The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-10
IN THE SENATE.
AMENDING THE COUNTY GOVERN
MENT BILL.


SACRAMENTO, March 9.-The exposure by
the CALL of the joker in the county
government bill was the talk of the San
Francisco delegation to-day. There was
a hurried informal meeting of a number of
the Senators and it was decided to take
steps to exempt the city and county of
San Francisco from the features engrafted
upon the bill by which the Assessor was
entitled ts retain 6per cent of the personal
property tax, IS on every 100 names
of persons returned by him as subject to
military duty, and by which the License
Collector was entitled to retain 10 per cent
on all licenses collected by him except
where otherwise provided. Senator Buggy
submitted to the San Francisco members
proposition to amend section 215 by in
serting after the word "act" in line u the
following:
Provided, however, that in counties and
cities of the first class the Assessor shall receive
no commission for the collection of taxes on
personal property, nor shall such Assessor re-
ceive any compensation for making out the
military roll of persons received by him as sub
ject to military duty, as provided by section
1901 of the Political Code.
At the night session Wilmington intro
duced this amendment in modified form to
include the License Collector. The amend
ment was adopted.
There were good many wrangles during
the day over the consideration of the county
government bill, which was amended so as
to practically grant local option to counties
on vote of the people.
Denison offered an amendment that this
section should not be so construed as to
prevent Supervisors granting licenses
where the county had voted for license
with a record proviso, that the section
should not prohibit cities and incorporated
towns from making sanitary and police
regulations. This amendment was with
drawn to be offered at later stage of the
proceedings.
Senator Earl introduced an amendment
which was bitterly attacked by Senator
Pedlar, who declared that it meant the du.
plication of deputies for all new counties
of the State, just to provide Alameda
County officials with deputies.
Senator Pedlar declared that he had
heard there were "iokers" in the bill. The
proposition was for an increase of depu-
ties where additional Superior courts had
been given.
There was a lot of talk over whether the
sections and salaries would fall with the
classification if the classification fell, as
Senator Earl seemed to fear
Senator Burke declared that there were
fourteen lawyers on the Judiciary Commit
tee. If the present act, as Senator Ear
seemed to fear, would fall and crumble
into ruins, then the lawyers of the Senate
were guilty of criminal negligence in seek,
ing to pass what might be a complete
failure.
1t was agreed at the close of the night
session to refer the bill back to the Judi
ciary Committee to pass on its constitu
t.onality
Then Senator Seawell discovered how
the joker in the bill, interpolated for jot
in San Francisco, affected his own district
The License Collector was also the Sheriff
in Mendocino His salary would, with tn,
10 per cent fee, be increased $1700. In So
MONA County the License Collectors per
quisites would be $4,000 year. He asked
that the subsection granting License Col
lectors 10 per cent be stricken out. The
Senate refused to accept the amendment
Senator Seymour offered to amend sec
ton 233 so as to read as follows: "Thi.
act so far as it changes the compensation
of any county officer herein named shall
not affect the incumbent"
Senator Wilmington declared that thi.
was a double-headed 'tbug" to undo al
| that had been done
Senator Pedlar suggested that Senator
| Seymour make the amendment apply tc
his own County and let the other countie.
alone.
! Senator Smith declared that the purposs