The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-04-12
SPEAKER FAILS
TO SIGN ACT
Bill Broadening the Workers
Compensation Act Never Sent
to Governor for Signature.
sILzER PROMISES ACTION
Highway Board Orders Number Of
Roads Rebuilt-Oecides Upon Con-
struction Of About so Miles as
Initial Program for Year.

Trenton.-Speaker OF the Assem-
nullified the action of the Legislature
by failing to affix his signature to
Senator B~lackwell's bill for heavy
fines and 30-day Jail sentences for en-
ployers who refuse to take out work.
mems compensation insurance. The
bill, despite approval by Senate and
Assembly, goes by default through the
failure OF the speaker to conform to
the usual procedure of signing it and
permitting it to be forwarded to Gov
ernoT Silver.
The measure, known as Senate IA,
was adopted by the Senate March
10 and by the Assembly March 16.
Assemblyman Harry Harbout of Mer-
Ger piloted the bill through the As
sembly on the last day for consider
alton of general legislation.
Following its passage, Clerk Of the
House Upton S. Jefferys of Camden
delivered the bill to Speaker Evans.
The Speaker did not sign the meas
ure, but held 1t in his custody until
Saturday, when the Legislature Fad
adjourned for the year.
In It's ordinary course, the speaker
should have signed the bill, where
upon Clerk Jefferys would have re-
turned it to the Senate, where it orig
mated. 1t was not returned to the
Senate Secretary, William H. AL
bright, and therefore could not be de-
1ivered to Governor Silzer, along with
other passed bills. Clerk Jefferys
said he would file the measure with
State Librarian C~reasdale.
There was a strong contractors
organization opposed to the bill be-
cause of the provision making con-
tractors liable for workmen's compen-
sation damages when contracts were
farmed out to subcontractors. Henry
f. Hilfers, secretary Of the State Fed
Grafton of Labor, was interested in
the measure and prompted Assembly
man Harbourt when the latter was
warding off attacks OF the measure.
Discovery Too Late
The bills fate was not discovered
until the Workmen's Compensation
Bureau of the State Department of
Labor inquired what had become of it.
The act provided that Amy en-
ployer who shall fail to provide the
protection prescribed in this act shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor, and Upon
conviction thereof shall be punished
for a first offense. by a fine of not
more than $500, and for a subsequent
offense by q Inc of not more than
$500, or by Imprisonment for not
more than 80 days, or by both such
fine and imprisonment.
ANY contractor placing work with
q subcontractor shall, in the event
of the subcontractors failing to carry
workmen's compensation insurance
as required by this act, become liable
for any compensation which may be
due an employee or the dependents of
a deceased employee of said sub
contractor Such contractor shall
then have a right of action against
such subcontractor for reimburse
ment. All fines collected by the Com
missioner of Banking and Insurance
under the terms of this clause shall
be paid by him to the State Treasurer
and credited on the records of the
State Comptroller to the account of
the Rehabilitation Commission for
Physically Handicapped Persons, to be
used in carrying out the purposes of
the act creating the above-named
commission, approved April 10, 1919"
Highway Board Orders
At a meeting of the State Highway
Commission, construction of approx
mately SO miles of new roads the
present year was decided upon. The
commission, which had a late start
for the year because of the Senate's
delay in confirming the appointment
of it's members, has been working in
tensively for two weeks and is almost
in a position to get engineers esti-
mates IN numerous jobs and to adver-
tise for contracts. When the work is
in such shape as to permit of an esti-
mate of the amount of money to be
expended, the commissioners will ap-
ply to the State Highway Commits
sion for issuance of bonds under the
$40, coo, 900 bond referendum law.
Proposed work for this year, ap-
proved by the commission. follows:
Railway avenue. from west city line
of Elizabeth to Cherry street: pro-
posed grade crossing elimination over
Lehigh & Hudson Railway at Great
Meadows; Shirley to Gloucester
Salem county line, State labor; Som
erset county line at Passaic River to
Morris township line.
In the northern division these jobs
were decided upon: Musconetcong
river bridge, to beginning of concrete
pavement only; overhead bridge at
Netcong to Landing road at Cuivert,
grading only; brick APPROACH, Lacka-
wanna Railroad viaduct to Rockaway
River bridge, Dover, sheet asphalt.
Morris turnpike, from Farmers ho-
lei to Saven Bridges road: Seven
priduoS road from Morris furnnike to