Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-28
COUNSEL NUGENT
ANSWERS FIELDER
Reply to AiIef ations of Bad
Faith Attributed to the
States Executive.

In a public statement issued today
City Counsel James r. Nugent re-
plies to allegations attributed to Gov.
ernor Fielder that he. Mr. Nugent
had shown bad faith in connection
with the bank tax bill proceedings
The governor Is quoted as sayine
that Mr.. Nugent was not "on the
level and that, through a represent
ative, he had arranged with the Re
publican assemblymen to have action
on the bank tax measure deferred
until Monday night.
The governor is further quoted az
saying that all agreements and un-
derstandlng between himself and the
Essex assemblymen "were off, and
that the Essex men could act and
vote as they pleased.
In his statement the city counsel
says:
Governor Fielder's statement yes
terday is but continuation of abuse
directed at me to conceal his own
double-dealing. His trick of introduce
ing revenue producing bills into the
Senate is not o new one. 1t was tried
once before in railroad taxation mat.
ters by an eminent Republican poll
tieian of Passaic county, who is still
a we'll known corporation lawyer He
introduced the railroad taxation bills
in the Senate, but his game was
blocked by an equally eminent Demo-
cratic politician of Hudson county,
who Is now deceased, but whose son
is with me in this bank taxation tight.
II have learned TO watch proposed
legislation fathered by Mr. Fielder
AS a member of the Senate he gave
Newark some uneasy hours when he
introduced the bill drawn by the Lee
high Valley Railway to abandon the
Morris Canal. which bill would have
robbed Newark OF it's rights. And
what about the Governors vote on
the question of bank stock taxation
when he was a member of the New
Jersey Senate? He had then, | am
credltably informed, one of the Jersey
City banks as a client. | really don't
know whether the Governor Is any
more sincere in the bank stock prop
osition than he is ON the efficiency,
etc, measures which he advocates
publicly but which he does not want
to see go through the Legislatures
"As the accredited representative Of
the city of Newark, it was my duty
to call attention to the fact that this
bill was introduced into the wrong
house; that 1t was illegally drawn
that there was no limitation placed
upon the expenditure of the money
by the Board of Freeholders; that
the definition of true value ought TO
be changed (Which was subsequently
done by Senator Pierce); that when
the Assembly substitute was intro-
duced, section z was duplicated and
section IL did not express sense; in
fact. that the whole matter was in a
hodge podge condition, and had the
ernor Fielder it would have only
meant its being set aside by the
courts and the taxpayers of the city
of Newark would have the additional
burden of refunded assessments.
The Governor also states that all
understandings between the Essex
Assemblymen and himself We're to be
considered off.
'I think that the Justification for
considering them off is with the Essex
Assemblymen, because at the very
time that he was consulting with AS
semblyman Quigley his representative
on the floor of the House was moving
the amendments in the absence of AS
semblyman Quigley This shows bad
faith.
'rhe agreement with the Governor
was made ON Wednesday, and the
| Assemblymen did not arrive In New
ark until late that evening, and we
could not prepare amendments in the
proper manner in tifnc for the early
session o., Thursday morning.