The Morris County chronicle. [volume], January 11, 1910, Page 8, Image 8

About The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915

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GOVERNOR'S
MESSAGE
{CONTINUED FEOM FOURTH PAGE]
the corporations to be regulated op
pose it.
Whatever bill is enacted should pro
vide for the consolidation of the pres
ent railroad commission with the new
commission created by it, and thus
the question of expense which has
been raised (not by the people, but by
the interested ones) would not avail
as an objection. Forty thousand dol
lars would <over the cost of this com
mission, and justice between the peo
ple and the public serving corporations
would be^ssured. This is a small cost
for a consummation so greatly to be
desired.
The Primary Election Law.
The direct primary laws that exist
in our state are, in my opinion, popu
lar with the people and when tested
further will be found to meet univer
sal approval. Some modifications are
needed. Provision should be made for
an enrollment of party voters and for
the prevention of any voter of one
party from voting in the primary of
another. Chapter 281 of the laws of
1907, relative to the expression of a
choice for United States senator fc.v
the voters of the respective parties,
will be operative this year for the lirsi
time at the primary election. Under
this law the people of the state,
through their respective party primary
elections, will have opportunity to give
expression as to whom they favor to
represent the state in the United
States senate. I strongly favor
strengthening the present primary
laws and their extension to the nomi
nation of member of congress and the
governor.
The Blanket Ballot.
I can see no reason for refusing to
allow the voter the right, to vote a
“straight ticket” by simply placing a
cross in a circle at the head of a party
column on the ticket.
The essential tiling is a form of bal
lot upon which shall be found all the
candidates of all the parties, so that
each voter may have before him every
candidate for office on a single piece of
paper. These ballots should be fur
nished and distributed to the voters by
the state. The clerk of the county
should print the official ballot as at
present, and the election officers when
the last revision of the registry is com
pleted should he required to send to
each voter at his place of residence as
shown on the registry one copy of the
official ballot. The clerk should also
furnish to the election officers the
requisite number of ballots for use on
election day at the polling place.
No need should remain for the use
of money by candidates or parties on
election day, or before, in the matter
of getting the ballots into the hands of
the voters.
The necessary stamped envelopes for
distributing the ballot should be sup
plied by the county to the election
boards, and reasonable compensation
should be paid the election officers for
doing the work. ,,
v Money at Elections. " 1
Tfhe use of money at elections,
whether primary or general, should in
some way be curtailed. Every neces
sary expense should be borne by the
state.
It might be made permissible to per
mit each party to employ at each
polling district a challenger, a clerk to
keep check upon the vote and a mes
senger or two to send for negligent
voters. The amount that could be
thus expended should be fixed by law,
and it should be made a misdemeanor
to expend in any way other money
for any other ticket handlers or other
persons about the polls. The greatest
source of indirect bribery is that now
prevalent of putting men on the poll
committee, so called. It is a mere
pretext for corruption.
The present criminal laws against
bribery at elections are clear and strin
gent, but are not enforced. The rea
son is that all the parties engage in
the Improper, not to say the Illegal,
use of money at elections, and grand
Jurors will not indict. Prison penal
ties are apparently of no avail to check
this class of crime.
I believe if the present laws for the
Imprisonment of persons convicted of
bribery at elections were repealed, and
upon a conviction for bribery the court
should adjudge and determine that the
defendant be deprived of the right of
suffrage, it would do more to put an
end to election corruption than any
other kind of punishment possible.
Election Officers.
In selecting officers the greatest care
should be taken. They should possess
certain qualifications as prerequisite to
fieir appointment, among others these:
First.—They should be physically
healthy.
Second.—They should understand the
simple rules of division nud addition.
Third.—They should bo able to write
fairly rapidly and well.
Fourth.—They should be good read
ere.
Fifth—Their eyesight should be good.
Sixth.—Their moral standing and per
sonal character should be unquestioned.
Seventh.—They should possess a fair
knowledge of the election laws.
They should also have a fixed tenure
for, say, five years, or, what would be
still better, they should hold office
during good behavior.
No person should be appointed ns an
election officer uutil he has passed an
examination in at least the respects
above indicated, and opportunity should
be given to any person to go into the
examination. Bach applicant should
declare when he appears for examina
tion to what party he belongs and pre
sent with his application for examina
tion his Indorsements as to moral
character.
Only residence in the county should
be required foe eligibility to become
election officers In any district In a
county.
