Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-10-29
M|NARO ATTEMPTS
TO EXPLAIN HIS
VOTES IN HOUSE
Continuous Replies to Continual
Criticism Keep Him a Very
Busy Man.

Trying to defend himself, Duane E.
Minard, Republican Assembly candi-
date for reelection. is perhaps the bus
lest of all the Essex county candi-
dates. Scarcely a night passes but
what Mr.. Minard bobs up and tries
to explain why this speaker lambasted
him or that newspaper heaped criticism
upon him. The critics do not regard
Mr.. Minard as more important than
the other candidates for Assembly on
the Republican ticket in Essex, but
the Public Service Corporation lawyer,
who was the leader of the Essex dele
cation in the last Legislature, gives
them better opportunity because he
talks more. Mr.. Minard minimizes his
chances for election every time he
speaks at gatherings like he did before
the Eighth Ward Republican Club last
night.
Frank Boettner, Democratic Assem-
bly, candidate, had the previous night
criticized Mr.. Minard for introducing
an amendment to the district court
act. Mr.. Minard quoted Mr.. Boettner
as saying that the amendment was
solely in the interest of the Public
Service, providing that a defendant in
q suit for damages has the right to
file a list of questions on the plaintiff.
II the latter failed to answer the ques-
lions he can be held in contempt of
court and ~non-suited." Mr.. Minard re-
piled that the law vas impartial be-
cause either party may PROFOUND
questions. He said 1t conferred upon
the district court the same powers as
had obtained in the other courts for
thirty years.
Busy Making Explanations.
Again Mr.. Minard tried to reply to
the STAR criticisms. He declared that
he had voted for railroad r~evaluation.
The legislative records show that he
voted against the continuance of the
railroad revaluation commission and in
favor of the law placing the subject in
the hands of the railroad commission,
and gave that commission an appro-
priation of $780, 900 to complete the
work.
Regarding his vote on the public util-
tiles question Mr.. Minard declared that
his Judgment as to the proper bill diff
fered from that advocated by the
STAR. Had the STARS bill become a
law the Pennsylvania railroad could
not now. charge fifty cents for an ex-
cursion tube trip to New York. Practi-
cally confessing hat he voted for the
wrong bill, MI. Minard declared last
night that he was prepared to support
a rate-making bill.
Contributions from OmcehoIders.
IL ao.5 AAok ho o1,IA .o& ~ $1,000
of voting against a bill levying politi-
cal contributions on of1ceholders be-
cause no such bill had beer introduced;
that he favored the repeal of the Hill
cry maximum tax law, but could not
set 1t out Of committees; that he voted
for every primary Improvement bill ex-
cept the Edge bill, which took away
the right to register on primary day.
He didn't recall any bill to remove
'.jolers' from the bill providing for an
expression Of preference for United
States Senators, "but If 1t did appear
I certainly did not vote against it."
He said hat he violated no pledge
for home rule. voted against 10 equal
taxation bill. He did vote for the
Military Park railroad terminal bill,
but SO did every Democrat in the
House. He had no apologies to make
for his vote on the Lee bill, and had
been recorded in fayos of no proposal
to change the law regarding street
railway franchises unless his attitude
on the Lee bill could be construed as
such. He said hat in voting for the
public utilities bill he supported a
proposition to stop stock watering and
one that would prevent political con-
tributions from corporations. as the
law compelled the publication of the
entire accounts of public service cor
porations.
Concluding, he said that he had no
regrets for his stand in my instance,
He wished he could do more work OF
the kind he did last winter.
Assemblyman Wohlfarth at the same
meeting said that at least n move
by the Legislature deserved credit
| giving the Passaic Valley Sewerage
| Commission power to compel munich
palities to cease the pollution of the
Passaic River.
There were meetings also last night
in the Sixteenth, Seventh and Fiji
teenth wards, and in West Orange. The
| Essex candidates and former Congress
man ]. Adam Bede. OF Minnesota, were
the speakers.