained, after which Mr.. Hand ex
pressed his determination to supper
the amendment. He did.
Mr.. Silzer also failed to get through
an amendment, and then Mr.. Fielde.
presented four in rapid succession
They all met a similar fate. Only on
of them occasioned comment. 1t pro
vided for the abolition of the presen
: State Railroad Commission on July
next, and its substitution by three com
missioners appointed by the Governo
to serve for one, two and three years,
Then came Mr.. Gebhardt. For full,
an hour he occupied the attention of tn
Senate with the presentation OF amend
ments, the first of which applied to rat
making. The latter aroused the repos
of the point of argument. The Hunter
, don Senator referred several times t
!, the fact that Governor Fort has pub
: licly expressed his desire to have rat
: making covered by the public utilize
bill. His insistence on this point 1inall
+, evoked the expression from Messrf
r Wakelee and Frelinghuysen that the
, felt it was their duty to exercise thei
) W opinion in the matter and not b
guided solely by what the Governo
+ might think of the matter.
q This statement brought from MI
, Gebhardt this declaration;
4 IT don't propose to follow the Gov
\ ernor when | think he is wrong. BIT
the Governor is a good deal neare
e right than the majority in this bod,
We have never a a Chief Executiv
i, in my recollection who has recommend
ed more legislation in the interest {
! the people han Governor Fort. An
1 never in my recollection have the ms
jority in this body paid less attentio
? to a Governors suggestions"
Messrs. Cornish and Price supporte
: the bill along with the fourteen RI
publican members present. Mr.. Bra6