Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1916-01-11
GOVERNOR WANTS
UTILITY BOARD To
HAVE MORE POWER
In Annual Message to LegisIa-
ture He Recommends Letting
1t Set All Rates.
WANTS A TAX LEVIED FOR
MUCH ROAD CONSTRUCTION
Would Raise $15,ooo,ooo in
Fifteen Years to Build a
u Great System.
From a STAFF Correspondent.

''"h AoAACepohuVuAs
TRENTON. Jan. 1.-THE governors
annual message prepared by Governor
James F. Fielder was read at the
opening of the legislature today.
1t was exceptionally short, yet in its
1000 words he urged much necessary
legislation.
One of the principal recommenda-
tions was that the legislators give
power to the Board of Public Utility
commissioners to regulate the pas
senger rates in New Jersey. He also
urged that the power be made general,
so that the Utility Board would have
the authority to establish the rates fer
gas and electric current, trolley SER
vice and any other commodity that
comes under the head of public utili-
ties
This power would be revolutionary.
One of it's effects would be the adjust
ment of the fare system. which has
caused so much complaint recently
from commuters who travel between
points within the State. They have
been charged for transportation to the
railroad terminals, having to pay for
ferry and tube service which they
never use.
Much of the message was devoted to
the road problems. Forseeing the
need of military defense for New Jer-
sey, the Governor urged the Legis-
lature to provide for a State tax for
road construction, the work to be
spread over a period of fifteen years.
The tax would amount to forty or
sixty cents on each thousand dollars
of assessed valuation.
Increased appropriations for many
of tho State departments were urged.
Other recommendation included the
construction of a normal school, eX-
. animation of the Wharton tract in
South Jersey to determine whether or
~hould be purchased for a wa
tershed, and a shorter session with
fewer laws and four weeks recess
for complete exa gnination of the am
nual appropriation bills. The message
In full follows:
The Message in Full.
Gentlemen of the Senate and Cen
eral Assembly:
1T gives me considerable satisfac-
ton TO be able to inform you that the
financial condition of the State is
better than for several years. At the
opening of the preceding session of
The Legislature a State tax or a
bond issue was thought imperative
to raise the money required to meet
the appropriations for State depart
ments and institutions for the fiscal
year November l, 1914. to October 81,
1915, but it later became apparent
that the direct inheritance tax act
Of 1914 would provide the necessary
funds. The fact Is, that while no
additional revenue was provided by
the Legislature of last year, upward
Of two million dollars were added to
the States income by the act re-
ferred to. The requisition act of 1914
also helped, in that It gave the
states financial officers a proper
supervision and control over all eX-
penditures of money and provided a
much-needed check against the prev
alent practice of incurring obliga-
lions in excess of appropriations
'The latter act also made it pos
sible for the comptroller to keep ac-
count not only of disbursements, but
also of the States contractual obliga-
lions, so that for the first time within
my recollection of State affairs. the
statement of our financial condition
at the close of a fiscal year included
among the liabilities al items for
which the State was bound on un-
completed contracts, and the state
ment to November l, 1915, therefore
shows exactly where we stand. The
reports which the comptroller and
treasurer will present to you show
that at the close of our business year,
October 81, 1915, with every outstand-
ing obligation provided for and de-
,1ucted, we had an actual and not a
fictitious balance in the treasury
amounting to s305.421.01. This bal
ance, though small, has the great
merit of being real, and we start the
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