The San Francisco call., 1899-02-26
A LITTLE JOKER
THAT SLIPPED IN
Trouble in Store for the County
Government Bill When 1t
Comes Up.

| MENTO. Feb 25.-There is trouble in
store for the county government bill when
| it returns from the hands of the printer.
| It has been before the proper committees
| OF both houses Of the Legislature ana mas
| been considered at the expense of several
valuable hours and still it has gone to the
| printer with an important provision that
| it is not at all certain should be there.
| The bill is one that was introduced In
| the Senate by Senator Davis and in the
House by Assemblyman Kelly. Both blils
are entitled IAN act to amend al act en-
titled an act to establish a uniform sys-
TEN of county and township government.
The Senate bill is a duplicate of the one
introduced in the Assembly, and they
have been passed upon by the County
Government committees Of both houses
and by a Joint committee. The Senate
committee had the bill before it week
ago, and before the committee was also
delegation from San Francisco Whlch hao
a Joker to slip in. The clause the oele-
CATION wanted included in the bill was
one to hold in office until 1903 the county
officers of San Francisco who would nave
held office under the county government
act now in force, f9r tour cSSTn,5ittee Sea1Ii that
the incumbents would never have run 1or
office had they any idea that they Wouau
not hold for four years, put unaeI Jul JUL
cious questions from members OK tne COM COM
mittee il was brought out that there was
a fun knowledge of the possibilities of the
charter being adopted and the CONSEQUENT y
shortening Of the terms by reason Oh
new election under the new law -,
Edgar Piexotto. attorney for the SherlI'
AL Berthier. Recorder. and w. A. Deane, l,,
County Clerk of San Francisco, mace up
the committee They wanted an amend
ment tackled on to the county government
bill allowing them to hold once regar9iess d
of any new charter election, but the SEN
ate committee would not see. 1T that way,
and the amendment although considered
was not adopted. In the Assembly COM
mittee however, it Jared better. After
long argument the desired amendment
was added to the Assembly bill; Last
night there was meeting OF the JOINT
COMMITTEES on County Government of the
Assembly and that of the Senate ana the
county government bill was considered
but no amendments such as the one pro-
viding for the extra term for city offi-
cials was passed. The bill was otherwise
thoroughly thrashed over and was or
dered sent to the printer:
Some of the Senators who are interested
in the bill took last look at it just before
it went over to the printing Office, s5TH and
which provides that all county officers
elected in San Francisco in 1898 and whose
terms commenced January l. 1899, should
hold Office until January /. 1903, or com
plete the four-year term which the char
ter expressly denies them.
There was a commotion at once. The
clerk of the Senate committee declared
he had no record of the amendment ever
having passed the Senate committee, and
IL
and Assemblymen and clerks who attend
ed the session of the joint committee
agree that the amendment was never
passed by the joint committee, but the
amendment is there, and now 1t will have
to be fought on the floor of the Senate.
1t is partially explained by one of the
clerks, who says that the amendment,
having been adopted by the Assembly
committee. was pasted in the bill and
when the measure was considered by the
Senate committee it was overlooked and
went to the printer as coming from the
Senate committee as well as the Assem-
bly, committee, but it is a bad mistake and
may lead to a great deal of trouble and
delay before it is finally rectifed.
There was some talk also of the manip-
ulation of the amendment for the pur-
pose of making voluntary mistake, but
the prominent fact is that the amendment
is there and with the consent of but one
half the legislative body.
The unwelcome amendment is consid-
cred particularly obnoxious because of
the results which may follow its adop-
tion. Should the Legislature be empow-
cred to step in and say that officers whom
the charter says shall hold office for two
years may hold for four, there is no tell
ing what else it may do in the way of null
ment.
It was well known at the time the cleo
ton was held in San Francisco that there
was every possibility that the charter
would pass and that it would be ratified
by the Legislature and that in the event
Of such q combination of circumstances
the term Of the officers elected at the
election last November would be only un-
til there should be another election under
the new organic law of the CITY The
claim that some of the officers believed
they were to hold for four years was
scoffed at by the Senate committee and
that is the reason there is much feeling
over the unexpected joker in the bill now
being printed.