Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-13
SAYS LEGISLATURE
DID GOOD WORK
SPEAKER PRESCOTT RETURNS
FROM CAPITAL
Points to the Expulsion Of Boodlers
and the Passage Of Building and
Loan Laws as Important
Achievements

General Frank c. Prescott, speaker
CT the Thirty-sixth legislature, which
| adjourned in Sacramento Friday, ar
rived in Los Angeles Saturday night
and is registered at the Hollenbeck.
General Prescott is the first of the
lawmakers to return to the southland,
having come direct from the capitol
city. He will remain in Los Angeles
until this afternoon, when he will go
to his home in Redlands.
Speaking of the accomplishments Of
the legislative session just closed, Gen.
eral Prescott said:
"While do not want to appear in the
light of blowing our own horn, / think
1t may be said truthfully that the
thirty-sixth session of the legislature
did more work than any of its pre-
decessors. We handled almost twice
as many bills as the session two years
ago, and did not require much extra
time in disposing of the business that
came before us.
TWO important Measures
1--WE succeeded in doing two very
important things. One was the expul-
sion Of the boodlers, and the other was
the passage of bills such as will pro-
tect the small investors from robbery
at the hands of building and loan COM
panies. Many other bills of vast i'm
port to the people of California were
passed, so that as a whole the legis-
iature, in my opinion, accomplished
much good work.
General Prescott did not approve Of
the patronage graft" but says that
it is an historical custom and one
might as we'll try to break down a
stone wall by butting his head against
it as to hope to check this branch of
legislative expenditure.
There are several hold-over COM
mittees, which, General Prescott be-
lieves, will succeed in doing much
toward regulating different abuses now
prevalent throughout the state. One
of these is the joint senate and as
sembly committee, appointed at the
instigation Of Governor Pardee, to in
vestigate the questions of revenue and
taxation and prepare report for the
consideration Of the next legislature
that will assist the members in the
passage of bills looking to the bet
terment of present conditions. Other
hold-over committees will undertake
an investigation of forestry, prison re-
form, building and loan and education
questions.
Work of "Hold-Overs"
"These hold-over committees are
capable of doing great good" said
General Prescott, "but the members
appointed on them must not abuse
their trust. If they will proceed with
the work allotted to them without in
curing any more expense on the state
than possible there will be less fric-
ton in future Legislative bodies. 1t
will practically be the same as having
legislature continuously in session."
General Prescott was member of
the hold-over committee on prison re-
form the last two years, and as such
managed to make quite record for
himself. The committee drew up sew
eral bills that will prove very bene-
fetal to the states prisons, it is said.
The most gratifying thing about 1t,
says the general, is that the commit
tee kept it's expenses down to $500,
while the one appointed two years be-
fore that presented a bill to the legis-
lature for $4,000. The former commit
tee, explained General Prescott, did
very little in the line of prison reform,
but the latter Notwithstanding its ex-
penses were $4,000 less than the other
committee, accomplished something
which, it is said, will rebound to the
state credit.