Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-01-20

| Cisions 1uStifying the liking Oh latO2
| without a valuation, and wlping out
all of the contracts limiting rates
! and securing other municipal adVah-
! tages which had been solemnly
agreed to by these corporations as a
fundamental condition upon Whlch
their franchises were granted. inc
| Public Utility Commission a Iaf-
Their aggravated the pubic nina by
irving crude experiments with the
/ zone system, without first determin-
ing how much money the company
is entitled to earn, n these expert
ments have aroused intense OPPOSE
ton among the patrons of the road
and the public generally. For tnese
and other reasons the whole supJect
Of the proper control or these pupnc
utilities is now back again in the
politics of our state, and 1t Is my
duty and-yours to face this problem
and find a final and permanent solu-
ton.
7 therefore recommend the follow
ing.
The present members OF the Public
Utility Commission have lost the con
ddence of the public, and no settle
ment or attempted settlement admin
istered by them will satisfy the pup
lie mind. These men should be re-
moved from Office and a new COM
mission established. | recommend
the immediate passage of q Ia" abol-
shing the Public Utility Commission
and providing for an elective com
mission of three members 10 De
elected next November. l further
recommend that the act provide for
the creation of q temporary cominlS-
sion of three members, to be APP
pointed by the governor with the al
vice and consent Of the senate, to act
until the elective commission is or
ganiZed. !
Valuing the properties of such
companies Is an arduous task. 1t
should not be placed upon the shout
ders of the Utility Board, inasmuch
as that board, in order to give ell
cient service to the people, should
be left free to hear and act promptly
upon complaints laid before 1t. !
The problem of valuing the prop
critics should be dealt with by a val
uation' commission, the creation OF
which will be provided for in a bill
to be introduced at this session. To
accomplish such q task that commits
sion, of course. will require an ap-
preparation, and l earnestly urge up
on your Appropriations Committee
immediate investigation OF the sub
iect so tha it will be able to Include
q provision for the necessary moneys
in the annual appropriations bill.
Opposition to the fare increases by
the Public Service Railway Company
does not rest alone upon the failure
of the Public Utility Commission to
ascertain the value of the company'S
properties. 1t Is the result as Well
Of the belief of the public that the
has been permitted to earn
moneys for dividends upon stock and /.
for interest upon bonds for which no
consideration was paid at the time of
their ISSUANCE In other words, such
stock and bonds are water"
The facts should be finally and
definitely a~scertaircd; when known
some solution should be determined
upon. -
The Valuation Commission should
not only value the physical proper
ties of the company, but also find out
how much water" there is so that
some plan may be devised to get rid
Of 1t.
The reorganization of the State
Highway Commission is Of urgent
importance.
There is no board or body in the
State of New Jersey that has re-
ceived more justified public condem-
nation than the present state High
way Commission Such condemnation
is not entirely due to a lack of ability
or purpose on the part of all of the
individual commissioners, but also
DtI1loC IN w 10 ~
as to make effective administration
Of It's affairs impossible. No board
Of eight ~unsalaried members can be
expected to give the time necessary
to promptly and efficiently deal with
the intricate details involved in the
expenditure of almost 100000 900
per year; nor can such q board, by
meeting once a month. properly dis
pose of the i~nterlocking business OF
counties. The result has been failure
to carry OVt the road program eX-
peditiously M failure to render full
cooperation to county governments.
The Highway Commission should
{ be in constant session. Matters of
Importance in highway construction,
both in regard to state highways and
with reference to counties aid,
should be determined without delay.
| therefore recommend the abolition
of the present State Highway Com
mission, and in place thereof a board
of three commissioners, who should
receive adequate compensation. l
/ am opposed also to the employment
of engineers imported from other
states when there are experts within
the borders of New Jersey who are
! equally competent.
Bills will be submitted to you
along the lines of these recommend
atoms, and / firmly believe that IN
every portion or the state a cnanSe
in the highway organization will be
welcomed from boards Or bodies now
having concurrent powers.
Economy and Efficiency
The general recommendations
with reference to the state Highway
Department will also apply to nu-
merous state departments which
have been reorganized In recent
years under large boards, misstysed
Economy and Efficiency Boards"
An examination of conditions in
these departments reveals the fact
that such boards lake little or no in
terest in the management of their
departments, and hat it devolves
either upon some appointee or upon
one or possibly two enthusiasts in
the various commissions who are
willing to sacrifice their time to the
state. Such a condition results gen.
orally in inefliciency and IN very
questionable economy.
A state department Is, generally
speaking. administrative, and 1
strongly recommend the placing of
responsibility for department man
agement in the hands of smaller
commissions. whose duty it will be
to be in active session at all times.
| shall deal in a special MESSAGE with