The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1919-05-02
WARDS BAlkS
AT QUESTIONS
FIRED AT HIM
Comptroller Bugbee Declares
Democrat Has Failed to Make
Demanded Explanations.
THEIR JOINT DEBATE
BECOMES ONE-SIDED
Republican Candidate Directs at His
Rival in Opposing Party Another
FusiIlade OF Questions.

ITenIOn.-I nt JOIht hCohtS w. 49,
appropriation bill between State Comp
troller Newton A. X. Bugbee, candidate
for the Republican nomination for gov
ernor, and State Senator Edward L.
Edwards, -Nugent-Hague candidate for
the same office, has been taking a
somewhat one-sided turn because a
the reluctance or refusal of Senator
Edwards to answer the pointed ques-
lions which the comptroller has put TO
him in categorical fashion.
In an open letter Mr.. Bugbee took
up each item of the appropriation bill
and asked Mr. Edwards whether If he
(Edwards) were governor he would
veto it. Mr. Edwards had character
lied the whole bill as IAN orgy of ex-
travagance."
Now comes another open letter from
Mr.. Bugbee declaring that the Demo-
cratic candidate has failed to give any
definite information TO the voters of
New Jersey as to what he meant when
he thus characterized the bill and di-
recting at him another fusillade of
questions. The second letter follows:
my Dear Senator-During the last
week you have failed to give any def
mite information to the voters of New
Jersey as to just what you meant when
on the floor of the senate you branded
the 1919 appropriation bill as an orgy
of extravaganza
you have not publicly stated that
you would have vetoed any of the
items set forth in my communication
of last week had you been governor.
Therefore the people of New Jersey
have right to assume that you do not
now believe the 1919 appropriation bill
represents an orgy of extravaganza,
as you have stated.
"They have a right to assume that
your utterances in the senate relative
to the appropriation bill were merely
political 'buncombe' or that you spoke
before you had intelligently analysed
the various items of the bill.
Discussed by Commission.
you do, however, select a single
item in the bill which you refer to as
"a blind pool of S450,000,' to be dis
bursed in accordance. with the best
Judgment of the State House Commits
sion, of which / am a member. You
denounce both the fund and the COM
mission, therefore / am privileged to
ask you what you would have done in
reference to the items disbursed from
a similar fund during the last year.
would you have disapproved the
$4,000 disbursed for activities made
necessary by the war.
would you have disapproved the
$1,000 apportioned to the New Jersey
State Council for Defense for war ac-
tivities?
Would you have disapproved the
5000 for the establishment of a farm
bureau, the purpose of which was to
supply labor to farmers throughout the
state?
would you have disapproved the
s6,692 for refunding taxes on miscel-
laneous corporations?
Would you have dIsapproved the
$1,000 to defray the expenses Of re-
cording the votes of New Jersey SOL
diers?
would you have disapproved the
$1,000 apportioned to the several
state institutions for emergency re-
quirements?
would you have disapproved the
$4,000 advanced for working capital
for the manufacture Of automobile tags
at the state prison7
would you have disapproved the
$4,000 advanced to the secretary of
state for the purchase of automobile
tags?
would you have disapproved the
$3.50 for expenses of the New Jersey
Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Commits
sion?
'Would YOU have disapproved the
81, 800 for the expenses Of the commits
sion on pension and retirement funds