The examination for election officers
■tight be put In the hands of a com
mon pleas judge of the- respective
counties of the state.
Voting Machines.
There is an almost universal de
mand for the discontinuance of the
voting machine. The law permitting
Its use should be repealed, and the ma
chines owned by the state should be
■old.
If the law tot voting machines Is to
remain It should be so amended that
« machine could not be placed to I
district except upon a petition signed
by a majority of the voters of such
district who voted at the last election
before the presentation of the petition
for the placing of the machine.
License arid Excise.
Prohibition is not practical. It does
not prohibit and will hot until a
stronger and better public sentiment
shall obtain. The sentiment for local
option in the' election just passed
showed much growth in some commu
nities. That sentiment, however, is
probably not of sufficient force to se
cure legislation for a submission of
the question of license or no license to
the people. Yet it is evident that the
public demand for the enforcement of
existing laws and for the enactment
of others looking to a better regulation
of the sale of intoxicating liquors is
quite universal.
The license fees in most places in
this state are not high enough.
The following suggestions made in
my last annual message for the amend
ment of the excise laws are here re
peated—namely:
First—The minimum license fee
should be fixed on the basis of the
population of the local municipalities,
provided that in no case should it be
less in any municipality than that at
which licenses are now granted in
such municipality, and each applica
tion for a license should be advertised
once for at least ten days before ac
tion is taken thereon that objection
may be made thereto and heard.
Second.—The -number of licensed
places allowed should be limited to
not exceeding one for at least each
500 people, provided that no greater
number of licenses should be granted
in any place, where the present per
centage is greater than tills, than the
present licensed places bear to the
population.
Third.—A simple and definite form
of procedure to revoke a license for
the violation of the law with a pro
vision that a license shall be ipso facto
revoked on conviction of any crime or
on a plea of guilty or non vult.
Fourth.—NO license should be grant
ed to any person not a native or nat
uralized citizen of the United States.
Fifth.—No license should be granted
to a person who has been convicted of
any crime which would disfranchise
him under our state constitution.
Sixth.—All right to transfer a license
from one place to another should be
prohibited.
Seventh—All licensed places should
be closed from 12 o’clock midnight un
til 0 a. m.
Law Enforcement—Power of Removal.
In one of the counties of this state
the laws as to excise matters are open
ly aud notoriously violated aud a di
rect refusal to enforce them asserted.
That such conditions exist is shock
ing to the conscience and patriotism
of all right thinking citizens. Yet un
der existing law there is apparently
no remedy. The state seems power
less. Local officials are free from re
moval by the governor or courts, even
for an open declaration that they will
not enforce the law. Nor Is there any
power of impeachment of a local mu
nicipal official.
The sacredness of the Sabbath, the
purity of the ballot, the virtue of wo
man, the protection of life itself, all
seem inconsequential when weighed
in the scale against the illicit sale of
liquors.
Tiie legislature must assume respon
sibility for the further continuance of
the conditions here described. It can
prevent it by a simple statute confer
ring the power of removal upon either
the governor or the courts.
Employers’ Liability Act.
Laws should be enacted abolishing
the fellow servant rule of the common
law and making the master liable for
all injury to his employees which does
not result from the contributory negli
gence of the injured workman himself.
Injury through defective machinery
at which a workman is placed at work
should also fall upou the master with
out regard to the fact that the work
man was aware of the defect or that
the risk was obvious.
1 also recommend the authorization
of the appointment of a commission to
consider the provisions of the British
and German employers’ liability acts,
to report to the next legislature with
a draft of au act fixing a definite sum
for specific accidents to employees,
which shall be deemed an express or
Implied part of every contract of em
ployment.
Inland Waterway.
The route of the proposed inland wa
terway has been approved by the gov
ernor under the statute aud when com
pleted, as contemplated, will furnish a
channel six feet deep at low water
from Bay Head, in Ocean county, to
Cape May City, in Cape May county.
It Is estimated that there are now
18,000 crafts of various kinds, the own
ers of which are awaiting with anxiety
the completion of this waterway.
County Boards of Taxation.
The people of the state favor the
abolition of the county boards of tax
ation. Tbeir existence is without ex
cuse and always has been. Their ob
ject and purpose was solely to secure
an increase of taxuble values so that
the average tax rate upon railway
property might be reduced. They
have accomplished this purpose with
a resultant loss to the public school
funds for distribution by the state of
not less than $500,000 per year for
each year since their creation.
