Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-02-15
b|TTER-ENDERS
IN HOUSE ON
HIGHWAY BODY
Naming of JeIin Seems to In
dictate Hitch Lead by Some
%Assemblymen
GOING TO SHARE EVENT
Will Likely be Discussed at
Gathering at Atlantic City
Over Weekend
GOING TO SHARE EVENT

tAO VI AL ~ 80
bly, Republicans to revive the high
way commission ripper" bill is
more of a fact than political fiction
it is likely that it will blossom out
this weekend at Atlantic City, when
the lawmakers will be the guests of
the Hotelmen's Association of that
place. Both branches of the legis-
lature have adjourned until next
Monday night, but when they gather
for the dinner at the shore on Sat
urday night there will likely be much
discussion over the four nominees of
Governor Silzer to the new four
man. bipartisan road board.
Most of the comment concerning
the new board has lowered about
the nomination of Abraham Jelin,
of New Brunswick, because he is a
personal friend of MI. Silzer's. Why
the House of Assembly should make
a new bolt for the ripper legisla-
ton when the state senate Re
publicans have the power to reject
Mr.. Jelin's name. if they see fit,
is a proper query at this time. There
House who on the roll-call for the
passage Of the four-man bill this
week indicated their willingness to
go the limit to block the governors
having the appointment of the high
way commissioners.
AS a matter of political strategy,
if that is what the House leaders
ever had in mind, they may be said
to have gotten the advantage of Mr..
Silzer in that they now know his
hand. Prior to the passage of the
four-man commission bill all talk
about whom the executive might
name for the new board was purely
speculative upon the part of his OPP
p%onents. Having passed the Stevens
bill, the House leaders forced the
governor to send in his nominations.
Now the House Republican whips
and "bitter enders" are in a position
where they might make a new try
for a ripper or the theory that
Mr.. Silzer's selections do not mea-
sure up to their expectations.
However, it is not expected that
the sober leaders of the Republican
majority in the assembly have any
idea of going to such lengths, nor
is it imagined that they tried to
out-trick the governor by the pass
age of the Stevens bill in order to
get his four appointments before
them.
III any 6NSIlI, IL IS IdEuIy 10 De tx
pected that the senate Republicans
would stand for a repeal of the law
just enacted for a substitute in the
form of a ripper" The senate
could, if it wanted to, forstalI any
program of this kind next Monday
night by confirming all or a. majority
of the four nominations which Mr..
Silzer sent in last Tuesday.
1t is believed that Governor Sill
ger did his best to get a set of NOM
inees Of the type representative OF
the best citizenship of the stale.
One of weaknesses of his appoint
ees is that all four are men CT
means, so far as is known, and were
not attracted to the work because
of the salary offered-$7,5 500 tbs
IS a weakness in hat these men may
be compelled to give more time
than they had anticipated to the
work of the highway department
and in the end will find that tae
job interferes with their other ac-
~tivities to such a degree that they
may want to retire. For there IS
more work to the Job of a highway
commissioner than the average cit
izen imagines. A salary of $4,000
a year, with a commission of three
men as the governor originally
wanted. each commissioner giving
whole time and attention to the
job, one to supervise highway con-
struction in North Jersey, II fDr
middle and the third for South Jer-
sey would have been more ideal
possibly.
1t is. understood the Republican
leaders considered paying the cool-
i~nissioners $4,000 a year each but
when this was mentioned to the eS-
he preferred $500, pointing
out that the office he occupies pays
but $4,000 a year.
More and more the government
of New Jersey seems to be moving
the position where only hiE.1
men of independent wealth can
take public office because of the
comparatively small salaries offered
in proportion to the Importance of
the responsibilities. Many men Of
but not wealth. must, her =
fore remain in trivate business aId
professional lines where the COM
p~ensation is more in keeping with
their abilities and needs. Thus pub
lie service falls either into one of
two classes. the mediocre or persons
Of secondary ability. or competent
men who do not have to consid ar
Inc salary question. There are mary
Of the first class and few in the
second =