The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-01-11
New Departments.

New Departments.
In my inaugural and my first mes
sage the creation of three new de-
partments was recommended-name
A department of corporations, a de-
partment of collateral inheritance
taxes
l still adhere to the view that the
interests of the state, greater efficien-
cy and larger revenue would result
from such action.
The revenue from motor vehicles
last year was $245, 1865. The ex-
penses of the management in the of
fee of the secretary of state were
$40, 5000. Greater and closer super
vision should If possible exist over
motor vehicle operation than at pres
ent. There is no proper supervision of
agencies. Their financial methods are
not carefully guarded, nor are they
in any way examined or audited.
commissioner, with reasonable force
of assistants, should be created and
the agencies inspected and all matters
of license kept under careful surveil-
lance.
The collateral Inheritance tax law,
passed at the last session, is tech
meal act and requires skill and con-
slant attention to details to secure the
full benefit to the state which should
be derived from it, The total revenue
from this source the last fiscal year
exceeded $569OO0, which was an in
crease of over $322,0O0 over the pre-
vious year. The revenue of this de
partment could be largely increased
If proper vigilance were observed
Public Utilities Commission.
At the present time there is abso-
lutely no control in any authoritative
way over the public serving corpora
ktions of this state. If they give good
service, well; if poor, the people are
without remedy If they charge for
gas or electric light or for telephone
or express matter excessively there Is
no place to which appeal for relief
may be made.
There is statute which prevents
/ the sale of bonds at less price than
! so per cent of their par, but it in no
way prevents the capitalization of flu
lures or of combinations in the same
line of business. The law should be
/ clear and stringent against any at
tempt at the merger of public utility
companies or the issuance of bonds or
stock by such companies except upon
the approval of some state board.
The burdens which the people of the
state now bear are the outcome of
consultations and mergers which
have frightfully overcapitalized these
public utility enterprises.
If the public serving corporations of
the counties of Essex, Hudson and
Passaic and other parts of the state
had not been overcapitalized in excess
of any reasonable theory of the outlay
necessary to construct them it would
have been possible, even allowing for
a large profit to the stockholders, TO
have long ago had eighty cent gas and
a great reduction in the cost of cleo
tricity. The consumer has no place to
go for relief against any exactions,
inequalities or neglect, and a long suf-
fering public must submit and allow
all this to continue unless commits
sion with ample power TO protect ana
relieve the people is created.
The Republican party in the state
platform on which the present govern
or was elected declared, I'VE pledge
ourselves to enact a law providing for
a commission with ample jurisdiction
and powers to enable it to regulate
public utility corporations effectively
and authoritatively." There is no am
biguity in this language The platform
of the Democratic party was equally
clear.
There is absolutely no excuse for
not keeping this pledge, except that
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