The herald., 1897-02-20
THE STATE LEGISLATURE
Talks Less and Does More
Business
GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS
Reported by the Committee on WAYS
and Means
Insane Asylum and Reform School Funds
Increased; Other Appropriations Are
Reduced Ten Per Cent
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
SACRAMENTO, Feb. 19.-It has been
busy but dull legislative day. Many
senators and assemblymen have gone
to San Luis Obispo to visit the proposed
site for technical school, among the
junketers being Assemblyman Vosburg.
The committee on ways and means has
presented its bill for general appropria-
tions 1t makes general cut of ten per
cent in the amounts allowed last year,
except for the insane asylums at High
land and Mendocino, and the reform
school at lone. which, owing to the
large increase in the number of inmates,
are slightly raised.
The amounts granted for maintenance
are as follows: Napa, $349, $50, amount
asked, 100000; Stockton, 1851, 900, amount
asked. $405,0O0 Agnews, 1926, $50; Mendo-
cino. $153,3OO; Highland, s173,S62 These
are the insane asylums. State school,
Whittier. $1SO,oO0; lone. $112.50O New
Santa Clara school, $4,000. These are
the reform schools, and the appropria-
tions are for two years. The reduction
on Whittier. adding the appropriation
proposed for 1t and that for Santa Clara
together is $45, 900 less than asked for.
The entire bill calls for an appropria tion
or $4,967 900, reduction of over $100, 900
from last year. The Normal school at
Los Angeles gets $9O,S0O, ten per cent
reduction. Whittier gets $4,000 for band
instruments. repair of furniture and IL
brary purposes. There are of course ap-
preparations for improvements besides
those enumerated above; thus the nor
NAL school gets $4,000 and Whittier $35, 900.
but the cut is very large all along the
line, and the amounts will undoubtedly
be raised in the senate.
1t Is proposed to reduce the salaries
of all the employees ten per cent.
The passage Of the Androus bill to al
low the destruction of municipal bonds
was very much desired by Pomona. Bull
las normal school bill, affecting all the
normal schools in the state, passed to
third reading in the senate. Also the
bill establishing the Santa Clara state
school for girls. This last mentioned
bill also passed to third reading without
amendment in the assembly, so it will
undoubtedly pass and become law next
week
A number of letters were received to-
day by Assemblymen Melick and others
showing appropriations for southern in
Btitutions were cut down and asking them
to see that they were not crippled for
want Of funds. The result is that men,
bers are betsirring themselves.
There is no chance, of any new bills
passing now, ana it will be surprising
If all the bills on file are reached. 1t is
very evident that sixty days is very lit
tie time for legislation in a big state
like this.
The assembly today defeated the bill
providing that majority of the board
Of state library trustees could declare
the office of state librarian vacant, in
stead of its requiring unanimous vote,
as at present. The defeat of this bill is
looked upon as victory for DR.. w. H.
incumbent, it being under
stood that there is at least one trustee
who will not vote for the doctors re-
The new board of trustees will
be unable to change the
as they proposed, next
year, and their pledge to put only Re-
publicans on guard cannot be kept.