The San Francisco call., 1903-01-07
PROSPECTIVE LEGISLATION.

r ORECASTS made by Lieutenant Governor An
= derson and by Speaker Fisk OF the prospective
legislation oi the session are encouraging.
They give promise OF genuine activity that will be
fruitful OF good While all that IS promised may not
be achieved there Is every reason for beng sangune
IN estimating the probable outcome The Assembly,
the Senate and the Governor are in harmony, and
consequently there all be little or no fictitious oppo-
stion measures OF real Importance
In their forecasts 10th the Lieutenant Governor
and the Speaker include reform OF the ballot law leg
izlation affecting irrigation and rights, more
effective provision fo- hydraulic mining and restrain
ing dams, the improV ement OF the Sacramento and
san Joaquin Valley waterways and appropriations for
the State University and other institutions In add-
ton TO these subjects named by BOTH the Lieutenant
Governor announced expectation that there would
be bill looking 10 the improvement of the San Fran
cisco front with respect to wharfage, and add
ed. There Is no question that the present accom-
odatoas arc entirely inadequate to the needs OF the
seaport While IT is true that bill having the same
object IN view failed the last session. l do not
doubt that il would be successful at this time"
We have here programme OF work worthy OF the
magnitude OF the State and there can be no doubt
great majority OF the people would like to see it car
red out entirety It IS true the taxpayers de
sire an economical administration, but they know
how to distinguish between economy and parsmony
The ardor OF the young and women OF the State
has. for example, put upon the university such de
mand for higher education that the faculty cannot
meet II with the present equipment and income 1t
would be parsimony TO deny the university ur-
der such conditions the appropriations it requires for
its work Equally strong are the arguments for the
improvement OF the San Francisco water front and
the rivers OF the great interior valleys Measures OF
that kind tend to the truest economy, for they will
result II benefits that VIII more than compensate for
all the cost they entail.
Reform OF the ballot law is imperative The pres
cnt law IS complex that even the courts cannot
agree upon It's interpretation and we are thus con-
ironted with situation in which certain classes OF
ballots rejected by court are counted by another
The whole in confusion. No citizen can tell
whether he voting legally or not unless he votes an
absolutely straight ticket In some Of the recounts
fully p cent OF the counted by the election
officers have been thrown out as invalid bv the
courts The rejected ballots change the legal result
OF the only with respect to the Office in dispute
and yet II ballot be illegally cast with respect to one
Office i is illegal for all Offices Thus we have the
absurdty OF large number OF ballots declared illegal
for one Office and yet counted as perfectly valid for
another. Clearly it is the duty Of the Legislature to
simplify the law The ballot should be so plain
that ordinary citizens can readily understand it and
even the courts cannot confuse it.
Concerning the requirements OF the various State
institutions Speaker Fisk says: 1T is too early to
predict just what policy the Assembly will adopt as 70
final legislation, but il IS safe say the members will
be IN favor OF appropriations large enough for the
needs OF the State and will also keep in mind the ne
cessity OF aiding the Governor in maintaining an eco
no-ncal administration"
Such policy will commend itself 70 tbe neoo,e
We have a big State and must live and act up m
lis possibilities and its requirements Liberaltv and
economy are not contradictory terms. The truest
economy is that which tends TO progress and from
this Legislature the people expect the kind of legs
laon that viii help all sections OF the commonwealth
10 move forward in the path Of prosperity.