Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-19
ASSEMBLY,.
sAcR.nExro. Arril Is. 1851

= =
chair and 4 quorum present
Mr. Mason, from the Committee on Mileage sub
mitted report relating TO the mileage of attaches
aud employees, with the names of those to whom
mileage is due, per the holding Of the minority OF
the Judiciary Committee, and the amounts for each
but without recommendation regarding the payment
of the same Also the names of those 10 whom
mileage is due and the amounts, per the holding of
the majority report OF the judiciary Committee but
without recommendation regarding payment Of the
same.
The House took up A. B. 10 (dr Frasers road
bilr and by consent it passed on the file and
S. B. (the Senate road billy was taken up and or.
dered read second time by sections. THE consid-
Grafton of the bill and the debate involved deyel-
oped deeper interest and closer attention, and
more earnest spirit, than any subject yet brought
before the extra session. and proved OF unusual in
terestl
Art /, Secs. 26lS and 2619 were read without ab-
lection being maze Sec. 2620. Mr.. CUNNINGHAM
moved to make the minimum of the width OF high
ways 90 instead Of 40 feet. Mr. LoSG said On noun
tain roads 60 feet of width would be great iic-
tion upon the people. Mr.. HARsToS thought dis
cret;on should be Ieposed the local authorities.
Mr. CHANDLER took the' same view. Mr.. JACKSON
wanted the streets in the mountain towns 60 feet.
Mr. VAN FLEET objected to 60 feet for like reasons
with Mr.. Long. The amendment was defeated. Mr..
EDWARDS moved to include alleys and lanes in the
extension as to width Adopted Secs. 1921 and
1922 passed without objection.
Article II, Section 2631 no objection. In 2G32,
Mr. GILMORE moved to strike out the trespass pen.
to make tree planting mandatory along the high
way instead of optional 4; lost. Mr. DEL VALE
moved to make it forty feet that highway shall be,
in order to permit trees to be set out, instead of
three rods Mr. GRIFFIIH said as the section stood
twelve feet would be taken of the width, and make
the road too Withdrawn.
Article ILL., Section 2C41-Nr. LONG moved to
amend to strike out the words that allow the Road
Commissioners compensation, each Supervisor
being eX officio Road Commissioner. Adopted.
Mr. ALvIso moved to strike out 26il and 2642 and
substitute section providing that the Supervisors
shall create road districts and appoint Over
petition Of ma iorty of property owner with power
OF removal for cause Mr.. EDWARDS said the object
was to do away with the Commissioner business by
Supervisors and name in place Overseer for each
district responsible to the Boardof Supervisors The
plan works well in many counties now and it was
unwse to change. Supervisors ought not to have
power to pass the bills OF its own members as
Commissioners. That is 4 dangerous experiment
Mr.. DEL VALE thought the Supervisor ought to be
Commissioner his own district. He offered a
substitute TO strike out 20l2, and provide for an
Overseer be elected in each district in January
next for two years. those in office to out,
and intermediate vacancies to be filled by Supervis
ors Mr.. LoNG opposed Mr. Alviso's amendment. He
said the new law is now the law Of Nevada county,
and proves the best ever tried there, each Super
yisors being Roadmastr Of his district and recev-
ing $500 per year. II they dishonest
they can steal more when not Commissioners than
where they are. The bill lessons the number of
offcers-the amendment increases it. Mr.. DAGGETT
said s the stealing in his section had been done BY
Road Overseers. Men are elected unable to earn
living. Whisky shops elect some, and absorb all
the fund. The supervisory power should be brought
as osely possible to the work. One Road Over
seer in his county put in claim for $40 days
vice in one year. The road money of his people had
been squandered. Mr.. YoUSG favored the substi-
tue as it tended to the chief objections to
the present state OF affairs. The overseer being
elective, the people will hold him responsible to
them. 1t is common notoriety that road funds are
niisappied and the roads neglected Mr.. CHANDLER
1 -.
as can be and apply to all the counties, as it must
To change the sections is to mutilate the bill and
render 1t inapplicable TO the whole State. Mr..
