The Penn's Grove record., 1919-01-31

nation for governor, threw a little gre
made into the session In the form Of q
Dill designed 10 abolish the State High
way Commission Of eight men, as ar
present constituted.
The state highway department DIFF
fers from many other state depart
meHts from the fact that it is a depart
ment handling contracts running into
many million dollars, and in its rela-
tons with counties all business must
be transacted rapidly" he said. "A
large unsalaried board cannot be in
continuous session, and during the past
year there have been numerous com
paints from various counties in the
state and from persons having business
with the highway department that they
were held up and forced to wait for
the monthly meeting of the large com
mission. Such a situation, especially
during the period of active construc.
ton work, has brought about consider
able well merited criticism.
THE large problems of administra-
ton confronting this department make
1t very important that the power OF
decision rest in the hands Of someone
who is competent to give quick dect.
sions on all pending matters and wha
is available for taking up such matters
practically every day of the week. 1siS
character of service could not be ex-
pected of a large board, and the do
partment cannot be efficiently conduct
ed except by a properly paid official
who is devOting his entire time to the
administration of the office. 1t is this
condition that this bill is intended TO
correct"
Wants State Milk Commission.
Senator Edwards also put in a bill
to place the control Of the business o.
producing and receiving and d~istr.but-
ing milk and other dairy products in
the hands of a state dairy commission.
This commission would have power to
fix prices fair to both producer and
consume and to regulate the industry
generally so that there would be less
waste and more efficiency in pr0duc-
ton and distribution. This method
would make future milk strikes i'm
possible and would end controversies
between producer and distributor. with
the general public reaping the benefit.
The system of licenses to be taken
out by large receiving and distributing
stations would bring in sufficient reye-
nue. to meet every expense of the com
mission. There are 300 to 400 such
stations in New Jersey, and a license
fee of 500 each, the minimum pre-
scribed in the bill, would provide from
$4,000 to $4,000 annually.
The total income would probably be
in the neighborhood of $4,000, as
larger plants would pay any amount up
to $500, to be determined by the com
mission on evidence of the volume of
business done.
Governor Edge sent TO the senate
the appointment of Fred G. Stickel as
Common Pleas judge of Essex county.
Previous to the receipt of the appoint
ment by the senat there were stories
to the effect that there would be OPP
position to the confirmation of the APP
pointments of Worrell f. Mountain as
Circuit Court judge and Jesse Salmon
as clerk of c~hancery. The appoint
ment of Judge Stickel, however, clari-
fed the atmosphere and there will he
no opposition. The difficulty about the
selection of the senate officers, due to
the allotment of the Steering Commit
tee, under control of the "CasmacS,"
was smoothed over and the selections
were announced.