Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-04-10

49, AAfAt ~ SCI tAC 0Ih-
ate to pass his bill. which would have
required the utility corporations OF the
state to make a detailed report of all
their property to the state board of as
SCISSORS for the purposes of taxation.
He maintained that the local assessors
did not have a sufficient knowledge Of
such utilities to estimate them at their
true value. and he would have placed
the responsibility on the corporations
themselves. He expressed the opinion
privately that powerful influences had
thwarted his attempt by seeing the
senator's"
Coal Committee Reports.
Eleven big railroad companies con
troll 81 per cent of the total anthracite
Goa mined, according to the report of
the assembly coal investigating com
mittee. which has been presented to
the legislature. The committee main
tains that there is a general combina-
ton between all these companies to fix
the price of coal and that coal sales
companies are owned and controlled
~ LAN AOAiAOadc anu dlt uCtiStu w
the railroad companies for the purpose
of technically avoiding the commodity
laws of the United States. The sew
eral railroad companies, which 1t is
shown, control the bulk of the coal
business are the Philadelphia and
Reading, which holds control over SO
per cent of the unmined coal; the Le-
high Valley. the New Jersey Central.
the Pennsylvania Railroad company.
the Delaware. Lackawanna and West
ern, the Delaware and Hudson Canal
company and the Erie Railroad COM
pany. Great discrimination in rates is
pointed out.
The bill by Assemblyman Rowe de-
signed to exempt from taxation the
Newark cathedral during the course of
its erection occasioned a clash in the
senate. 1t was defeated by a vote of
5 to 8. Senator Colgate spoke for the
measure, but Senator Rathbun was
most ardent in his arguments against
the plan. He thought it a bad princi-
pie to establish and declared himself
in favor of taxing every church. He
asserted that the assessment is uiti-
mately paid by the members anyhow
and should be done directly. Senator
Ackley asserted that he contributes to
several denominations. but is in favor
of having all Of them taxed.
Defeat Sex Measure.
Although Senator McGinnis advocat
ed favorable consideration for Assem-
blyman Fishers bill to prohibit the
teaching of sex hygiene in the schools
and the distribution of pamphlets on
the subject. the measure was defeated.
The Fassaic senator maintained that
the sex topic would not be taken in a
serious light when so impaired and
thought it should moi be touched upon
under such circumstances. Most of the
other senators believed the subject ap-
propriate for the classroom and voted
against placing the ban on it. The pub.
lie utility commission is to be permit
ted To require TIE connection of contin-
uous telegraph or telephone lines of
different companies under a bill by Mr..
McGinnis. Approval has also been Civ
en- to the house concurrent resolution
requesting the New Jersey representa-
tives in congress- to seek cooperation
with the New York delegates to have
the government investigate the prob
lem of constructing a bridge across the
Hudson river between New York and
New Jersey at national expense. AS
semblyman Branegan's measure to al
low the appointment of women to a
city police folee was passed. Senator
Munson voted against it, as he said he
did not want to be arrested by any wo
man. Safeguards will have to be given
men employed in compressed air com
partments in tunnels and at other work
under the bill of Mr.. Quinn which the
senate has passed.
Pass Assembly Bill.
After recoasidering a former vote by
which it was defeated, the house again
took up Senator Hem assy's resolution
providing for the election of assembly
men by districts ana passed 1t. The
constitution will have to be amended
before the district plan will be effective.
That part Of the Geran law requiring
personal registration in townships of
less than 5000 inhabitants has been re-
pealed by a vote Of the house, which
has also passed Senator Hennessy's
bill for a state harbor commission and
that Of Senator Wheaton to authorize
the completion OF the inland waterway
from Cape May to Bay Head.
900