| CAHRoN said the amendments went to the
essence of the bill. He took issue with
both his colleagues The Road OveTseer plan
has been tried twenty years in Alameda and the
roads are than ever for the money all goes to
pay the Overseers. They go cut to fix culvert and
t1ke horse and buggy and drive mile and tie up
at i grocery and charge 81 for a days service. No
ore is responsible under the 0verseer system, but
the bill makes the Super visor respopsible-the
WHO levies the tax and controls the fund. Twenty
workmen on the Alameda roads this winter lay
drunk in the mud Of the road, and the 0verseer
drew the pay for the men all the same. Mr.. ALvIso
said the Law of the bill had been tried in Alameda
and had failed. Mr. MOMuRRAY said in his county
the Overseer plan was a failure. Overseers there
collect the money aud spend it rs they please. Mr..
JACKSON favored Mr. Del Valle's substitute He
thought the people could elect as good Oyersesrs as
they could Supervisors. Mr.. GRIFFITH thought the
sections as in the bill better for all e counties than
any charge suggested. The eyes of all the people
are on tie Supervisors, and if roads neglected
and money was appropriated they well know what
authority to lay complaint before. To elect score
of Oyerseers brings political antagonisms into the
system. Supervisor boards, as rule are honest
it being the exception 10 the rule. Appointed
Oycrseers hold at the Will OF the Board and ii dis
honest or negectful can he removed an elective
one cannot be got at. Mr.. LGAKE said Supervisors
would always appoint their f1ysri.es. He favored
ee; ting Roadmasters Solano had tried 1t with
favor tita i
the Senate Mr.. Dbl YsbLE believed the people
better able judge of the qualifications of officers
than Boards of supervisors. The people should be
the ones to say who shall act for them Mr.
MATTHEWS OF San Beno said if whisky mills elect
Oyerseers so they elect Supervisors. Let the
people elect their own officers. Mr.. ALvIso
opposed clecting. Appointing oyerseers will give
every township, district section, on petition
representation and a voice in expending the road
money. The appointive system has been tried nearly
a century at the East and worked we'll. Mr. MuD.
GgIT said every argument used against electing
Road Oyerseers applied with equal force to the
whole system of democratic institutions and re-
publican form OF government. Humboldt tried
the appointive system, and got so badly punished
that it went to the elective system and it has
been success. Mr.. CHANDLsR said in his county
small districts were desired. In some districts there
are no election precincts. His people favored the
bill as it is in this regard Mr.. GRIFFITH said there
should be no division Of authority and responsible.
fty. Put it all on the Supervisors and the people
can look to them. There is no invasion Of demo-
cratic principles in system Of appoiutve subordi.
nate officers. He hoped 10 one would think the
Goddess of Liberty is to be debauched by appointve
Road overseers, and have her skirts bedraggled in
the mud of the roads of California, and that
the temple of American freedom is not to be shaken
by the assaults ef the Roadmasters OF these shores
Merriment.l Mr.. GILMORE favored elective
system he opposed Capitalization OF power, even
in the matter Of selecting Roadmasters. Mr.. BAKER
Of Yoo said prohibiting the election of masters is
violation OF the principles of local self govern
ment. Messrs. DAGGETT, DEL VALE, EDWARDS and
MupGETr again spoke. On call OF the ayes and noes
the substitute of Mr.. Del Valle lost. Ayes so,
noes 40. Mr. HALE desired the sections 20 stand
as in the Senate BILL Ia Placer they had tried
many plans during twelve years had got back to
the plan of having each Supervisor Commissioner
for his district, the whole Board to appoint Over
sesrs, removable BY the Board. His people had
settled on that plan and satisfied with it.
Mr. GRIFFITH moved substitute to strike out
in Section 2642 that the Board shall appoint Over
seers when they deem it necessary" and leave it
imi erative On the Board to appoint 0eerseer in
each district and TO strike the clause making
the Supt rvsors Road Commissioners act as Over
ssers when the Board hrs appointed no Cverseers.
Nr. GAY opposed the substitute as nnutilating the