Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-07-06
Governor Issues State
ment That He Favor
ed Special Meet.
BUT DISTRUSTED THE
COURSE OF LEGISLATORS
Now Believes Investigation 81
Cost of Railway Operation
Should Precede Action. s
TFrom a star correspouosut.l

lrfom bt1n CoTTe1pondeuf-1
TRENTON, July s.-The commuterz
thanks to the Republicans who con-
troi the legislative machinery Of tbs
state Of New Jersey-have lost their
hard-fought battle against the ra.l-
roads increased rates.
Governor Forts long-promir d state
ment explaining why he do Is not L.
sue call for a special session Of the
Legislature, Is disappointing Nend not
satisfying" as the chief ez>eufivs
promised 1t would be.
The hopes of the 100000 COMMUNE
who pleaded 80 vigorously for relidlA
have been shattered but their storm of
protests will have an election day echo.
The Governor holds that there are 80
many questions involved in the rate
fixing law proposition that IL would
be well first to determine the reason
ableness or unreasonableness of the
rates involved IN the present contro-
versy.
Lacks Faith In Legislators.
Where the Governor tells Of his ef-
forts for the last three years to have
what he considers an adequate public
utilities law enacted he ADDS that he
has no assurance at this tim that the
|
fered with him have changed their
minds.
That Is a direct reply to the open
letter OF Senator Joseph s. FrelinRhuy-
sen TO the Governor, declaring that ho
was ready to vote now for 3 rate
making law after voting against such
q measure three times In succession
It does not apply to Senator Edmund
UnIr oi<1n r<uu 81
adequate public utility regulation, and
evidenkly helped to convince the Gov-
ernor while in conference with him yea-
terday that IT would be useless to call
D special session.
Aftsr strongly urging the enactment
OF utilities law such as was pledged
by the party in its platform OF 1907 ~
his inaugural address In 1908, Governor
Fort on the eve OF final Adjournment
of the Legislature that year threatened
to cell the Legislature back unless such
law was enacted.
His threat was not needed then. and
he failed to reconvene the Legislature,
knowing then. as he knows now. that
the two-to-one Republican majority In
Senate and House were too much under
corporate control to keep the party
platform pledge.
In 1903 the Republican majority in
the Assembly had increased to three to
one and the Senate remained un-
changed, so far as a substantial ma
jority was concerned Again the execu-
tive advice went unheeded.
This year. the Governor in no un-
certain language. talking to another
overwhelming Republican majority IN
Senate and Assembly. made q plea for
the redemption of the Republican
platform pledge for an adequate jubllo
utility regulation law. He appealed to
the minority as well and secured their
support, but as for the majority, 1t IL
a matter OF history where they stand
The reason for this failure of three
successive Republican Legislatures 70
enact an adequate public utility law il
summarized by Governor Fort In his
annual message for this year as fol-
| lows:
"The opposition to such legislation
emanated solely from interested
sources and corporations which control
the franchises for public utility pur-
poses II the people of the State could
fully realize the character of the In
fiuence exerted TO defeat this beneficent
legislation or could be brought to fully
appreciate the advantages which would
accrue to them under II the result
would not be doubtful
| The request for the special session
was made by the commuters, civic
bodies, municipalities and by the Demo
cratic members OF the Legislature, who
favor comforting upon the State COM
mission rate-making power.
| Governor Fort says that the increased
Communication rates are principally be-
tween New York and New Jersey points
and this. he believed. was an inter-
state question Attorney-Genera W.T.
son has appealed to the Interstate Com
merce Commission. the Governor says.
against the increased rates. Contina-
| ing, the Governor said that the State
commission is considering the question
of intra-State rates.
The question as to whether rates ara
too high, the Governor says, is one 70
be determined by an investigation Of
the cost of operation. etc. He does NOT
believe the Legislature would confer
rate-making power on the State CONF
mission. as 1t failed to do so last VIM
ter, when In session.
The Governor does not think at tho
|