Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1910-03-15


by every Republican in the Senate
who permits the judiciary COMMITTEES
to ignore the telephone probe and who
goes on record tonight as favoring the
Wakelee public utilities bill, which is
noshing more than a weak apology for
side-tracking the telephone invesriga-
ton
The wakelee bill, fathered as it Ii
by Senator Edmund w. Wakelee. the
self-admitted champion OF the teIe-s
phone trust. is a poor excuse for regu-
latlng anything, and none of its pro-
visions in any way remedies the tele-
Lhone evils which the people of the
whole State have fought SO hard to
nave corrected. The fact that Wake
lee himself is the sponsor for the
measure is enough to convince knowing
ones that the corporate experts have
examined it and stamped it as harm
less TO their interests.
The Senators, in caucus last night,
discussed the bill. and they have prac-
tically agreed to pass it There is
likely to be an outburst of Indignation
when the Wakelee bill gets squarely
upon the carpet. And that may be
tonight
majority Senators were in conference,
with Assemblymen Pierce of Union:
Smalley of Somerset; Scharff of Ber-
gen; Speaker Ward and House Major
ity Leader Edge discussing the details
of the proposed public utilities legisia-
ton.
Mr.. Edge and Senator Wakelee han
a talk during the afternoon on the
same topic out of these conferences
grew the decision that some public
utilities legislation should be at
tempted.
The present plan is to report public
utilities bill in the House and Senate
today as a committee substitute for
the several bills that have been intro
duced since the beginning Of the ses-
sion.
Mr.. Pierce. OF Union, who introduced
a public utilities bill in the House last
year and another this session, Is very
desirous of being the sponsor for any
legislation that may be enacted
AS a matter of fact the Senators last
night felt that If law is TO be passed
it should, In general, conform to the
provision OF the Pierce bill that is now
in the House committee on municipal
corporations.
| The proposition in effect is to change
/ the name of the railroad commission,
reenact the law which provides for that
| body and extend their authority to al
public utilities, telephone, telegraph.
street car, electric light, gas and sim
| liar companies.
/ The present commissioners would be
continued in office That is all con-
tempted in the Pierce bill. House 1os.
No Rate Regulation.
! The Republican leaders in the stats
| are against a bill that viii contain q
! provision for rate regulation. They do
not want any legislation that win be In
! the least drastic.
The stand Of a majority OF the Re-
publican Senators IS just what u was IL
| 1905 when the Robbins bin, an ail-rate
regulation, was favored as a CONF
promise. That is the measure which OF
all the bills, aiming at public utilities
control. was favored by the Public
| Service Corporations president, Thomas
| n. McCarter.
| 1t was very late when the Senators
went into conference, and II was near
! ing | q. m. when Speaker Ward, HOUSE
Majority Leader Edge ana the Messrs-
Pierce Smalley and Scharff, who had
been waiting In the Senate chamber.
sent word to President Frelingnuysen's
room that they would like to know
what the plans of the directors OF legte-
lation in the upper branch might be.
The majority Senators thereupon ad-
! journed their caucus and Joined the
Assembly1nen mentioned. The whole
party then went to what is called the
House of Lords" near Cadwaladef
| Park, in Trenton. where supper was
served and the discussion continued
with the members OF both Legislative
branches participating.
The details for carrying out the gen
tsral plan will be finally settled at .
| conference Of the leaders today. X n
possible that Mr.. Pierce VIII be atItNo4