Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-01-12
A WRONG START

In the fight between the governor and the
senate over the appointment of a Public uuhty
Commission public sentiment is bound to be
with the governor
In the first place, the appointment of COM
missions is clearly the function of the executive.
Every governor since the creation OF the Pub
lie Utility Commission by an act of the legisla-
ture has had this power of appointment with
out a question being raised. 1t was not until
Governor Edwards, in response to a great popu-
lar demand, felt 1t his duty to remove the menu
bers of the commission and appoint new men In
their places that any agitation was started.
But the law gives the governor full authority
10 remove the commissioner on charges which
he believes to be substantiated. The old utility
board was granting about everything that the
Public Service Corporation asked for. 1t was
floundering about hardly knowing what it was
doing. The action Of the utility commission be-
came a campaign issue and Governor Edwards
promised that II elected he would remove the
board then functioning and appoint a new board.
The power Of removal has been the governors
ever since the law was passed and no objection
was raised to it until that power was taken ad-
vantage of. If it had been a Republican COVER
nor that was, doing the ousting no doubt the
HLC0rhk eAeAtN4 O1A6
wrong. Because 1t is a Democratic governor,
however, It is all wrong. In their opinion.
But the old board was thoroughly discredited
and repudiated. 1t was the governors duty.
under the law, to remove 1t. He has named
men to take the place of those ousted. The
senate can either confirm or reject these names.
They refuse to do either. They prefer to
play politics. and because it is a Democratic
governor who is doing the removing and APP
pointing they suddenly see a need of a radical
change in the whole manner of appointment.
They propose to take that power from the hands
of the governor and place 1t in the hands of
the courts.
But 1t was never intended that the judicial
branch of the government should have anything
to do with the appointment of officials. Such
an idea never entered the heads of those who
framed the law creating the Public Utility Com
it never entered the heads Of anyone
until the Republicans in the legislature began
to scheme how they could thwart a Democratic
governor in carrying out the will of the people
In strict accordance with the law.
The bill introduced in the assembly yesterday
by the Republican majority leader. t. Harry
Rowland, which would take the power to APP
point a Public Utility Commission out OF the
bands of the governor and place it in in the
hands of the chief justice of the supreme court
is a vicious piece OF legislation in that it piles
more work on an already over-burdened court
Ind requires of the chief justice duties that are
entirely foreign to his office.
It is a petty piece of partisan politics in that
It is done solely to spite a duly elected represen-
tative of the people because he happens to be of
. atA.r1.* @1Jl4sa S,i.L - 49, - a., 7
the legislature.
1t is an abuse of power and an insult to the
sovereign people of the state who are just as
much responsible for the election of the COVER
nor as they are for the election of the members
of the legislature.
The leaders Of the Republican party ought not
TO lose their heads entirely.