The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-07
COUNTY GOVERNMENT
BILL IN A BAD WAY

CALL HEADQUARTERS SACRA-
MENTO. March 6.-There is trouble ahead
for the county government bill. 1t is
finding active enemies in both the Senate
and Assembly. and the chances are that
st VIII never reach the Governor. Oppo-
stion has even gone so far as an inten-
ton 70 move to have the enaCtlng clause
stricken from it, plan that was to be put
IN operation In the Assembly tomorrow
morning: but this has given way to an
other plan. the distinctive feature OF
which is to refer the measure back. TO the
County Government Committee and there
let II die. The fact that the county gov
eminent bill of the last Legislature has
been I'm effect only since the 1st of last
January is the most serious obstacle In
the progress Of the one brought up at this
session It is claimed the one now in
force is good enough; that the one under
consideration will take weeks OF time IN
its consideration and that as events so
far seem to indicate there IS strong dis
position to so amend the present measure
as to make ii Identical with the one OF
two. years ago.
In the Assembly the leaders in the oppo-
sition are Arnerich, Blood and Caminetu,
hacked by the San Francisco delegation;
They declare that II the bill is rere1erreu
TO the committee 1t will never leave there
again this session. and Melick, the chair
man of that committee, IS reported 10
In the Senate 1t Is not expected the OH
will be defeated, but it is certain II II
ever should get through 1t will be amend
al so it would hardly know Itself. 1here
have been two important amendments
passed upon so far in the Senate, ana
both have been reamended TO bring the
bill back to where 1t started from by the
act of two years ago. Senator Curtin mas
announced that he will withdraw all the
amendments ne has proposed Tor the
benefit of Tuolumne County, and the Ala
media delegates, or some OF them, nave
shown decided intention to spit some OF
the clauses relating to Alameda upon
= their disapproval There are other Sen
"a tors, too, who think the measure at TINS
stage of the session would be waste OF
time, and among them all It is liable to
The lawyers are the most complicated in
their opposition. Senator Curtin explains
that he is going TO Withdraw mis- amend
ments for fear of jeopardizing the sal
aries of the present officers of his county
in a vain endeaVOr TO benefit them. Under
ing the salary of any one in office at the
time the act is passed, 50 1t is plain, even
II the present act could be amended TO
give Tuolumne that increase in salaries
which every one on the floor is willing to
Concede is her due, still the raise could not
be applied until two years from now ana
then the next census will have been COM
pleted and TuOlumne will have been pro-
NOTED TO another class, for her population
warrants il even now. and then there viii
be a new salary schedule to apply In her
case To put in any amendment that tends
10 raise SdldTleS. senator tII III ISc1SOllo'
would only lay present salaries under a
cloud
Most of the important amendments are
on this subject of salaries, and the rea-
sons advanced for withdrawing the
amendments for Tuolumne apply in other
cases and most of them, too, Will be with
drawn.
The committee has done a great deal of
work on the bill and has proceeded in a
manner calculated to satisfy every one
In the committee meetings every amend
ment affecting any one county and sub
mitted by that cOunty'S proper represent
alive was put into this bill without ques-
zion and only those amendments affecting
the general provisions of the measure
were discussed by the committeeman: AS
2 consequence the bill, so far as 1t relates
20 the Individual counties. has been made
II practically by the county itself but a
combination of circumstances Is against
II and it will pass only by good fortune.
Senator MorehOuSe. chairman OF the
Senate Committee on County Government.
and chairman of the joint sessions of the
Senate and Assembly committees. has
heard nothing definite OF any intention to
KIN The bill Il would be sorry TO see 1t
killed" he said. for we have spent a
great deal of work upon It We have
given every one a chance to see that his
county was dealt with fairly, and see no
reason WHY the bill should not go through.
But II they want to kill il l suppose they
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