New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-16
FIELDER'S POLICY
SPLITS REPUBLICANS
Party Must Decide at Con-
ference Whether to
Stand by Governor.
MAY FORCE HIM TO
DIRECT TAX ISSUE
Nugent Democrats Refuse to Sup.
port "Chloroform Bills"
That Hit Cities.

! From stan Correspondent OF The rrlbune.l
Trenton, y. j.. March 15.-With Governor
| Fielder on the one hand pleading with
the Republican legislators to help pass
| his revenue raising measures and also do
, ing his level best 10 break up the Repub-
/ lican party. a situation has been created
here that is almost without precedent.
Although the Democrats have a clean
majority in the Assembly, Governor Field
er has found that enough OF them have
/ Topped away from his leadership 10 make
| impossible the passage OF any bill he advo-
Gates without the help Of the Republl-
cans. The Governor appealed TO Assem-
/ blyman Harry Scovel and a number OF
other Republican Assemblymen last week
for help in passing his inheritance tax
measure, and they gave it TO him un-
Grudsingly but there is some doubt as TO
whether Mr.. Fielder will find these Re
publicans lined up with him when his
other revenue measures come up.
The sole purpose Of these bills is TO help
the Governor dodge a direct state tax
TO make up deficit in the treasury, and
among those who ought TO know II is said
that the full responsibility will be left with
the Democrats, where ii belongs.
Helps Split Republicans.
As to the way Governor Fielder recip-
rocates the support given 10 him by the
Republicans the appointment Of James G.
! Blauvelt as a Passac Sewerage Commits
sioner is perhaps the most conspicuous
example. Mr.. Blauvelt has been a Pro-
gressive agitator for a long time. and was
the only one OF the Record Osborne
/ Blauvelt trio who hadn't got a job. Mr..
/ Fielder was credited with playing clever
politics In appointing him, despite the
protests OF Everett Colby. the real leader
OF the Progressiyes I'm New Jersey. And
/ the reason for Blauvelts appointment as
stated by the Governor, was 70 help Sena-
tor McGnnis. in Passaic County, 20 elect
J Democrat as BAT Bremner's successor
| In Congress. SO that is the situation.
| on the one hand, Governor Fielder asks
for Republican help on his revenue rails
I ing measures to keep him from the igno-
miny of having 10 impose direct state
tax; on the other, appointing an agitator
to office With the understanding that it
will keep the Republican party split up
]
| tive to Congress.
TIE Republican Assemblymen will have
conference tomorrow, and 1t is prob
able that definite plan Of action will be
mapped out No one here questions the
! propriety OF Assemblyman Scovel In SUD
| porting the Inheritance tax bill, because
essentially It was a measure that did not
| in any way interfere with municipal reve-
nues. OF course, it was "A hard slap at
Assemblyman Emerson Richards, tho
minority leader, but It wasn't unexpected,
! because Mr.. Richards. however well
meaning, has proved that he should
never have been chosen 10 lead the Re
publicans This little family scrap among
the Republicans will, it is expected b,
smoothed out at to-morrow's conference.
II is not probable that the Republicans
will be found supporting the Governors
automobile bill. for IL is simply a case OF
chloroforming the taxpayers of the cities
and taking $4,000 when they are asleep
What this measure does is TO exempt au-
tomobiles from local taxation and in
crease the amount now paid for license
fees In other words, the cities would
lDSe lub INONtJ tuty ilDN it'tlFt III hNtv-
mobile taxes and the state Will gain It.
If there were any sound principle OF
taxation involved there might be soma
excuse, but the bill Is simply makeshift
Raids School Funds.
The same is true OF the Hennessy bill.
which raids the school funds to the ex-
tent OF about $4,000. This is another case
OF chloroforming tho local taxpayer and
taking the money out OF his pocket IN
what is supposed to he a painless way.
Thus it is that If Governor Fielder can
get tho inheritance tax, the automobile
and the school fund bills through he will
have increased the state revenues be
tween $4,000 and 10000. and the
necessity Of direct state tax Will b.
averted.
lie cannot get the two last named bills
through without the help OF the ReDub-
loans, for Jim" Nugent controls nine
Democratic Assemblymen who will never
vote for them, and Nugent isn't speaking
as boss but as the City Counsel OF
Newark protecting the revenues OF that
city
The conference Of the Republican As
semolymen, therefore, Will have 4 most
important bearing on the finances OF the
state. IL the Republicans get together
and refuse to support the makeshift rev
enue-raising measures Of Governor Field
er il will mean that the latter has got 10
face the issue squarely and agree to a
direct state tax 70 take care Of the deficit.
II, on the other hand, they agree to sup
port the Governors measures-as some o.
them want tot will mean that they are
perfectly willing that the Republican
party shall be kept split up, instead OF
being harmonized, as the general tend
ency seems 70 be.
The coming week promises TO be an
exciting one in the legislative halls. With
the lawmakers in session for more than
eight weeks, not a single important
measure has got 10 the Governor. A lot
of them will come up this week, however,
and the people Of New Jersey will then
find out whether Dir. Fielder is the Dem
ocratlc leader in name only or the real
one.
There will be hearing tomorrow az
ternoon at . o'clock before the Governor
on the Ocean Grove Borough bill. At
o'clock the local optonists will be heard.
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