The record-union., 1897-04-10
WHAT THE NEW LAWS ARE
INTENDED TO ACCOMPLISH.
NUMBER FIVE.

1t will be of interest to exempt mem
bers of duly organized fire companies TO
know that they are exempt from jury
duty without any awkward provisions.
The statute of 1893 provided that they
should be exempt from such duty only
in case the exemption existed before the
passage of the Act.
MAYORS AND TRUSTEES.
One of the Acts passed which affects
every corporated city in the State, is
worthy of a careful perusal, as it ex-
plicitly defines the position of Mayors
and Boards of Trustees respecting the
passage and approval of ordinances.
The complete text of the law follows:
Section /. Every ordinance and every
resolution of the City Council or any
municipality providing for any specific
Improvement, or the granting OF any
franchise. or other privilege, or affect
ing real property interests, or the ex-
penditure of more than 500 of the pub
lie moneys, or levying tax or assessment
or establishing rates for art1hclal hght'
and every ordinance or resolution I'M
posing a duty or penalty, which shall
have passed the City Council, shall De
fore it takes effect, be presented 10 the
Mayor for his approval. The Mayor
shall return such ordinance or resolution
to the City Council within ten days after
receiving it. If he approves 1t he snail
sign it, and it shall then take effect Ii
he disapprove it he shall specify his OBJ
jections thereto in writing. II he do not
return it with such disapproval WITHIN
the time above specified, it shall take
effect as if he had approved it. The OBJ
jections of the Mayor shall be entered
at large on the journal of the City Coun-
Gil, and the City Council shall cause the
. same to be Immediately published. Inc
City Council shall, after five, and within
thirty days after such ordinance or res
Olution shall have been returned with
the Mayors disapproval, reconsider ana
vote UPON the same: and II the same
shall, upon reconsideration be again
passed by the affirmative vote OF not less
than ree-fourths of all the members,
the presiding officer shall certify that
fact on the ordinance or resolution, ana
when so certified, it shall take effect as
if it had received the approval OF the
Mayor; but if the ordinance or resolu-
ton shall fail to receive upon the first
vote thereon after it's return with the
Mayors disapproval the affirmative
votes of three-fo urths of all the mem
bers it shall be deemed finally lost. The
vote on such reconsideration shall be
taken by ayes and noes, and the names
of the members voting for or against the
same shall be entered in the journal;
provided that the provisions of this sec
ton shall not apply to cities in which the
Mayor is a member of the City Council.
or other governing body.
Section ,. The word municipality,
and the word city" as used in this Act,
shall be understood and SO construed as
to include. and is hereby declared to
include, all corporations heretofore or
ganized and now existing, and those
hereafter organized, for municipal pur-
poses.
Section 3. The term "City Council is
hereby declared to include any body or
board which, under the law, is the legis-
lative department of the government of
any city.
Section 4. In municipalities in which
there is no Mayor, then the duties i'm
posed upon said officer by the provisions
of this Act shall be performed by the
President of the Board of Trustees or
other chief executive officer of the NUM-
cipality.
Section ). This Act shall take effect
and be in force from and after its pass
age, and all Acts and parts of Acts in
conflict with this Act are hereby re-
pealed.
INTERESTING TO CYCLERS.
The late Legislature not only recog-
nized the bicycle as a factor in the af-
fairs of the State. but passed laws in
tended to make the way Of the wheel an
easy one. The Act relating to the grant
ing of franchises for the construction of
bicycle paths and roads, is as follows:
Section i. The legislative or other
body to whom is intrusted the govern
ment of any county, city and county,
city, or town, may, under such regula-
tions, restrictions, and limitations as it
may provide, subject to existing laws,
grant franchises for the construction of
paths and roads, either on the surface,
elevated, or depressed, on, over, across.
or under the streets and public high
ways of any such county, city and coun-
ty, city, or town, for the use of bicy-
cles, tricycles, motor cycles, and other
like horseless vehicles, propelled by the
rider, for a term not exceeding fifty
years; provided, that in incorporated
cities no franchise shall be granted for
the purpose herein expressed, unless the
consent in writing Of the owners of
majority of the frontage upon the road
or street along which said path or road
is sought to be constructed. be first had
and obtained and filed with such legis-
lative or governing body.
Section >. This Act shall take effect
Immediately.
That portion of the Act to amend
2643 of the Political Code relating TO
the duties Of Boards of Supervisors, re-
speeding the setting aside of strips of
roads for bicycle purposes, is as fol-
lows:
I'm their discretion they boards Of
Supervisory may set apart, on any
public road or highway, a strip of land
not exceeding six feet in width for a
side path: and make an order. desig-
mating the width OF such path, and
cause the line separating the path from
the road to be located and marked by
stakes or posts placed at such distances
apart as they shall deem proper. After
said path has been set apart and the
line separating the same from the road
has been located and marked as
aforesaid. the use of the same is here
by restricted to pedestrians and riders
rs II