The Penn's Grove record., 1916-01-21
STATE CAPITOL NEWS
What The State Officials Are Doing.
What The Political Leader Are
Talking About.

Trenton, Jan. 19-Politieal maneuYer-
ing upon the part of Senator Gaunt, Of
Gloucester County, in having the Board
of Managers of the New Jersey State
Experiment Station at New Brunswick,
rescind the recommendation, made by a
special committee, for the purchase Of a
site at Finley, Cumberland County, on
which to establish a branch experiment
station, was the charge made yesterday
by Charles +. SeabroOk, of Bridgeton. in
connection with the meeting of the Board
of managers here. The members decided
to reopen the question Of a site for the
branch station in South Jersey when
claims were made of unfairness upon the
part of the special committee named to
look at available properties and a large
delegation of Gloucester County agricul-
turists appeared at the meeting in the
interest of a reconsideration of the mat
ter.
Three sites were considered by the
committee after considerable time spent
in inspecting property in South Jersey.
One of these was a site at Monroeville,
lying partly in Gloucester and partly in
Salem counties, the second was the Pat
rick farm, near G~lassboro, Gloucester
County, and the other was the Finley
tract, near Bridgeton, Cumberland Coun-
ty. The committee decided to select the
latter as a compromise, after failing to
agree on any Of the three propositions
unanimously.
Yesterday its recommendation, upon
motion of w. f. Beckett, Of Gloucester
County, was set aside and the whole ques-
ton of sites re-opened. 1t was then de-
cided that the entire Board Of Managers
should visit the three sites and make a
selection. Probably this will be taken
up next week.
At the meeting Seabrook moved that
the motion to reconsider the reeommen-
dation for the purchase Of the Finley site
be laid on the table. This was defeated
by a vote of IS to 4.
Seabrook told the board that influences
were at work to defeat the Finley site,
which he contends is the best available.
He is president of the Seabrook Farms
Company and a member of the commit
tee which made the selection. He claims
that other members of the committee,
particularly DR.. J. G. Lipman and James
Nelson, both of New Brunswick, 49,
former director Of the Experiment StaH
ton and the latter president of its Board
of Managers, are forced to bow to the in
huence Of Senator Gaunt, the former
fearing the Senator's influence in the
Legislature may result in the experiment
stations losing out in the way Of APP
preparations should the desires of the
Gloucester legislator not be gratifed.
The same member of the Board Of
Managers also pointed out that Gaunt
has been ~endeavoring for several gears
to secure this experiment station for his
county and yesterday brought to the
meeting a large delegation in order to
impress the members with their num-
Der.
Where does this influence come from"
asked a man at the meeting yesterday,
after Seabrook had limited at it.
That is very hard TO get at" replied
President Nelson, of the Board.
1t was brought out at the session that
since consideration of the Patrick farm
in Gloucester County was first begun the
price asked for this property has in
creased, and DIR. Lipman, said yesterday
that one of his reasons for opposing this
site was because the advance in price
did not look right 1t is understood
the original price was $4,000, that it
was raised to $4,000, and has since
dropped TO $4,000.
= 3 >
The final valuation for 1915 on the
property of the West Jersey and Sea-
shore Railroad Company has been fixed
by the State Board of Taxes and Assess
ment at SIS, 791, $50, an increase OF 3d.
1876, sos over that Of last year for the
same road. incidentally this amount is
$4,656,39S less than the raise of some
seven million dollars made on the Com
pany's holdings recently following state
ments made before the Public Utility
Commission by officials of the road as to
the value of their property. The state
ments wefe made in the West Jerseys
efforts to increase the rate of fares, and
following them the Board Of Taxes and
Assessment Immediately jumped the as
sessments pending an appeal by the Com
pany. When the Board made the in
crease the total assessment reached the
amount of 81. 44S,25S.
Reductions from +his amount were
for three classes Of the property assess
ed locally, for construction charges, Tor
work done since July 1, 1915, because
$3,630,2S0 in overhead charges were
eliminated with the exception Of Z per
cent. and for several other causes.
The Utility Commission will tomorrow
give a hearing at Camden on the West
Jerseys application to further increase
its rates.
The Legislature rushed things this
week and adjourned until next Monday
evening. with the result that the session
was not accompanied with as much poll
tics as usual. Governor Fielder was at
the State House Monday evening and
practically all of Tuesday. He made tvU
or three appointments. saw several dele
cations and looked after the usual exc
eutive business. but no very big polti'
cal news broke in his Office.
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