Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-12-27
MAYORSPLAN
LEGISLATION
Executives Of Leading Cities
of State in Session.


Newark, Dec. 27:-A program IN
volving fundamental legislative
changes, and, to a great extent, iden-
teal with Home Rule, was mapped
out at a meeting of the executive
committee of the Mayors Association
of the State of New Jersey, held yes
terday afternoon In the Board Of
Trade rooms. Among the topics of
this program which the committee
decided to bring before the members
OF the annual meeting are such mat
ters as the elimination of grade
crossings, the prevention of manda-
tory legislation concerning munich
palities without regard to their finan-
cial resources, a thorough revision of
the tax system, and also an agitation
for an increase of salaries received
by the mayors.
The meeting was presided over by
Mayor Frederick w. Donnelly, of
Trenton. The other members pres
ent were: Mayor Jacob Haussling, of
this city; Mayor Alfred A. Stein, of
Elizabeth; Mayor George w. Downs,
of Madison; Mayor Julian A. Greg
DRY, of East Orange; Mayor F. l..
Kelley, of Chatham, and Mayor
Charles Lyman Denison, of Belleville.
In the absence of Mayor Pierson, of
MorFistown, Secretary James H.
Reilly, of the Board Of Tarde, acted
as secretary.
Mayor Donnelly, reviewing last
years unsuccessful fight for the
elimination of grade crossings, stated
hat there was no cause for COM
plant so far as the Pennsylvania
railroad was concerned, but that
most Of the other roads remained
very hostile toward improvements Of
any kind along their roads through
the State. while spending a great
deal of money on the terminals.
Franchise Not Offset.
"They enjoy franchises that are
not Offset by the tax returns" Mr..
Donnelly said. II am emphatically
against aiding the companies fnan-
cially in the abolition of the grade
crossings, and they ought to be penal
lied II they do not abolish them"
He then stated that last years bill
had been too drastic and that per-
haps provision as to time limit and
place for the abolishing of death
traps should be made. He expressed
confidence that with the present vol
ume of Information the matter could
be handled successfully, but that a
bill should first be submitted to the
governor as a matter Of courtesy
and then introduced to the legisla-
ture.
Mayor Gregory likewise expressed
confidence, basing 1t on a speech by
Governor Wilson, made In Elizabeth
during the last campaign, in which
he gave a precise Interpretation to
the respective plank in the Demo-
cratic platform. He differed, how
ever, with Mr.. Donnelly as to the
means Of accomplishing the desired
ends In hat he thought the 1903
railroad act was adequate, but that
tbs power of the Public Utilities
Commission should be extended, en-
them to enforce action on the
part of the railroads. But by no
means, he said, should the commits
sion have power regarding the ap-
portionment of expense. as they have
shown prejudice in the past. Upon
motion it was decided to have a new
bill drafted to be presented at the
annual meeting and the chair ap-
pOIllSu NlCool D. clClh anu 1lC6Oly
as a special committee for this pur-
pose.
The necessity of home rule to it's
fullest extent was voiced by Mayor
Gregory, and supported by Mayor
Haussling as we'll as the other mem
bers Of the committee. 1t was the
consensus of opinion that while the
legislators undoubtedly meant well it
was impossible for them to know the
immediate needs of the municipali-
ties. "Any Mayor thirty days in Of
f1ce," Mr.. Gregory said, twill see how
much he is handicapped by legisla-
ton"
The discussion of home rule
brought up the topic of mandatory
legislation, which, Mayor Donnelly
stated, should be prohibited unless
it was followed by provisions for
ways and means in order to prevent
the necessity for raising the tax rate
in case a municipality should be fln-
ancially unable to fulfill such man
datorv laws carrying with them high
penalties.
While the members gave credit to
the good faith of the average tax
assessors 1t was their opinion that
the whole taxation system was anti
quated and unscientifc and should
be brought to g higher standard elm
mating crude methods and supplant-
ing them with such In keeping with
the completely OF modern property
interests.
1t was also the sentiment OF those
present that the Office OF Mayor is
generally underpaid and 1t raj de-
cided to be active in lettering their
own condition in this regard.
The annual meeting Of the asso-