The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-05
LIQUOR MEN UNDER COVER.
LOBBYISTS ARE ARRANGING TO
SLIDE LAWS THROUGH
UNOBSERVED.
AMENDMENT TO THE COUNTY Gov
ERNMENT BILL THE
CHANNEL.

SACRAMENTO, March 4.-The most per-
sistent lobby in Sacramento just now is
that of the liquor men. G. w. Baker, the
Southern Pacific and California Protective
Association attorney, is at the head and
front of the movement, and Dan T. Cole,
the Harbor Commissioner, is nis heugy
tenant.
Quite number of bills have been intro
duced ostensibly in the interest of the
liquor men, but which the liquor men
have had no intention of attempting to
pass. They were put up as blinds, against
which the opposition could wear out its
energy while the real measure which the
California Protective Association favors
might be quietly advanced to final passage.
The idea of the liquor men is to break
down municipal control of the traffic and
to make it impossible for towns like Pasa-
dena and Riverside to enforce prohibitiye
ordinances.
A great deal of quiet and it may be
effe ctive work is going on. Lobbyists
come into each house, and, sitting by SEN
ators and Assemblymen, seek to get prom
ises of support; or, if failing in that, ask
that nothing be said and that no active
opposition be manifested.
The whole scheme is to engraft on the
county government bill amendments which
will place the regulating of the liquor
traffic in the hands of county Boards of
Supervisors.
Some quiet day the amendments to the
county government bill will be offered, and
if the legislators who are opposed to them
are not on the alert, the bill will be amend
ed. 1t will then be too late to rescind such
action. The bill is so important that it
must be passed, the Governor will have to
sign it and the liquor men will go home in
triumph.
Section 33 of the county government
bill referring to the Board OF Supervisors
and their powers reads as follows: ''To
make and enforce within the limits of
their county all such local, police, sanitary
and other regulations which are not in
conflict with general laws"
To this section the liquor men ask that
the following be added: provided that
the provision of this section shall not be
so construed as to empower said Boards of
Supervisors to prohibit the conducting of
any business for which license has been
heretofore authorized under the laws of
this State since the adoption of the new
constitution of 1879"
This means the virtual recognition by
the State of the liquor traffic as legiti-
mate business, and throws around what
has been permitted in communities by
suffrance, the legal cloak of acknowledge
ment.
Section 27 of the county government bill
says, referring to the power of Supervisors:
ITO license, for the purpose of regulation
and revenue, all and every kind of business
not prohibited by law and transacted and
carried on in such counties; all shows, ex-
hibitions and lawful games carried on
therein, and to fix the rates of license tax
upon such business, shows, exhibitions
or games, and provide for the collection of
the same by suit or otherwise"
The amendment which the California
Protective Association will seek to add to
the bill is this: provided that such license
tax shall be based upon fair and equitable
distribution of the public burden upon all
classes of business, without unjust dis
elimination against any kind or class; and
provided further, that spirituous, vinous
and malt liquors, when sold in bulk and
not to be consumed upon the premises
where sold, shall be rated as other mer-
chandise for the purpose of license This
amendment is body blow at high license.
Etepen Millions Expenses So Far.
SACRAMENTO, March 4. = Governor Budd
has been figuring upon the expenses which
the present Legislature proposes to foist on
the State. He finds that the contingent
expense bills already signed, the bills be-
fore him carrying appropriations and the
general appropriation bill as passed by the
Senate exceed in the total of expenditures