Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-10-04

planks featured the Republican
| state convention here yesterday.
The following platform was adopt
ed:
We, the lawfully constituted mem
| bers of the convention of the Repub-
| lican party, DULY assembled. present
our record and make u pledges to
the voters of Dur state.
Candidates
The Republican party is the party
of constructive achievement as OPP
posed to the opportunism of the De-
mocratic party. This attitude is due
largely to the constructive states
manship of our public men in their
official capacity, from Lincoln to
Harding. In keeping with this his
| toric characteristic of the personnel
of our standard bearers, we advo-
cate the election of Joseph S. FIRE.
linghuysen for United States
tor, and William N. Runyon for gov
error. With equal confidence we IN
vite the support of the electorate
for our candidates for the House of
Representatives at Washington and
the legislature of New Jersey.
Direct Primary
| Believing in the American system
VI party sOftIlillltll anu Ito liz
| direct primary Is the only agency
through which party organizations
may be made responsive TO the
| wishes of the people, we strongly adj
vccate the unfolding and continu-
ance of the present direct primary
law for that purpose.
Public Utilities
The people of the entire state are
intensely interested in the trolley
lines and the gas, electric and tele-
phone companies, but as users and
as investors.
The public utilities should not
have the right first. to try their cases
before the state Public Utilities Com
| mission, and then, to seek to try
| their cases anew before the federal
courts on entirely different issues.
We therefore strongly favor the pass
age of a federal act consistent with
| the federal constitution designed TO
limit present authority of the lower
| federal courts in this matter. The
| problem is a state problem for the
determination of the Public Utilities
Commission, which should without
exception be composed of men of the
| highest character and attachments.
and the state courts. on principles
laid down in the Public Utilities act
and the decisions of the federal
| preme court.
The values on which rates are
based should not be speculative val
use, such as good will. franchise
value, past deficits. development
costs, hypothetical brokerage fees,
deferred maintenance and other sim
liar items. but actual values. as de-
fined in the decisions of the courts
of New Jersey, and of the United
States supreme court. of which the
Galveston Electric Company, cas-
is the latest exposition. On the basis
of these decisions, the Public Utilities
act should state explicitly what
items the Public Utilities Commits
sioners should take into considera-
ton, and what items they cannot
take into consideration in valuing
the property of public utilities COM
panies.
The jurisdiction of the commission
should be extended to cover not only
all utility holding companies. but
also all the companies that supply
the public. utilities, the products
which such public utilities furnish
to the public, to the extent of the
dealings between such companies.
If any of the public utility companies
are over-capitalized on the basis of
| their valuation as thus found by
| the utility commissioners, their cap
ital should be reduced to conform to
such valuation. The valuation so
found should be the basis not only
for rate making, but also for. local
taxing purposes. Such measures will
not only conserve the interests OF
legitimately invested capital which
is essential to the future expansion
of the public utility system of the
state, but will also safeguard the
interest of the consuming public and
should, under present conditions, re-
suit in substantial reductions in gas,
electric. trolley and other utility
rates.
Highways
We recognize that modern hard
surfaced roads are indispensable 10
social life; we reatfirm u pledge
to the people of a program for an
early and economic completion of our
State Highway system and the i'm
provement of our rural roads as
tributaries thereto.
We condemn the Partially shown
" IA
highway commission for certain
patented road materials, and to GER
taiE favored contractors and pledge
ourselves to correct. this evil.
We pledge our representatives In
the legislature: first, to an amend
ment Of the state and county acts
to permit state n counties to re-
ceive bids on several types of pave
ment in the same manner that mu-
inequalities do under the Municipal
Home Rule act, and, secondly. we
pledge them specifically to the pass
age of an act providing for open
competitive specifications in road
work (i. e., whenever a governing
body advertises for bids, on a pat
ented pavement. it must also adj
vertise for bids on a non-patented
pavement of equivalent merit n
must award the contract to the low
est bidder).
We further pledge ourselves 20
| the adoption of such engineering,
| construction. and administrative
methods as will insure the compile
ton of ur roads at the earliest pos
sibla date without further waste OF
| the taxpayers money and with a
minimum of inconvenience and dis
| comfort to the travelling public dur
ing the progress of such work.
Bridge and Tunnel Commission
We especially commend the Re-
publican legislature for its prompt
| and courageous action in naming
efficient members to the New Jersey
| Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Com
| mission who have merited their APP
pertinent by restoring confidence
in the integrity of New Jerseys
agreement with her sister states IN