The Penn's Grove record., 1917-02-23
STATE CAPITOL NEWS
What The State Officials Are
Doing. What The Political
Leaders Are Talking
About

made by the Legislature this week. The
public utility franchise bill and the State
highway bills were reported with amend
ments, the substitute local option bill
passed the Senate and was Immediately
sent to the Assembly, Governor Edge
made several appointments and many
more bills were introduced. This marks
progress for the Republican administra-
ton program that Governor Edge and the
party leaders regard as satisfactory.
Discussing today the session, Governor
Edge said there was no Goubt Of the adj
mlnIstration program going through. even
including the franchise tax bill, which is
meeting with opposition.
The Five principal legislative accom-
p~lishments referred to in the inaugural
message" he stated, "are to be nut
through, then the rest of the legislation
viii be up to the lawmakers themselves"
1he Republican leaders say the session
Will end by April 1, and that in keeping
with promises, the bulk of new legislation
VIII be considerably reduced. The five
things referred to by the Governor were
highway reform, home rule, increased
franchise tax, consolidation of DEPART
ments and prison reform.
The Ollphant bill increasing the taxes
on public utility corporations was favor
ably reported with an amendment ex-
empting companies with gross receipts of
less than $4,000 from the increased tax.
This Is a concession to the small and
weak companies who pleaded that if the
oil were passed it would bankrupt them.
As amended, the measure will require all
public utilities other than street railway
companies and the companies with less
than $4,000 annual gross receipts. to
pay three per cent tax this year on gross
receipts four per cent next year and five
per cent in 1919 and thereafter. 1t is ex-
pected that the bill will be passed in this
form. Street railway companies already
pay five per cent tax.
= = =
The road bills reported include the one
imposing a state road tax of 81 a thous-
and for five years for construction of the
highway system, the bill designating the
routes for the system and the third
measure re-organizing the State Road
Department. They were amended some
what without changing the essential pro-
visions. One amendment to Senate Bill
No. , provides that Route No. 6 shall
include Salem City, Woodstown and Pole
Tavern, instead of stopping at Mullica
Hill. Another amendment strikes Wash
ington out of Route No. 8 and adds West
Portak and Bloomsbury. Another adds
a new route No. Il from Paterson to
Philipsburg, touching Washington and
Broadway.
Members of County Tax Boards were
appointed this week by Governor Edge,
as follows, all being Republicans and sue
ceeding Democrats:
Middlesex-J. Fred Orpen, Of New
Brunswick; Mercer-Floyd W. Grover.
of Princeton; Cape May County-James
w. Chester, of Ocean City; Somerset
Herman T. Moosbrugger, of Somerville;
Warren County-Arthur Knowles, of
P~hillipsburg. The other appointments
were minor ones.
The Senate confirmed the appointment
of Geo. h. Large, Jr., of Pennington,
as County Judge of Hunterdon, and Har-
ry j. Able, of Frenchtown, as Prosecutor
of that county. 3. Frank Barley, of
Lambertville, was confirmed as a member
of the Hunterdon County Tax Board.
The appointment of James Carter, of
Thorofare, as a member of the Glouces-
ter County Tax Board was also confirmed.
This being the last week for the in
PRODUCTION of bills, many measures COW
ering important topics were introduced,
the chief ones being as follows: For a
State Constabulary modelled after that in
Pennsylvania Strengthening the Bish-
ops liquor law in several particulars, one
of which is to make it apply to wholesalers
the same as to retailers, also cutting out
the exemption of bowling alleys and max
ing the anti-screen provision more dras-
tic; a statewide stringent prohibition
bill absolutely prohibiting the manufac-
ture, sale and importation of all intoxi-
eating liquors, this having been intro
duced by Mr.. Iobst, of Hunterdon, for
the State w. c. L. u; a bill permitting
athletic sports ON Sunday after 1 p. m. /;
for a general adult of all ballots after
each election in order to eliminate the
necessity for r%ecounts; prohibiting poll
teal parties employing challengers at the
polls on election days; exempting from
taxation all automobiles duly registered
with the State Motor Vehicle Depart
ment for a State Trade Commission to
be named by the Governor, consisting of
FIVE members with a salary of $1,000
each, the purpose being to regulate trade
and prevent discrimination providing for
compulsory removal of all railroad grade
crossings; making it unlawful to solicit
orders in the state for intoxicating IL
quors for firms outside the state, with
out first obtaining a license; authorizing
the appointment of twenty-five additional
motor vehicle inspectors.
The substitute for local option bills
by Senators Gaunt and Mackay, en-
bodying the best features of both, passed
the Senate by the vote of Is to (. Eleven
Republicans and two Democrats voted for
it and four Republicans and three Reno
Gratis against it. Those favoring it were
Allen, Conrad, Fithian, Gaunt, Hammond
Hates, Mackey, Osborne, Pierce, Stevens
coNTINUKD on PAGs