The San Francisco call., 1896-05-13
The Legislature Petitioned to Ac-
cept the 1000, ,ooo-Acre Arid
Land Grant.
NEED OF SPECIAL DISTRICTS
Plan by Which Property. Holders
Can Make Necessary I'm.
provements.

c. L. Taylor of San Francisco presented
q paper on San Francisco County roads.
He stated that prison labor was employed
very advantageously on the county roads,
at great saving to taxpayers and
benefit morally and physically to the
prisoners. A delegate from Santa Cruz
stated that prisoners could generally not
be worked at distant points from the Jail
on account of lack of facilities. J. S. Selby
of Santa Clara related the experience in
Santa Clara County, which he said was
profitable. He thought that new noun
tain roads could be better worked by the
prisoners than valley roads.
Mr.. Mason of the State Bureau of High
ways said the criminal element was grow
ing TO an unnatural proportion in Califor-
mia, which was in part due to lack of
punishment inflicted, and that the prison
ers are permitted to 1--we in greater luxury
than some taxpayers. They should pay
back the cost of their maintenance, but
they should not be permitted to antsgonize
free labor. The State had recently ac-
quired property on one of the forks of the
American River, and a bridge across the
stream is much needed. Steel or iron
would cost too much and be wasteful. but
a magnificent stone bridge should be built
there with prison labor. A quarry near by
would give work for year, and the build
ing of the bridge would take another year.
1t would be enduring for centuries. Mr..
Manson suggested that the Legislature be
petitioned to enact favorable measures.
S. T. Aver of this county stated that in
his opinion prison labor was not profit
able as it came too much IN conflict with
free labor.
Dimond of San Francisco said it was
not fair comparison to use San Fran
cisco as basis, for there they work fifty or
sixty prisoners with three or four guards,
whereas in other counties there need be as
many guards as prisoners.
Woodward of Los Angeles favored
prison labor on the highways as solution
of the tramp problem.
Henderson of Stockton thought prison.
ers could be proftablv employed if they
could be committed to jail, but the JUS
tees keep turning them loose and the
constables are continually rearresting
them.
a resolution petitioning the Legislature
to enact laws permitting the working of
county prisoners at rock breaking, road
building. ETC., when not antagonistic to
free labor, was almost unanimously passed.
Mr.. Burbick and Major Sherman of
Oakland addressed the convention on the
jubilee celebration of the raising of the
American flag at Monterey by Commodore
Sloat July Z, 1886 The event will be a
continuous entertainment from July TO
July Z, including naval and land sham
battles, boatraces. etc. The Supervisors
Il -
of the fifty-eight counties contribute a
stone for the monument being erected at
Monterey in memory of Commodore Sloat.
and TO name young lady as maid of
honor to the California Queen who will
preside over The celebration. The Super
visors from the various counties agreed to
act as requested.
The discussion OF the cost of feeding
prisoners showed that it ranged variously
from 10 cents per day in Sacramento County
to so cents per day in San Mateo County.
An invitation was accepted to visit the
Normal School tomorrow morning, after
which drive in the country will be taken.
The lcaragua canal resolutions were
passed with slight amendment.
A paper was read by NJ. B. Ivory advo-
eating the building of electric roads on the
sides of highways and not in the center of
the roadweys.
Resolutions were adopted in favor of
petitioning the Legislature to pt the
grant of 1000, 900 acres of arid land of tn.
public domain made by the last United
States Congress to California; that the
money derived from its sale be used in the
betterment of the State highways; that
the Legislature be requested to enact
law regulating the width OF all tires of
wheeled vehicles, based upon their carry
ing capacities; thanking the Board of
Public Highways for its manifest interest.
in the convention, and favoring The con.
road material at Folsom.
A resolution favoring the appointment
of committee to present the resolutions
passed by the convention to the next Legis-
lature was adopted, and Chairman Green
niger named Supervisors Aver, Field, Hol.
brook. Henderson and Church.
The following resolution, introduced bv
Woodward of Los Angeles, was adopted:
WHEREAS, Under the existing statute there is
no remedy for the property-holders along the
line of any road, or adjacent thereto, to make
necessary improvements to said roads as thew
advancement of their interests; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That 1t is the sense of this conyen-
ton OF Supervisors of the various counties tof
the State, assembled in the city of San Jose on
May IL, 1896, that the Legislature be peti-
toned to enact a law providing that when a
majority OF the property-owners by petition in
due form request that they be set aside into
a special district, the Board OF Supervisors,
may, in their judgment, form such a district
consisting of all property abutting or contigu-
Gus thereto along tae proposed line of road to
be opened, constructed or improved. and said
district shall include all property as may be
directly benefited by such Improvement
The Board OF Supervise shall levy tax
not to exceed 81 on the 500 of assessed valu-
alton of all property in said special district in
addition to all other taxes levied, and said tax
shall be collected at the same time and in the
same manner as other taxes until said i'm
provement is completed.
r. G. Twine of the State Bureau of High