The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-02-06
REPUBLICANS FACING
LARGE STATE DEFICIT
Find Work Cut Out for Them to
Again Free State From Debt.
Suffrage Passes House.

lSIdLurt. QueSIlOnS OF VlLal import
ance were scheduled for both House
and Senate beginning with the public
hearing Monday morning on the eight
Economy and Efficiency bills. Fol
lowing this lhearing came the passage
of the Woman's Suffrage amendment
in the House Monday night and the
hearing of the Local Option Bill Tues
day morning. But greater than any
concern as to the financial condition
of the treasury.
1t has been stated on good authority
that the Senate investigating commit
tee, appointed January 18th to deter
mine the condition of the treasury
the date that marked the beginning
of the administration of the Republi-
can m~ajority-has found that there
was a deficit of $4,000, 900. State
Comptroller Edwards admits there
was a deficit at the end of the last
fiscal year, October 81, of at least
$150,000 and it will be remembered
that the Democratic administration
made a contrary statement just be-
fore election.
When the money due the State for
corporation taxes this week is paid in
the deficit that existed last week will
be greatly reduced but even this will
not alter the serious nature of the f.
nancial problem to be solved by the
Republican majority.
Last fall Republican campaign or
ators told the people of New Jersey
that the State Treasury had been de-
pleted by Democratic misrule. Then
it was regarded as political "hot air."
Now, everything that was said during
the election contest as to State fnan-
ces, and far more stands out as hard,
cold and unpleasant fact. In 1910,
when the Republican Party turned the
State over to the victorious Democrats
under the leadership of Woodrow Will
son, there was a free balance in the
treasury of $1,000, 900. That has
been wiped out-swept away-by the
grossest extravagances the State has
ever known combined with incompe-
tency almost unbelievable.
The Republican Party has once
more been called upon to play the
part of Moses and lead the people of
New Jersey from the wilderness of
debt into which they have been drag
ged by the lever failing Democratic
mismanagement.
AS was to be expected, the Suffrage
amendment passed the House almost
without opposition. There were So
votes in it's favor. There can be no
doubt but that it will pass the Senate
also. in view of the fact that the plat
forms of both parties are pledged to
secure the amendment. The final
passage of the bill will mean a spe-
cial election next September at
which the voters will say whether or
not the women of New Jersey are to
have the right of the ballot.
The hearing on the Economy and
Efficiency bills Monday morning de-
veloped into a praise offering meeting
with Col. Lewis T. Bryant, Commits
sioner of Labor, as the recipient.
The only d%iscordant note was struck
by former Assemblyman McDermott,
of Hudson County, who lodged a bitter
attack on Col. Bryant, which, how
ever, caused no more commotion than
would come from the tossing of a peb-
BILE into the wide expanse of the ocean.
Mr.. McDermott was first to speak
and after him came the small army of
those bearing warm tributes of COM
mendation.
The opposition to the economy and
ChhOlSliNy OlI1 Ind COlIoOllQdISS IllG iUu-
reau of labor and the bureau of labor
statistics seems to centre on the fear
that Col. Bryant will not be retained.
Those who spoke at the hearing this
week made the work of the Commits
soner their single theme and there APP
peared to be a state wide demand that
so far as Col. Bryant is concerned,
at any rate, there should be no
change in the conducting of the af-
fairs of labor by the State.
Richard c. Jenkinson, of Newark,
for the manufacturers, uroed that the
Labor Department be left out of the
proposed consultations. "Colonel
Bryant is the best mar in the country
for head of the department because
he has satisfied the laboring people
and satisfies the manufacturers"
The next speaker was Edison Lott, of
the CASUALLY Company, and he was
followed by Charles Gillon, of the
Newark Board of Trade. Assembly
man Frank A. La Pointe, of Hudson,
representing the National Associa-
ton of Stationary Engineers and the
Electrical Contractors Association,
said he spoke for $500 employ
es when he urged the retention of
Commissioner Bryant. Another man
ufacturer, w. l.. Saunders, of Phillips
burg, said Colonel Bryant is satisfy
ing all. "When someone is handling
the interests of capital and labor well
we had better let the head of the de-
partment alone"
Mrs. George w. v. Cushin, of Or
ange, of the Consumers League of
New Jersey, also spoke of the work
of Colonel Bryant favorably.
Mrs. E. F. Feickert, president of
the New Jersey Suffrage Association,
said she represented $4,000 working
women over sixteen years of age and
supported the other speakers in COM
mending Colonel Bryant. Mrs. Or
vile D. Oliphant, of Trenton, General
secretary of the New Jersey Associa-
ton Opposed to Woman Suffrage,
likewise added her praise to the eff
cheney of Colonel Bryant.
Other public hearings on the econ
omy and efficiency bills are scheduled