The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-01-25
RATE CUT EACH
YEAR FIVE POINTS
Measures Wiping Out Useless
Parts of Camden City Govern
ment Meet No Opposition.
BEER FIGHT IN PROSPECT
Majority Leader corio Demands Ac-
ton by Governor to Relieve Coal
Shortage - Would Protect Bus
Riders-Majority Is Divided.

Trenton. The first formal action
purporting to be designed to reduce
the taxation burden in the state was
taken in the legislature when Speaker
Evans had the Republican majority
leader, Mr.. Corio, introduce bill
for him in the house.
The bill would make it mandatory
for all county and municipal govern
ing bodies reduce expenses so that
the tax rate would be cut at least five
points a year until the reduction is
down to a rate of $4,000 year. The
bill would require the reduction proc
ess to begin next year, 1924.
AS had been anticipated. the first
move of the senate was to pass, Jun
der suspended rules, the three Row.
land bills, rushed through the assem-
bly, on the organization day, wiping
out the three useless apendages to
the Camden city government, the
board of finance, board of public
works and the police and fire COM
mission. The ways had been set for
passage of these measures, through
the senate also on organization day,s
but they were held up by the absence
of a number Of Republican,.
The opposition manifested in the
senate to the passage of the three
bills was not present when the meas
ures were called up for final pas
sage by President Wallworth. At the
conference earlier in the day the bills
were discussed and the Republican
members we're Strengthened out. The
Democrats also had been appeased by
the stories from Camden that there
was really nothing partisan in the
bills. Senator Wallworth explained
that they would change population
limits so that Camden would be re-
moved from the provisions of an act
designed to provide a form of gov
ernment for Paterson. The vote on
all three of the bills was unanimous
Senator Wallworth also got quick
action on his Soldiers Bonus bill. AS
the law now stands the soldiers
who had not applied for their bonus
before March Is last, were auto
matically debarred from sharing in
it. Senator Wallworth explained that
his bill would extend the time to De-
cember 81 next to give all chance
to apply.
It was an interesting sidelight to
observe that before the senate actual
~ started the business of passing
bills it decided upon time to quit
Majority Leader Stevens presented
two resolutions. one providing forN
sine die adjournment on March 16
and the other prohibiting the intro
duction of bills after the week of
February 5. Both were adopted and
the house gave concurrence
The dry law situation, already so
perplexing for the Republicans, was
further complicated by the ,introduc-
tion in the Assembly of another re-
,pealer for the Hobart act of last win
ter. This bill came from Assembly,
man Roegner, Republican, of Passaic,
and is said to have the full indorse-
ment of the other four members of
that county, including Speaker Evans.
Passaic County has. stood almost sol
idly against the Republican program
for tying up with the Anti-Saloon
League in other years, and the Roeg-
ner bill further accentuates that atti-
tude, but also shows the sharp di-
vision in the Republican majority
upon this issue. The measure goes
to the Judiciary Committee, the
makeup of which practically assures
a favorable report at an early day.
Assembiyman Roegner also put in
joint resolution calling upon the Con-
gress 70 legalize the production of
light zines and beer. 1t is regarded
as sery probable that both these
measures will come forth for the in
evitable battle in the House, and the
prospect now is that they will be
passed, unless the Republican, leaders,
who have suffered nervous chills
since election, can manage to control
enough votes to check their progress.
The real outlook is that the dry
forces will'be unable to hold the vote.
The desperate fuel situation in the
State was reflected in the Assembly
in resolution presented by Majority
to which the people are subjected by
the coal shortage, and providing that
the Governor be and he hereby is re-
quested forthwith to submit to the
Legislature a report of the coal stu
alton in this State and the measures.
if any, which have been taken by the
Coal Commission to remedy existing
conditions, together with his recon-
mendations for the immediate allie
Walton of the coal shortage, to the
end that suitable legislation, if neces-
sary, may be. enacted to provide for
the situation"
Minority Leader George objected to
the resolution upon the ground that
Governor Edwards, who appointed the
Coal Commission, passed out of office
at midnight and it would not be DOS
sible for him to make such a report
as suggested. Mr.. Corio said it mat
tered not who was Governor, the re-
port should be made and something