Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-03-29
ECONOMY AND
EFFICIENCY BILLS
IN THE L|MEL|GH7
Date for Legislatures Sine Die
Adjournment May Be Fixed
This Week.

special 10 Ine Evening SthF.
TRENTON, March 29.-The econ
omy and efficiency bills will occupy
the centre of the stage at this weeks
session of the Legislature. Before
the weeks session is over it Is likely
date for sine die adjournment will
be fixed.
The Democrats are primed for the
fight of their lives on the economy
and efficiency bills. At conference
of the Democratic members last
week it was decided to let the bills
go to second reading without protest.
That would clear the way for the
fight this week.
The bills as they stand abolish a
number of offices and in their places
create new department heads. One
Of the bills consoiidates the present
Water Supply Commission, the Board
of Forest Park Reservation Commis-
sioners, the State Geological aSurvey,
the Washington Crossing Gmmis-
sion, the Ss.te Museum and the Fort
Nonsense Park Commission into n
department which will be known as
the Department of Conservation and
Development.
Another of the measures creates
what is to be known as the depart
ment of commerce and navigation.
1t will consolidate the present Board
of Riparian Commissioners, the de-
partment of inland waterways, in
spector of power vessels and the New
Jersey Harbor Commission. The
board, under the provisions of the
bill, will consist of eight members.
The engineering department of the
State Board of Assessors is trans
ferred to the Board of Public Utility
Commissioners under another bill.
Another of the. economy and eff
cheney acts creates department
which will be known as the Board of
Labor and Industry. In it Is vested
the powers and duties now devolved
by law upon the department of labor
and the bureau of industrial sta
tistics. This board also will consist
of eight members, three of whom
shall represent capital and three
labor. This bill conflicts with the bill
introduced by Speaker Godfrey,
which also had for its purpose the
reorganization of the Department of
labor.
Another Consolidation.
The Board of Equalization of
Taxes and the State Board of As
SCISSORS are consolidated into what
will be known as q Board of Taxes
bills. Under its provisions the
board will consist of six members,
to be appointed by the governor.
Another new department to be es-
tablished should the economy bills
be enacted into laws, is the Depart
ment of Shell Fisheries. At present
this industry Is looked after by the
State Bureau of Shell Fisheries, the
State Oyster Commission, the Oyster
Commission for the District of Ocean
County, the oyster superintendent
for the same district, a similar COM
mission and superintendent in At
lantic county, and the Oyster and
Clam Commission OF Shark River, in
Monmouth county. This board will
consist of eight members and will be
headed by a director.
The health department of the state
will also be reorganized under the
economy and efficiency plan. All the
duties now exercised by. the State
Board of Health will be vested in a
Department of Health. That will
consist of eight members, two of
whom shall be physicians. one a
veterinarian and one a sanitary en-
gineer.
Definite action is expected some time
during the present week of the legip
lature on Assemblyman Hughes's res
olution calling for an investigation
into the alleged exorbitant rates
charged by the New York Telephone
Company. When the resolution was
introduced, it was referred to a COM
mittee. That action was regarded as
the equivalent of killing 1t. Letters
of complaint concerning the alleged
determinations by the New York
Telephone Company to its subscribers
were received by the hundreds by
| assemblymen. The result was that
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