Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-03-20
FIELDER tACfS
REVENUE DEFEAT
Additional Tax on Autos and
Banks Opposed.
REPUBLICANS AGAINST BILLS
Six of the House Democrats 5olted a
Caucus That Was Designed to Lin
Up the Members of the Majority
Back of the Administration Bills.
Especial correspondence.l

Especial Correspondence
Trenton, N. j., March 1S.-Governor
Fielder faces defeat in his attempt to
bring additional revenue to the state
through taxation on automobiles and
bank stock. The Republicans of the
house have united to oppose both meas
ures and reflections are expected in
the ranks of the Democrats. Six OF
the house Democrats bolted a caucus
that was designed to line up h mem
bers of the majority back of h ad-
ministration bills. The measures con-
sidered were the automobile revenue
bills, the Inheritance tax measure, the
Pierce bank stock bill and the pro-
posed small board of freeholders legis-
lation. The meeting was first called a
conference and when an attempt was
made to resolve it into a caucus the
balk occurred. Those who left the
meeting being held with the governor
were McDermott. Brackner and Fish
of Hudson. Foley and Rowe of Essex
and Carhart of Warren.
Those who remained decided unani-
mously to stand by the automobile
bills, one of them increasing the state
license fee on automobiles and the
other abolishing the personal tax now
paid on motor vehicles to the munich
palities. These two have aroused the
strong opposition of cities. as they will
deprive them Of a large amount of
revenue. City Counsel Nugent of New
ark, the Democratic boss" is in the
field against them, and as he has an
argument that he is the representative
of Newark. aside from any animosity
he may feel towards Governor Fielder,
he is receiving more popular support.
1t is thought he will be able to line up
enough votes to defeat the auto legis-
lation.
Governor Not Worrying.
Governor Fielder has said that he
does not fear the result, as he ex-
planned the need of the money to the
legislators and anticipates that enough
Of them will stand by him. The ques-
ton of constitutionality has been rails
ed about the bank stock bills, as 1t is
designed to bring revenue to the state.
and the constitution rules that meas
ures for this purpose are to emanate
from the house. This was a senate
bill, and the middle is one that will he
hard to straighten out In the house be-
of the disagreement there. The
troubles of the governor are not con-
fined to the assembly, however. In the
senate a bill designed to take part of
the school fund, about 1912. 900 Of 1t.
and use 1t for the expense of the COM
missioner of education, the state board
Of education, school library. etc, met
with the opposition Of the Republicans.
and Senator Ackley, Democrat. also
disliked features of it 1t was then de-
cided to let the bill go over until later.
The revenue problem is the greatest of
the governors difficulties SO far.
Revolt Against Leadership.
Another exciting incident in the
house was the revolt against the lead
ership for the Republican minority by
Assemblyman Richards of Atlantic
county. Assemblyman Harry Scovel
of the Camden delegation led the at
tack by telling Mr.. Richards he was
playing pin pricking politics." The
Camden representatives, he asserted.
were above taking such a stand on the
finances of the state, and they, with
other Republicans, helped the Demo-
Gratis put through the measure of the
administration to increase the revenue
of the state by taxing inheritances.
When the bill was brought up Mr..
Richards declared that the Republic
ans were against assisting the Demo
Gratis out of the difficulty In which
they had put the state through extrav-
agance. He said they did not believe
in taxing estates going from the father
to the son or other close relatives to
pay a Democratic bill, maintaining
that the Democrats had received the
state with a balance In the treasury,
but are now facing a deficit. Mr.. SEQ
vel was oon on the floor and said that
the Camden delegation would support
anything within reason to prevent a
general state tax. He wanted it under
stood, he said, that he was not a slave
of any party and he was free from all
bosses and corporate interests. He
called Assemblyman Godfrey of Allan
tic, who has been active In introducing
partisan measures, Richards "side
partner, September morn" Assembly
man w. G. Crosby, Republican, of Es-
sex later declared that the incident
was not to be taken as an indication of
differences in the Republican party.
He regretted the clash, but asserted
that from personal interviews he was
assured that the minority would stand
back of the leadership of Mr.. Rich
ards.
Inheritance Tax.
The governor estimates that the in