Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-06-18
COMMUTERS FIND
IT HARD TO BUDGE
c. D. P. LEADERS
Republicans Show Little Inclina-
ton to Afford Relief in
Railroad Fight.
GOVERNOR STILL SILENT
ON SPECIAL SESSION
Demand for Rate-making Law
Continues TO Gr0w-Pr0gres-
sives Lash Regulars.


A legislative retrospect gives the
commuters an idea of what they are
, UP against in their fight to prevent the
railroad rate increases.
/. Governor John Franklin Fort fully
realizes how the legislators stand on
the question of giving the Public Utili-
ties Commission rate-making power.
and is for that reason deferring the
issuance of q call for special ses-
sion.
The Governor, in the meantime, Is
urging the commuters to continue with
their protests, and 1t is not unlikely
that he will reconvene the lawmakers
next week, if for no other reason than
to see history repeat itself.
The demand for rate-making law
was cheered last night at the banquet
of the Upper Montclair Republican
q Club.
William F. Martin, the Progressives'
candidate for Governor, attacked the
legislative records of Senators Freling-
huysen and Wakelee specifically, and
the records of other Republicans gem
orally because they had defeated legis-
lation that would have made the rate
increases impossible.
+ President of the Senate Frelinghuy-
zen and other members of the Senate
have had from three to ten years 10
put rate-making law upon the stat
IA - DD6
to do SO by the EVENING STARS
telephone exposures that the Republi-
can majority even permitted the enact
ment of public utilities law.
LeeIsIators' Records.
The absolute refusal of the majority
members of the House or Senate to
write into that law any provision that
would give to the proposed commission
the power to regulate rates was In
keeping with their attitude for several
years previous, when legislators who
were earnestly representing the voters
and not the corporations tried to put
through genuine measures.
The Senate Journal shows that on
Wednesday, March 16, 1919, the public
utilities law was taken up on second
reading by that august body 1t had
been introduced the same day, fresh
from a pen that is of uncertain owner
ship. Senator Silzer did the business
like thing and asked that the attorney
generals opinion as to the law be OBJ
tained before 1t should be considered
further. He was beaten. Every other
proposition offered that would change
a line, dot an a. cross a IT." or other
wise affect the original form was voted
down. the vote being almost uniformly
as follows:
For amendments to strengthen the
law:
Fielder, Gebhardt, Osborne. Price,
Silzer, all Democrats
Senator Cornish, Democrat, voted
uniformly with the machine majority,
the lineup against practically all
amendments to strengthen the law be-
ing:
Alderman, Union; Cornish, Warren;
Brown. Monmouth; Frelinghuysen,
Somerset: Gaunt, Gloucester; Hand,
Cane May; Leavitt, Mercer; Lewis
Burlington: Mathis, Ocean; Mills, Nor
ris: Minch. Cumberland; Plummer,
salem. Prince, Passaic; Wakelee Ber-
gen. and Wilson, of Atlantic County
New-Inw weakness.
One of the inherent, almost fatai
weaknesses of the new law Is that II
ludicrously gives no power to make
orders as to rates or other things vital
TO regulation. Senator Osborne, of Es-
sex. offered a specific amendment to
correct that weakness. 1t provided
that the Public Utilities Commission
should be empowered by a suit In
eouity to compel the specific perform
ance of order or orders made or OF
duties imposed by law page 4S4. Sen
ate Journal, 19l0)
For this amendment voted:
FIELDER. Gebhardt. Osborne. Price and
Silzer.
Against:
Ackerman. Brown, Cornish, Freling-
buvsen. Gaunt, Hand, Lewis. Mathis.
Mills, Minch, Plummer. Prince. Wake
lee, Wilson.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen says the Legisla-
ture was not dominated by corporations
and that he is ready to vote for d
etrong measure. What was the matter
on wednesday March 16?
senator Fielder, of Hudson, minority
leader. able, conservative lawyer, Of
fered an amendment which reads with
peculiar interest in the light OF the re-
cent announcement of the railroads
tbat rates are to be Jumped arbitra-
r;lv and that the public can be all that
(sotnmodore Vanderbilt suggested years
ago when he charged rs cents trip Tor
Continued ON Fourth PaEe0
Ice Tools aud Scales.