Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-01
ESTARBRIEFS


The 1910 Legislature has been in ses-
sion three weeks. It's hours of b
have not exceeded three full days. 1t
has performed no act tending to pro-
mote the public welfare. Its trend Is
toward inactivity, rather than in the
direction of a record of useful legisla-
ton. The Democratic members are
energetic, but impotent. The Republi-
cans are all-powerful, but they hesi-
tate. Naturally, one inquiries the rea-
son, and just as naturally comes the
answer, that it is because they believe
their first duty belongs to their party,
rather than to the State. For this, one
may admire their partisan allegiance,
but must deplore their neglect of the
commonwealth. If a clean record is
desired upon which to go before the
people next fall, why not adjourn now?
The party would have less to answer
for, and the people would be grateful.
When one thinks of the legislators
working day n night at Trenton, 1t
iS difficult to understand why h peo-
pie of the. State are so unappreciative.
A few months age, among the consti-
tutional amendments submitted for APP
prevail was one doubling the salaries
of the senators and assemblymen. 1t
was urged in, it's behalf that the legis-
lators were receiving shabby compen-
sation for their long and arduous
labors. But the plea failed the pro-
posed amendment being decisively re-
jected.A Were the election to be held
now the result might not be different,
but the claim could be given greater
emphasis by the example of our present
lawmakers devoting much thought and
little time to the h~erculean task of
making the people believe that a cloud
of legislative dust is the equivalent of
earnest effort in their behalf.
The reelection of Uncle Dan Voor-
hees as State treasurer was a foregone
conclusion. When Uncle Dan assumed
the office he was denounced as a politi-
cal boss in his county and therefore
entirely unfit for the responsibilities
of an important State office. Some
how, though, Uncle Dan has made good.
and to his critics surprisingly so. There
have been few State t%reasurers who
gave to the office the same close at
tention and displayed the same ad-
ministrative ability. 1t is noteworthy
also that he didn't have q single op-
ponent in the caucus. which gave him
q unanimous nomination.
AS a means of averting the results
of an adverse decision on the civil
service act the employees of the New
ark Board Of Works want to have a
bill enacted that after five years serv-
ice no employee can oe removed with
out cause. 1t is hard to see how this
bill differs in principle from the Sec
ton of the civil service act that
manacles the municipalities in the
matter of employing and lischarging
its servants. Il is also a violation of
the principle of home rule. BY the
same token the Legislature could tie
up every municipal department.
Why the affairs Of an institution like
the County Hospital for the Insane at
Overlook should be tied UP in legal
t~echnicalities perhaps only the court
can explain. To the average citizen the
proceeding is inhuman. There are more
than 1,200 unfortunate creatures in
the hospital dependent Upon public
care. The evidence shows that they
have not had the proper care. Should
not h shortest possible cut be found
to give to the hospital the kim of man
agement that it imperatively needs?
"
Probably If all the hopeful money
spending propositions that are being
incubated at Trenton We're footed up
the extraordinary estimate by the
comptroller of the size of the annual
appropriation and supplemental bills
to be submitted to this Legislature
would be trebled. There seem to be
members of the Legislature who sit up
nights devising ways and means of
getting away with the State money.