One of the excuses given for the
enormous increase in property values
in the state has been the maximum
tax rate act of 1900, which, it is claim
ed, has required the increase of assess
able values in order that under it mu
nicipalities might get enough revenue
to run their local governments.
I recommend the repeal of both the
act creating county boards of taxa
tion and the maximum tax rate act of
1900.
If the county boards of taxation are
not abolished, then the legislature
should place the expense of their main
tenance upon the counties. We pay
out over $90,000 per year for them.
A Governor’s Residence.
The legislature has authorised the
atatehouse commission to rent a house
in the city of Trenton for the occu
pancy of the governor and appropri
ated $2,500 for that purpose. My
thanks are due to the legislature for
its courteous and friendly action, but
whatever Is done In this line must ap
ply to the next governor and not the
present governor. That the governor
jf I*evr Jenw J* IRwMea with
a house In Trenton my experience has
clearly demonstrated.
Our Agricultural Interests.
In 1900 the value of the field crops
'and milk ill our state was but $24,
000,000, while in 1009 they exceeded
$59,000,000, an increase of over 100
per cent.
What the farmer of today needs
most is education along moderiPlines
If we had a state farm, conducted on
the most approved modern lines and
raising the profitable crops; that couid
be visited -and its methods studied for
practical instruction, good results
would follow. Skilled farmers esti
mate that a farm of this kind of mod
erate size would produce a revenue
that would yield a profit to the state
of several thousand dollars per year
over its cost, besides being of incal
culable value by way of, instruction
to the farmers of the state. Reasona
ble appropriations to aid agricultural
developments should be made.
Waters of the State.
By chapter 238 of the laws of 1905 it
was made unlawful for any person or
corporation to transport fresh water of
this state into any other state for use
therein, and power was given by pro
ceedings in the court of chancery to
enjoin any such attempted action.
The Hudson County Water company,
a corporation created by our laws, not
withstanding this statute, attempted to
lay pipes for the purpose of transport
ing the waters mentioned in the statue
from this state to the borough of Rich
mond, in the state of New York/
At the relation of the attorney gen
eral a decree of the court of chancery
was made restraining said company,
and the same was affirmed in the court
of errors and appeals. The decision of
this latter court was taken by writ of
error to the supreme court of the Unit
ed States and affirmed.
No subject is of greater momeut to
our people than the conservation of
our potable waters. No individual or
corporation should be permitted to
transport out of the state any water
within our territory; certainly not
without the permission of the water
supply commission or some other state
board.
We should not permit the sale of
this necessity of life in any case where
it could in any way interfere with the
full and free water supply required
for our own people.
I not only recommend that the act
of 1905 be extended to subterranean
waters, or a new act passed covering
such waters, but I suggest that a stat
ute be enacted making it a misde
meanor for any individual or corpora
tion to attempt to divert any of the
potable waters of the state for any
purpose to any point out of the state.
I further recommend that a statute
be passed empowering the court of
chancery to enjoin for any entry upon
the lands of the state where such lands
are under the jurisdiction of the ripa
rian commission as provided in sec
tions 25 and 38 of the ripariau act.
T uberculosis.
By joint resolution No. 4 of the
laws of 1909 the legislature created a
commission and appropriated $1,500
to promote the work of education in
fighting tuberculosis.
The management of the state insti
tution at Glen Gardner asks for a
sufficient sum to erqct three shacks
that will house about twenty patients
each, and the state hospitals at Morris
Plains and Trenton and the Village
For Epileptics and the Home For Fee
ble Minded Women each ask for a
small appropriation. All these re
quests should be granted.
The locations of any buildings for
the prevention or cure of tuberculosis
should be subject to the approval of
the state tyoard of health, and no
building for this purpose, whether
public or private, should be permit
ted to be established or maintained in
this state until the permission of that
board be first obtained.
State Militia.
The report of the adjutant general
shows the condition of the state militia
to be very satisfactory.
The First battalion, naval reserve
has the United States steamship Ports
mouth as its training ship. This is a
sailing vessel of the old type and Is
not a satisfactory ship for the bat
talion. Provision should be made at
the present session of the legislature
for a sufficient appropriation to assure
the securing of a proper steam power
vessel for the battalion, and applica
tion should be made to the secretary
of the navy to assign a suitable ship
of this class for the use of this bat
talion.
Stats Highways.
