The Monmouth inquirer., 1922-06-22
Gov. Edwards ReaIIocates 57th
Brigade Units to Place Prior
to Change Under Borden.
PRICE Hath INFANTRY HEAD
Cooperation Loses Out in Fight Against
Taxes-Supreme Court UphoIds Act
of 1919 for a Statewide Levy Upon
Gross Receipts-MiIIions Yearly.

ISSUED an executive order reallocating
the seven units of the Fifty-seventh
Brigade in the same status occupied
prior to the issuance of general orders
No. y, which transferred practically
all headquarters of the National Guard
10 North Jersey. Under the new order
Colonel Winfield s. Price of Camden
will be in command of the One Hun
dred and Fourteenth Regiment, and
assisted by Lieut.. Col Edward B. Stone
of Burlington, will have the regiment
in shape in time for the annual en-
campment at Sea Girt.
In issuing the order Governor Ed
wards referred to the fact that he had
been in consultation for some time
with the federal authorities and his
action in restoring the One Hundred
and Fourteenth Regiment to its orig
snal status has met with full approval.
When Borden was elected, with the
governors Endorsement, dissatisfaction
among the officers and men of the
Guard became so hot that in the One
Hundred and Fourteenth Regiment
more than two score of officers,
including Price and Stone, resigned.
The American Legion and other war
veteran associations took hand and
were instrumental in having the Pow
ell bill passed by the recent legislature,
reorganizing the Guard by restoring
the Fifty-seventh Brigade units to the
status they occupied before Borden
shifted them about by moving the
headquarters of the dissatisfied units
from South Jersey to North Jersey.
The governors order, it is believed,
will terminate the controversy over the
election of Brig. Gen. Howard S. Bor-
den Of Oceanic, wealthy home guard
organizer as commander of the Fifty
seventh Brigade, which has kept the
Guard in turmoil for more than year
and which threatened its disruption.
Governor Edwards vetoed the BILL
4 but it was passed over his veto. The
Asovernor transmitted the act to the
= federal militia authorities and has held
conferences with them regarding it
and the whole National Guard situa-
ton In issuing his executive order
he has the approval of the federal
militia bureau which has Jurisdiction
of the National Guard organizations
of the state.
While the fight over the Powell bill
was on General Borden aroused Gov
ernor Edwards anger through the pub
Iication of letter from the general
to the governor and the latter demand
ed the officers unconditional resigna-
tion. This was given and accepted
and Borden stepped out of the Ma
tional Guard.
In connection with his order restor-
ing the South Jersey units of the One
Hundred and Fourteenth Infantry to
their original status the governor
issued the following statement:
"This is the first opportunity afford
ed the governor to make a definite
announcement relative to his views as
10 the reorganization of the National
Guard since the adoption of the Pow
ell bill by the legislature over his veto.
The governor stated his reasons for
withholding approval of that measure,
but acting in accordance with the man.
date of the legislature, transmitted the
bill as required to the federal authori-
ties, with plan for reorganization for
which approval was asked.
'@rhis was done on April 6 and there
have been various newspaper reports
from that date to the present time in
dicating that action of some sort had
been taken by the federal authorities,
but none has, up to the present time
so far as the state of New Jersey has
full cognizance af. AS a result the
governor during .he unsettled condi-
tion which prevailed following the en-
actment of that law has been unable
TO issue commissions for various Off
GERS elected III many of the units of
both regiments (the One Hundred and
Thirteenth and One Hundred and
Fourteenth}.
FIGHT Against Taxes
The gross receipts tax act, affecting
street railways, gas and electric and
heat and power corporations, was de-
clared constitutional by the supreme
court is an opinion handed down by
Justice Trenchard. The act was passed
by the legislature of 1919 and provides
for a .ax against the gross receipts of
these utility corporations at the aver
age sate of the state. This tax is in
lieu of tax on the personal property
Of the corporations.
Wfhe provisions of the act were at
tacked by the Salem and Pennsgrove
Traction Company. which contended
that it was unconstitutional, as it vio-
lated that section of the State Consti-
tuition which provides that property
shall be assessed for taxes under gen.
eral laws and by uniform rules JUS
tice Trenchard, however, holds that
there is no merit in this contention,
and he points out that it is well set
tied that this provision Of the Consti-
tuition does not take away from the
legislature the power of selecting OBJ
iects of taxation, but provides that all
che members Of the class selected shall