The Penn's Grove record., 1915-04-16
FIELDER vEroEs LABOR BILL.
Objects to Some Features Embodied
In Measure,

Objects to Some Features Embodied
In Measure.
Governor Fielder sent in a veto of
the Economy and Efficiency bill
affecting the Labor Department,
and, incidentally, made known to a
delegation that he would also veto
Seaker Godfrsy's bill providing a re-
organization of the department and ex-
tending the term OF office Of Commits
sioner Bryant. In his veto message
the Governor says:
THE Economy and Efficiency Com
mission, after two a of investiga-
ton, recommended the consolidation
of the Department of Labor and the
Bureau of Industrial Statistics under
the management of a Commission,
with a director or Commissioner of
Labor as executive officer. This iden-
tical plan, also recommended in the
consolidation of other departments,
has been approved and accepted by
the Legislature. but, in this single in
stance, o prefer to reject it. / have
doubts as to the propriety Of wiping
out the Bureau of Industrial Stats
tics, which, since its organization, 81
years ago, has performed efficient
work, by combining it with another
department whose functions are radi-
cally different in character. The De-
partment of Labor is, clothed with the
police duty of enforcing laws for the
protection of a certain class of our
people, namely, the employees and OPP
e~ratives in factories, workshops and
similar places. while the Bureau of In
dustrial Statistics is constituted to fos-
ter and encourage the industrial and
economic interests of the whole State
and of all classes of it's people by gath
ering, collating and disseminating in
formation concerning the State, re-
puiring a thorough knowledge of sta
tistical science, economics and various
phases of industrial interests. But,
Notwithstanding my doubts. ! would be
willing to accept the recommendation
Of the Economy and Efficiency Com
mission in this regard as / have &C
cepted its other recommendations, by
signing the bills based thereon. l feel
sure that if the plan devised for the
Department of Conservation and De
velopment, for the Department of
Commerce and Navigation and for the
State Board of Health will work salts
factorily it will work equally as well
with the two departments proposed
to be consolidated by this bill.
1.-THE charge is freely made that the
sole reason for ~deviating from that
plan in this case is political, namely,
to save the Commissioner of Labor
the position he now holds. Under
the plan / mention, all other Commits
sioners and heads of departments. up
wards of 20 in number, are legislated
out of office, among them many excel
lent officials, no tender consideration
being shown them as this bill proposes
for the Commissioner of Labor. In
the reorganization of the departments,
economy and efficiency were the
watchwords, and for them | am not
willing to be a party to the substitu-
ton of the word 'spoils.'
'It was the honest intention of the
Economy and Efficiency Commission
to save money for the State, and poll
tics played no part in their work.
prefer to take my stand with the com
pletion of their work, and therefore
disapprove this bill"
A short time before the Governor
sent in the labor bill veto he was
waited upon by a delegation of promi-
nent business men, headed by Richard
G. Jenkinson, of Newark, who desired
to urge him to approve the measure.
The Governor said the call was use
less, as he had determined to veto
the bill. They then asked if they
could be heard upon the companion
bill, the Godfrey bill, and he told them
he would veto that also. Some time
later, a delegation representing the
labor organizations called upon the
Governor with the same object in
view, but he gave them the same line
of information.
The Governor also vetoed Senator
Whites bill affecting the firemen's
relief associations.
One of the forerunners Of the final
getaway of the Legislature was the
introduction, by Chairman Stevens, of
the incidental bill providing for pay
ment of the incidental expenses of
the session. The total. is $9,417. con-
siderably under that of last ear.
The House passed Assemblyman
Weart's bill giving to the township af-
fected 20 per cent. of the money now
paid by the State to the counties for
road improvement.
The Senate passed Senator Aliens
bill to permit children between 10 and
IA years of age to have a gunner's
license. The child, however, must Sc
cure the permission of the Fish and
Game Commission and be accompan-
led by a parent or guardian while gun
ming.
One of the peculiar measures passed
was fathered by Assemblyman Crosby,
of Essex, providing that the salaries OF
officers and employees of Boards OF
Education shall be paid semi-monthly
as State and other county officials are
now paid. The singular feature Of this
bill was that it was presented in the
form of a committee substitute for a
bill originally introduced by Nh. Pier
son, of Union. The original bill pro.
vided that high school girls should be
given a course in nursing as part OF
the curriculum. Some criticism was
aroused over the peculiar substitution