Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-01-04
IN
CAUCUS SESSION
Several Important Legislative
Matters to Be Given Con-
sideration Today.

TRENTON, Jan. 1.-The Republican
senators and assemblynlen began
gathering about II O'Clock for the joint
caucus called for noon. Everyone was
reticent as to what would be done in
the caucus, except TO discuss matters
in a most general way.
Senator Edge has a bill for the or
ganization of mutual casualty COM
panies to be organized by employers TO
insure themselves for compensation
they may be required to pay under the
present employers liability law. h
bill was drawn, or at least revised, by
the banking and insurance depart
ment.
A grade crossing bill presented by
Senator Pierce provides that l2S grade
crossings be eliminated in the State,
divided among the systems as follows.
Pennsylvania. So; Central Railroad Of
New Jersey. %; Philadelphia and Read
ing. IL: Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western, u: Erie, 8; New York, Sus-
duehanna and Western, z; Lehigh, s;
unclaSslfied, il.
The bill provides for the removal of
one grade crossing for every twenty
miles of road operated in this State,
and those to be removed are to be the
most dangerous upon the lines,
The expenses of the alterations if the
petition is brought by the railroad Is
to be paid by the company. If brought
by a municipality not exceeding ne
fourth of the expense nay be ordered
paid by the municipality, unless a
street railway company uses the
crossing. in which event the board may
order not exceeding 10 per cent. to he
paid by the municipality and not ex-
ceedin2 10 per cert. by the street rail-
way company, the balance to be paid
BY tho railroad company.
senator Leavitt has a jury reform
bill which provides that sheriffs shall
draw grand iuries from lists prepared
by the county judges. The list is to be
made up of 500 names in first-class
counties, 4e0 in second-class, 300 in
third-class and 200 in fourth-class.
Senator johnson, of Bergen county,
who has been decided upon by the
Democrats as their candidate for sem
ate president. met with the Republican
senators today at their invitation and
explained his plan of having the presi-
dent of the Senate and the speaker of
AiiC p6G ~ opi'i'At q 80 - 49,
will act together ana revise the ver-
biage of bills and put them in proper
legal form.
The plan seemed to meet with APP
prevail and probably will be adopted
with some minor changes. The Re-
publicans also agreed to give the
Democrats two s-tenographers of their
own choosing. Heretofore the minority
in the Senate has been allowed only
one st~enographer.
Senators In Caucus.
The Republican senators held a CON
ference of their own before going into
the joint caucus and agreed upon a
plan of action, which was afterward
ratified by the joint caucus and em-
braced in a formal statement that was
given out by Senator Edge, as chair
mar of the two bodies.
The statement declared the purpose
OF the Republicans to be a determine
ton to carry out their platform pledges
and these were declared to be: Amend
ment of the Geran election law, jury
reform, further development of good
roads, increased revenue from automo-
bile taxes. development of inland
waterway system. a law for the for
nation by employers of mutual casual
ty companies, abolition of grade cross
ings, Improvement in tax laws, the
better guarding of machinery in fac
tories, amendments to the public util-
ity law to make it more effective. also
the revision of local charters to give a
greater measure of home rule.