The San Francisco call., 1897-03-20
Important Measures Passed
Upon by the State
Legislature.
Closing Work of the Session
That Passes Into History
at Noon To-Day.
Courage and Intelligence Were Dis.
Pay d, Notwithstanding the
Hearst Mud.S inging.

OAOhAh IL, SAL., Ao.-c CIV
Legislatures of this State have to their
credit the amount of wise and i'm portant
legislation that has been enacted by the
sitting body which will go into history at
noon tomorrow. To this affirmative dis
tinction it can also add the negative honor
of having passed little or no vicious legis-
lation and of having been remarkably free
from ''cinch' or blackmail bills. 1t VIII
also 90 down in history as the body which
had the courage and intelligence 10 e1-
pose and hold up to public odium the
journal which, in the interest of politics,
sought by unfounded charges of corrup-
tion to cast a stigma upon it, simply be-
cause the people preferred to trust their
p1blic sffairs to Republicans. The only
result of its frantic and stupid efforts was
to cause it to be publicly and officially
branded as a willful falsiier and to be
popularity designated as the new journal
of thousand and one fakes"
That all legislation passed was intelli-
gently and thoroughly considered is
shown by the fact that out of more than
1900 measures introduced in both houses
only about 120 have become laws, or about
per cent.
To Senator Stratton belongs the honor
of authority of several of the most impor-
tant and far-reaching laws. First In the
list is his constitutional amendment pro-
viding for home rule for counties. This
not only does away with the county govern
ment act and the county fee bill, but gives
each county the right to make its own
election laws. Another notable measure
introduced by him is a new primary cleo
ton law, which greatly simplifies and
| lessons the costs of such elections. He is
also the author OF the bill which provides
that in cases on appeal there shall be no
reversals on technicalities. This is con-
sidered one OF the most desirable amend
men is to the Code of Civil Procedure that
could have been made and has the almost
universal approval of the bar and bench
| of the State.
| Not less in value to the people of the
| State is the bill fathered by Senator Bulla
! for the certification of land titles and the
| implication of the transfer of real estate,
popularity known az the Torrens land bill.
This provides that after proper examina-
! tion by a court of record a certificate of
| title shall be issued which shall be inde-
| fensible. In this way piece of real estate
can be transferred as readily as horse or
any kind OF personal property. This
| measure had a checkered history before il
| became q law. 1t was defeated in the
! Senate by lobbyists working in the inter-
| est of title insurance companies. But it's
| author secured reconsid Grafton and after
| an able speech in favor of the dill and in
| denunclaton of the principal lobbyist
| against the measure secured its passage by
good majority.
| Three measures of special interest to
San Francisco safely passed the scylIa
and chary bdis of legislation. Taese were
| Asse N bly, man Treacy's bills providing for
Iully paid Fire Department for San
Francisco, Halls bill for free public
! market on the water front of San Fran.
cisco. and Braunhart's bill for the extern
tension of the seawall south of Mission
street and the issuance of 81, ,000 600 worth
| of bonds therefor.
| To those interested in the higher educa-
! rion cause for qualification in the work
of the Legislature will be found in AS
| sem blyman Wright's bill, which gives
| the State Unive rsity the revenue from
| a 2-cent tax hereafter. Cnis will ena-
| bic that institution to provide better
accom- modat1ons for the students and
more instructors, and will also permit to
| lay up fund for the construction and
| maintenance of larger and more appro-
pirate buildings in the future.
| Another bill in favor of education is
! that which reappropriated $125.OO0 for
| buildings for the affiliated colleges to be
! erected in San Francisco
! Minors see hope and life in the bill
which reappropriate $3.50, 600 for the inn
pounding of debris and the farmers of the
| Sacramento Valley find equal food for
| congratulation in the passage of the
| dredger bill. In fact these two measures
are expected to prove OF equal benefit to
| both miner and farmer as they will per.
| nit each to carry on his respective indus
! try without interfering with the other.
| In the passage of the coyote scalp
claims bill has been removed one of the
STUN bling blocks of legislation in this and
| the preceding session. This has been the
source of more scandalous stories than
any measure for many session. While
1T is known by every mem ber that there
are numerous fraudulent coyote claims
pending, it is confidently expected that
| they will be weeded out by the Board of
Examiners.
! II was deemed best to pass the bill ap-
propra;ing $2S7, ,6l5- for the payment of
these claims. so as to permit all honest
claimants, more particularly the farmers,
whose individual claims are small, to re.
ceive what is due them. Had the bill not
passed at this session 1t was feared that
the smaller holders of coyote claims would
be forced to sell at heavy discount to the
spectators, and that in tits way the
temptation to lobbyists would be in.
creased.
What may be justly placed in the cate
CORY of measures OF the first i'm Importance
is the change of venue bill, known as
Bridg gford's Assembly bill 977 and which
was subs tituted for he cele ebrated Cami-
netti Assemb bly, bill 273, which incidentally
landed two of the Examin er's staff in Jail
for taxing and then refusing to confess.
Lovers of the wheel played even on the
Southern PACING for attempting to charge
for carrying wheels across the ferry by
securing the passage of bill providing
for the carriage of bicycles as baggage
everywhere in the State.
Senator Dickinson, in his dairy inspec-
tion bill, has given the people of the State
the opportunity to secure absolutely pure
and healthful milk and other dairy
products
II provides for the inspection OF all cat
tie and particularly for the detection and
extirpation of bovine tuberculosis 1t
calls for tue killing of all infected cattle
and permits the loss for the same to fall
on the unfortunate owner. As originally
introduced it provided that the State
should com pen safe the owner for all his
Infected cattle that were condemned and
slain.
These are few of the most meritorious
measures out of scores of others. But if
credit is due for the new laws given the
people, equal commendation is due for
the vast number of bills that were con-
signed to Oblivion.
Object to Bohen and Kinnsy.