New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-16
Senate to Make New Effort
at Strengthening Out
Serious Situation.
JUSTICE HAMPERED
BY NEW LEGISLATION
Nugent Forces viii Block Plan
to Divert All Automobile
Fees to State.

From a stan Correspondent OF The rriouns.I
Trenton. Feb. B-One more attempt WI
be made by the Democrats IN tho Leg
islature tomorrow night 70 clear the Jury
muddle caused by the UNFOLDING or the
Chancellor Sheriff Jury bill, and II THIS
attempt is not successful there is no tell
ing what will happen.
As things stand many lawyers have
refused TO try their cases before tur1es az
now composed. for the reason that they
believe such juries are illegal. Otnef'
have demanded that opposing counsel
make an agreement before the presiding
tudc. TO abide by the verdict. so tina,
their clients may be properly protector
In a number OF counties. like HUDSON
for instance. the prosecutor has an
nounced that he will bring no important
cases before the grand jury
II would not he going TOO far TO say
that a condition bordering on chaos IN the
administration of justice exists In Ne"
Jersey. and unless the efforts OF the Dem
ocratic leaders tomorrow night arc more
successful than they have been this con
dition will continue for another six weeks
at least. or until the juries selected under
the Chancellor Sheriff law are drawn.
Were II not for the seriousness Of tho
situation the efforts Of the Democratic
leaders to give the people OF New JerseF
Jury reform would be hailed as huge
Joke because the combined efforts Of the
! Governor. the Attorney General and the
party leaders OF the Legislature have not
resulted in the preparation OF bill that
! carried out the purposes desired.
! First it was discovered that r wrong
date had been inserted in the corrective
measure. After this had been fixed up ~
was found that it amended an act and
supplement to an act al the same time
Whether any other defects have been
found will develop tomorrow night, when
the bill comes up in the Senate
/ In addition 10 meddling with the jury
bill, il is expected that there Will he some
action by the Legislature this week on
the preferential primary ballot bill ana
measures affecting taxation. Jim MI
gent is holly opposed 10 most OF the lat
| ter measures and his opposition. which -
a potent one so far as the House ia con-
cerned, will also mean the defeat OF the
administration automobile license bill, the
object OF which is 70 put $4,000 add
tional into the State Treasury each year
This bill increases the license fee now
| paid by motorists 70 the state. COM
panion bill exempting the automobiles
| from local taxation. Nugent II Opposed
! TO this proposed legislation as city Coun-
sci of Newark because he believes II
simply means that a large sum OF money
will be taken out OF NeNark's treasury
each year and handed over 10 the state.
This, he says, he will not stand for.
This, in effect, is what the bills do. A
the license fees under the pending meas
ure are increased approximately an
amount that equals what would be saved
Il the local tax was done away with.
The bills OF the Efficiency and Economy
Commission will go In this week. Gov
ernor Fielder has had the report before
him for several days. and he will hold
conference with tho heads OF the depart
ments affected during the week. with
view 10 obtaining their cooperation in
reducing the expenses OF the state, at the
same time putting the service on more
efficient basis.