The San Francisco call., 1899-01-23

has one in the hands of the Committee on
County and Township Governments that
is for the sole benefit of San Francisco
county 1t provides that the governing
body of any city of over 1000 population
may pay and allow a monthly pension of
not exceeding $50 to the widow of any
fireman who has been killed while in the
active discharge of his duties Such pen
sion shall be payable until remarriage.
Ihe law is to take effect Immediately
upon IT'S passage, and is so constructed
that pensions may be paid to women who
have been widowed previous to it's pas
sage as well as after.
The Committee on Commerce and NaVi-
cation is considering a bill by Assembly
man Henneally of San Francisco, which,
II 1t BECOMES law, will provide SIS 900 out
OF the State treasury for the construction
of a fireboat and equipment necessary for
the protection of the shipping and build
Ings and docks in San Francisco San
Pablo and SuiSun bays, and adjacent nav
igable rivers. The boat shall have pump
ing capacity of 5000 gallons per minute
and a speed of twenty miles an hour, and
shaH be stationed at the city of San
francisco or at any municipality the Gov
ernor may designate as long as lie said
municipality shall pay the expense out Of
Assemblyman Burnett of San Luis
Obispo County has a bill in the he nds of
the Ways and Means Committee asking
for an appropriation of $100, 600 for the
erection and maintenance of a school to
be known as the California Polytechnic
School, to be built in San Luis Obispo
County Within thirty days after the
passage of the act the Governor shall ap-
point five persons who shall act as trus-
tees, and select the site for the proposed
institution, Which shall be governed by
schools.
The Judiciary Committee is discussing
bill by Assemblynlan Works of San
Diego, which fixes the legal rate of in
terest at u per centum per annum, and
provides as penalty for a charge in ex-
cess of this rate that the note or account
shall be rendered worthless. The bill ex-
empts pawnbrokers in the ordinary
course of their business.
Assemblyman Arnerich of Santa Clara
has introduced series. of bills which
have for their object the protection OF
California's fruit interests. Quarantine
regulations are fixed against the importa-
tion of any plant life infected with de-
stroying diseases and against any ami
mails or insects injurious to plant life.
The same regulations extend to eXporta-
ton. Another of his bills provides for
an appropriation to pay the expense of
sending a representative to New Zealand
and Australia for the purpose of collect
ing and bringing to this State predaceous
insects that are beneficial to plant life
and inimical to diseases and insects that
have a tendency to destroy. His bills are
in the hands Of the Health and Quaran-
tine Committee.
AssembIyman Meade of Los Angeles will
in day or so add another to the already
long list of bills he has introduced in the
Assembly which have for their object the
correction of the many weak spots in the
laws governing municipalities.
In nearly every case the needs of his
own town have been the incentive to his
proposed legislation. Yesterday. he hand
ed in a bill which If passed will save the
city $4,000 annually by abolishing the Of
fees of City Treasurer, Assessor and Tax
Collector, and compelling the county Of
ficers to perform the work of the abol-
ished offices.
His latest bill, which will be recorded
during the coming week. is designed to