Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-10-20
PERSON HITS
At GOVERNOR
Attacks SiIzer for Governors
Attack Made on Senator
Stevens of Monmouth
AMB0Y BRIDGE SCANDAL
Discussed by Union Senator
Record of Past LegisIa-
ture is Defended

ELIZABETH, Oct. Ex-senator
Arthur N. Pierson at the rally of
Union County Republicans. held in
the Armory last night, replied in
most vigorous manner to the attack
Governor Silzer made Monday upon
Senate Leader William A Stevens.
Mr.. Pierson said in part:
"The governor claims that Mr..
Stevens aided in passing obnoxious
measures over his veto and since l
joinei Senator Stevens. in some of
these vetoes. | shall assume the re-
sponsibility with the Monmouth sem
ator in this matter.
THE Open Specification bill, the
bill allowing companies to build tun-
nels under the Hudson, the bill cali
ing lor an investigation of the Perth
Amboy bridge scandal were among
them. Should | nave voted to sus-
tain vetoes of such measures?
You will agree that the patent
pavement scandal needed an open
specification law to require free and
competitive bidding on municipal.
county and state road work. 1t was
my party's platform pledge. | am
proud of my vote to pass this bill
over the governors veto.
I'VE need more means of vehicu-
lar communication between New
Jersey and New York. If any COM
panv will risk their capital in build
ing tunnels or bridges to open the
way for transportation into and
from the great metropolis, l say,
more power to them" The need
of such facilities stands in the way
of our states developmet. I am
proud of my vote to override Gov
ernor Silzer's veto on this measure
"The governor claimed that
through his efforts. the $230,000 of
your money paid by the old Ed
wards Highway Commission for pro-
perty for the North approach of the
Perth Amboy Bridge, was returned
to the state. He did nothing of the
kind, but on the contrary, did all he
could to stop it. He vetoed the res
olution for the investigation, and |
am proud to have voted to over
ride his veto"
Mr.. Pierson then intimated that
the reason the governor vetoed the
bridge investigation was because he
did not want the public to know that
" president of the bank of which
sie is director, was mixed up in the
bridge deal and that he did not rel
ish the idea of having the public
know that Barney Cannon. one of
his close political friends. got $25,-
900 of this money austensibly for
last years Democratic campaign
fund when the governor was run
ming for election.
I'm all events" Senator Pierson
went on to say. 'the state has got
the money back, but no thanks to
the governor for it either. Such a
game of hypocritical bluff is disgust
ing. l prefer a man like Senator
Edwards, if we have to deal with
such muck, who. when confronted
with such charges asks, what the
He'll are you going to do about it'?"
During and after the highway
last winter, Governor
Silzer on many occasions, held up
Senator Stevens as a fine example
of statesman for his fearless stand
for right in connection with the
highway controversy. The press of
the state acclaimed the governor
as winning a great victory. but in his
Asbury Park speech. he says "it was
not my fight, it was the fight of the
people OF New Jersey" / agree with
him fully. 1t was not his fight. al
though up to Monday he has accept
ed full credit for the victory, the fact
is, he did not want to give you a BIZ
partisan highway commission at all. !
He wanted and proposed a commits |
sion of three members, two of which !
should be Democrats and added to |
this, his own ex-officio membership, |
which would have given the Dem
ocrats twice the proportionate con-
troll that the old commission had |
and with his proposed summary ie-
moval power. would have had a ,
hold on the commission at |
all times.
The Republicans of the legislature |
told the governor frankly they would |
not stand for such q proposal, but |
offered him the present four men,
Der bipartisan boar d-two Repub-
Licans and two Democrats, demand
ing that he surrender his ex-officio
m mbership and his summary re-
moval power. the engineer and
working force of the department to
be dismissed. The governor fought
hard and long against this proposal
and only when he appreciated that
we would not surrender. did he con
sent. You have today. a bi-parti-
san highway commission after the
Republican plan, IN spite of, rather
than because of Governor Silzer.
Continued on Page 10)
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A Chevrolet Car for Christmas. a eiff