The highway commission has made a
report, which will be presented to you,
and they recommend the creation of a
system of highways to be maintained
at state expense and to run from coun
ty seat to county seat and, connect
with an ocean boulevard along the At
lantic ocean. This system of highways
will have a length of 853 miles and if
carried out will establish in our state
a system of public roads which will
not be equaled in any state.
The highways of New Jersey are
now noted for their excellence, and
this plan will increase their notoriety
and draw to our state many thousands
of persons and thus result in great ad
vantage to all our tradespeople. Aside
from this, the benefit to the agricul
tural sections of the stute will be be
yond estimation. The annual cost of
maintaining such a system of high
ways after they are once thoroughly
constructed Is estimated by the road
commissioner at $275,000.
Some of the roads within the route
proposed by the highway commission
are not yet improved. As to this, they
recommend that they be improved un
der the state road act, but that the
percentage which the state shall con
tribute toward the unimproved part of
the route shall be one-half of the total
cost.
The automobile fees which during
the last fiscal year under the present
law amounted to $245,196.55 can be
utilized for maiuteuauce. With this
system of highways our automobile
fees should be increased about one
third above that which is now paid,
and the recommendation of the high
way commission on this subject is
heartily approved by the executive.
In addition to this 850 miles of high
way, the state should take over and
maintain that which was the old turn
pike road between Jersey City and
Newark. A good highway between
Jersey City and Newark <a needed and
would be of great advantage to the
state.
Railroad Revaluation.
By joint resolution No. 3 the legisla
ture at its last session authorized the
appointment of a commission 'to re-"
value the railroad property of the
state. They have presented a pre
liminary report which will be before
the legislature.
The work was found to be very ex
acting and to require grfeat care and
large expense. The\ appropriation
made at the last session for this pur
pose was $20,000, which has been ex
pended, and the work carried on to
the extent of the appropriation.
No subject before this legislature is
of more importance than the author
ization of the continuauce of this work.
It will cost a large sum of money,
probably $100,000 in addition to that
already spent, but if the results achiev
ed are what it is believed they will be
this expenditure will be wise, and if it
settles the controversies over railroad
taxation in this state, whether the rev
enue be increase’d or not, the money
will have been well expended.
The cost of the revaluation of the
railroads in other states has not been
less in any case than $150,000.
The state’s greatest source of reve
nue is from railway taxation, and the
help that comes to our free school sys
tem from it, which amounts to over
$2,500,000 a year, should be a sufficient
incentive to securing a just and equi
table valuation for taxation.
An immediate appropriation for the
continuance of this work should be
made even prior to the enactment of
the supplemental appropriation bill,
and that bill should include a sufficient
amount to carry the work until Oct.
31, 1910, and a reasonable appropria
tion should be included in the annual
appropriation bill for the year ending
Oct. 31, 1911, that the completion of
the work may be assured.
Palisades Park.
The development of this natural
park and promotion of its attractive
ness for our people should receive the
support of the legislature. An exten
sion of this park system in the state
of New York has lately been assured
by the splendid gift of 10,000 acres of
land and $1,000,000 in cash by Mrs.
Harriman, widow of the late E. 'H.
Harrlman, and a number of large sub
scriptions by public spirited citizens
of New York. The fund raised by
these gifts exceeds $2,500,000, and the
state of New York is expected to au
thorize an expenditure of a like
amount. The governor of that state
has so recommended.
This fund is to be expended to open
the Hendrick Hudson drive along the
whole distance of the Palisades park
on the Hudson river, thirteen miles of
which, as we have seen, lies in New
Jersey. Our state will be asked to
make a reasonable appropriation, paya
ble at easy intervals, and the legisla
ture should respond by generous ac
tion iii this matter.
Grand Army of the Republic.
The national encampment of the
Grand Arpiy of the Republic held at
Salt Lake City the past year voted that
the next annual encampment should
be held at Atlantic City, in this state.
This will be the first time that the na
tional encampment of the Grand Army
of the Republic has ever been held in
our state. The people of the state and
all of their officials should lend to this
occasion every support possible.
Edward Moore Robinson, the mil
lionaire banker and partner of J. Pier
pont Morgan, died at his residence in
Villa Nova, Pa.
City. Comptroller Olin S. Luffinan o
Scbnfctudy, N. Y., died in his home in
that city. He was seventy-one years
old.
Rear Admiral William T. Burwell,
U. S. N., retired, died at Llandudno, a
watering place in Walus.
