Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-02-12
n. ]. HIGHWAY
SITUATION IN
CRUCIAL STAGE
Climax viii be Reached To-
day at Trenton With Re-
converting of Legislature
SILZER VOTE QUESTION
Some Republicans Say They
Did Not Understand He
Was to Have a Vote
ISILzER VOTE QUESTION

TRENTON, Feb. 12:-The critical
stage In the negotiations between the
governor and the Republican legisla-
tive leaders over the reorganization
of the State Highway Commission
VIII be reached today with the re-
convening of the senate and House.
With differences apparently smooth
ed out last Tuesday night when the
executive and legislative branches of
the state government came together
and agreed upon four man COM
mission, someone has during the in
terim been working to upset the un-
derstanding. The instrument being
used to accomplish this fell purpose
is the question whether the power OF
the governor to serve ex-officio on
the new road board shall be retained
or abolished.
The question did not enter the
minds of the Republican conferees
last Tuesday evening when they laid
their compromise of a bipartisan
commission before Mr.. Silzer and the
latter promptly accepted it. Only two
phases of the controversy-or condi-
tions to an agreement-were men
toned by the G. o. p. leaders. One
was the board must be of four MEM
bers and bipartisan and the other
that the then state highway engi-
neer. Mr.. Wasser, should go.
Now comes Republican House
Leader Joseph A. Corio, of Atlantic
City, with the declaration made on
Saturday that the compromise on the
board did not include that the ex-
officio power u Mr.. Silzer and his
successors should be retained. He
fatty announced, when interviewed,
10 MI &n eyiU
the governor this authority in the
new board. With the governor vot-
ing in a case of tie between the two
Republican and two Democratic
commissioners, Of course the Demo-
Gratis would have three votes.
Mr.. Corio stated that he would
attempt to pledge his Republican
colleagues in the assembly caucus 70
resist any move to give Governor
Silzer this power. He declared the
plan as accepted by the governor
was for a commission of two Re-
publicans and two Democrats and
nothing more. If this program s
departed from, the Atlantic City
man said efforts would be made to
revive the ripper" bill.
1t is not expected that such a
thing as ex officio power of the exec
utiVe bill Will be allowed to wreck
the compromise reached last week
after much discussion and many
conferences. AS a matter of fact the
governor has this power in many
boards of the state which are di-
vided equally on political ines and
the question has never been raised
before The trouble in the highway
situation is that certain of the Re-
publican leaders both in and out of
the legislature would like to keep
all possibilities of Democratic con-
troll of the new commission away
and the governor. being Demo-
crat, they are afraid he might use
the ex officio poyer az some time on
a deadlock between the two Re
publicans and the two Democrats
who are to constitute this body.
The attempt to raise new rucuons
over this question, is put down by
observers here as nothing more or
less than a plan to break the COM
promise agreement already reached
1t is not expected that the effort
will be successful, but in the event
that the House Republicans do balk
and revive the ripper" bill, it NAV
be said with a certain degree nr
that the senate Repuol-
cans would not stand for the prop
osition.