Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-02-16
Especial Correspondence

teen to Nineteen-Civil Service Bills.
Especial Correspondence
Trenton, n. j., Feb. ~14.-Centering
their heaviest guns on the legislature
for the last few days, the public util-
ity corporations of the state have been
firing at the bill which will increase
the assessment on their gross receipts
from 2 to 5 per cent.
Comments by members of the judi
ciary committee of both houses indi-
cate that their volleys have had an eff
feet that the bill may be amended.
The particularly forceful argument
brought against the proposed statute
is that it would prove ruinous to the
smaller companies, which would be un-
able to meet the heavier burden.
1t is admitted that members of the
Republican majority are up in the
air" over the situation since Senator
Edmund B. Osborne of Essex county
declared that the bill would probably
be better if it placed the tax on the
profits instead of the receipts of the
different firms.
1t was on his motion that the plank
calling for the advance in the tax was
placed in the Republican state plat
form. Now that the Essex representa-
tive has changed his views, the other
senators are in a quandary.
Mr.. Osborne, however, insists the
bill should be put through as it stands
to keep faith with the public. His idea
is that changes could be made next
year.
George L. Record, who was a candi-
date for governor in the primaries on
an extremely progressive platform,
places no faith in the plant of the
utilities corporations that the change
in assessment would place them in
bankruptcy.
The solution of their problem, he
maintained at the hearing yesterday
lies with the Public Utilities Commits.
sion. He AYERS that if they can show
that they are operating at a loss per
mission will be granted them to raise
their rates.
One of his assertions was that the
Public Service corporation. the Easf
Jersey Water company and other Tex
tremely profitable north Jersey corpo
rations have been for several years es-
Gaping taxation to the amount of
about $1,000.000.
Are "Out of Politics" Now.
One of the l~iyeliest clashes of the
continued hearing occurred when As
semblyntan Roy NJ. Robinson of Ber-
gen county remarked that the utility
companies should have made their
fight against the measures il the cam
paign last fall instead of now. "This
law says that utility companies cannot
enter politics. was the retort of for
mer Senator Edmund B. Wakelee, rep
r%esenting the Public Service corpora
ton. THE expenditure Of money by
them in such Il campaign would be a
criminal offense,' he continued and
asked, What chance then would the
utility companies have?'
Mr.. Record got into the fray to make
this reply, you could have appealed
to the newspapers, as Mr.. Carter did
after the election, and the money was
taken from the treasury of your COM
pany." The answer of Mr.. Wakelee
was that the money could be spent aft
er the election without violating the
law.
1.-THE representatives of these COM
panies come here and dare to ask this
legislature to violate the solemn pledge
contained in this platform plank" was
another of Mr.. Records sallies. IF
violated, all platform pledges in the
future will be treated with scorn as
things used merely to catch votes,'' he
said. The railroads used to own this
statehouse as they owned their sta
tions," he continued, land we taxed
them, and now their lobbying has dis
appeared from politics and they are
powerless. Tax these rich corporati~ns
as they ought to be taxed and this
question, too, will disappear from poll
tics"
J. B. Jones of the Bridgetown Gas
light company, r. w. Whitman and
other representatives of utility compa-
MES were vigorous in their declara-
lions that the measure should be de-
feated. The injustice of the legislation
was dwelt upon.
That some act affecting the corpora
tons will be put through is the decla-
ration of leaders in the legislature, but
whether it will be a strict interpreta-
ton of the plank calling for the 5 per
cent increase on gross receipts is a
question.
Edge Stands For Pledges.
Governor Edge If Is known. desires
a fultillment of the party pledges, and
a new law is a certainty.
Another stormy session was wealth
cred by the utility company represent
atives at the judiciary committee hear
ing on the home rule bill. Municipal
ownership Of public utilities, such as
lighting, heating and power plants,
was the cause of the contention. For
mer Assemblyman James G.. BlauVelt
"a $500 lIa-nl IA