YOUNG SCULPTOR’S HONOR.
Miss Bella Kinney to Model Confeder
ate Women's Memorial Statue.
Mias Belie Kinney of Nashville,
Tenn., recently signed a contract with
thqcommittee of Confederate Veterans
appointed at the last re-union, held
in Birmingham, for supplying the me
morial statue to the women of the
Confederacy, a replica of which, It
Is contemplated, shall be placed upon
the eupltol grounds of each of the
original Confederate states. The price
agreed to be paid Miss Kinney for her
design Is $5,000, this to cover the cost
of the first and each subsequent statue
purchased, and the committee agrees
to take no fewer than ten.
In the concluding competition which
resulted In the selection of Miss Kln
nfcy’s design there were only two
,
HISS BELLE KINNEY.
models submitted, that of Miss Kin
ney and one by Louis Potter, a New
York sculptor. The committee of vet
erans, headed by General Julian S.
Carr of Durham, N. C., as chairman,
spent some time In Inspecting the two
models and weighing the various
points of each.
The statue is to be of bronze, eight
feet In height, and represents the God
dess of Fame as the central figure,
placing a wreath upon the head of the
Confederate woman, who is pictured
as reclining, exquisitely featured, with
an expression of sadness, typifying the
self sacrificing southern women of war
time. This woman’s figure Is on the
right of the central figure, Fame,
which Is represented as supporting on
.. "Tl. ■" —...
/
HIS WIFE OBJECTED
On September 17,1909, C. G. W., of St. John, v
New Brunswick, Canada, applied to The Pru
dential for a $500 policy. It was issued, but,
his wife objecting, he did not take it. He re
ceived a slight injury which developed into
blood-poisoning, and he died in a few days.
His wife, through her own fault, is deprived of
the money that should be hers.
The Prudential
her left the figure of a dying Confed
erate soldier, to whom the southern
woman Is extending even In death
the palm of victory.
Miss Kinney' is one of the most suc
cessful of the young sculptors in the
United States. She is the daughter of
MISS KINNEY’S DESIGN FOB STATUE TO
WOMEN OF THE CONFEDEBACY.
the late Daniel Kinney of Nashville
and, although only twenty-two years
old, already has received marked rec
ognition in the art world. She re
ceived her art education at the Art
institute of Chicago, where she taught
sculpture in the summer of 1908. She
received the contract for the design
ing of the Jere Baxter statue at Nash
ville before she was of legal age to
sign the contract. Among her class
works at the Chicago institute which
received special praise from her in
structors was the modeling of one of
the figures for “The Spirit of the
Mines.”
REMOVAL
CW. ENNIS & CO. beg to announce
that they have
• moved their office to thejproperty re
cently purchased by them on Elm
Street, and formerly occupied by The Dal
rymple-Hastings Co. It will afford them
great pleasure to meet their customers and
friends at their new stand, and, in view of
many improvements now being made on
their new purchase, they will be better
equipped than ever before to take care of
the wants of their patrons.
PRICES DOWN
TO MOVE GOODS OUT#
From every section of the store comes
bargain news of greatest import—we
can’t begin to crowd it into the papers,
eager as we are to tell you of all the
good things.
v In the basement we are making things hum
with our great Annual Sale of Housewares,
which includes almost every conceivable thing ip
opr wonderful housefurnishing stock—prices are
away below usual, bringing big savings to house
keepers economically inclined—chin aware,
glassware, tinware, enamelware, and all
kinds of specialties are very materially reduced for this January Sale. One can
not well appreciate the values without a visit to the store.
On the First? Floor there are interesting sales in many departments, con
spicuous among (which are the White Goods, including 1910 Embroideries
Dress Fabrics, Sheets and Pillow Cases, Bed Quilts, and the like.
On the Second Floor the mighty Garment Clearances, including all
sorts of Woman’s Dresses. Suits, Skirts, Coats and Furs, the Millinery
Clearance,Jand the winning White Sale of Undermuslins hold the attention of
thousands. J| ife-i
HOn the ThirdUFloor the great January Furniture Sale, the Sale of
Floor. Coverings, and the Sale of Upholsteries, practically everything re
duced 10 to 50 per cent.—all are magnets that are attracting people to the
store. Take it all in all, we are making January hum with business.
On stormy days, shop by ’phone, or mail.
HAHNE & CO.
* t
Broad, New and Halsey Sts., Newark: