The San Francisco call., 1907-03-08

sanitary laws, etc, by the state Iapor
Commissioner, are held in committees
apparently by higher power. with
little prospect OF ever getting them
out by committee action.
The attempt TO submit to vote
of the people the proposition of woman
suffrage is defeated though 1t had
the active and persuasive influence of
women and men lobbyists, as well as
suffrage society and labor union in
dorsement, On reconsideration In the
Senate on March it lacked only two
votes of adoption.
An active lobby OF ministers in
favor Of a Sunday rest law was unable
to convince the Assembly of the ad
vantages OF the measure. 1t was de-
feated. although Grove L. Johnson.
who introduced the measure, displayed
his usual legislative adroitness and
oratorical powers in its behalf. The
arguments in favor of the bill were al
most all based upon the urgent neces-
sity of rest for the working people,
but singularly enough all the pro-
ponents and orators seemed to be
unaware that a statute providing for
one day OF rest in every week had
been on the books In this State for
fourteen years.
The following measures, which have
passed both houses, were Endorsed by
the State Labor Council and the State
Federation OF Labor: Assembly bill
512, eight hours labor for women; As
sembly 51S, regulating employment of
children; Senate 169 extending hours
for voting; Senate 1856, general employ
ers' liability enactment; Senate 491.
eight hours for streetcar employees
Senate 549. regulating hours of en-
ployment for drug clerks.
The largest State and municipal Ia
Dor organizations have signified their
opposition to Senate bill 1 (Anthony).
providing for the erming OF high
school boys with automatic rifles, as
it is believed that the arming of
youths would be inimical to their
proper school training. Labor is also
opposed to Senate bill 715 Mccartney.
TO repeal the law prohibiting the man
ufacture OF certain articles in the
States penal institutions. as is Assem-
bly, bill ia (Beardslee), a proposed ar
bitration measure. considered imprac-
ticable. A somewhat similar arbitra-
tion law is now in effect Senate bill
/ 72s (Sanford), intended to stop the
raising Of prices for the necessaries
of life through combinations and
monopolies, is opposed by labor rep
resentatives. as the text is so wooded
that ii would probably include the
trades unions. These bills to which
labor has offered opposition have not
been brought out from the committees
! to which they were referred.
JAPANESE QUESTION
Upon the questions concerning the
Japanese and their relations to the
people of this State, several measures
have been introduced. All these were
of interest TO labor. as their evident
/ intent was to lessen the scope of
/ japanese influence and to make our
laws more nearly conform to the laws
of Japan regarding property rights,
etc, of foreigners and aliens. These
bills are:
| Senate joint resolution (Sanford)
! against extending elective franchise to
aliens; Senate joint resolution II
1 (Black), favorable TO a national ex-
clusion treaty against Japanese; As
sembly concurrent resolution (John-
SOM, relative to the admission of
japanese children to public schools
Assembly bills 404 and SGT Drew.
prohibiting the acquisition of real
property by aliens.
1t appears now that we are to have
no decided expression from the Legis-
| lature regarding the Japanese. The
recent sudden and seemingly inspired
inaction of the legislators on the
Japanese question has given rise to
| some facetious remarks and various
uncomplimentary criticisms by those
favorable to Japanese exclusion. AS
sembly bills 404 and 527. after four
weeks of vicissitude-amended. re-
vised and re-engrossed-have wobbled
their ways through the Assembly. and
! for two weeks have been cached in
the Senate judiciary committee. with
| little hope OF movement.
The hopes Of the exclusionists for
/ decided State expressions are now
centered on Senate bill $50 (Keane)
which asks for the submission of the
Asiatic question to a vote of the people
in 1908. II will be unfortunate for
the interests of the State II this Legis-
lature does not decisively voice the
sentiments of California on the Jap
anese problem. Should the Asiatic
question be submitted, the vote at the
1908 election would unquestionably
be overwhelmingly against the jap
anese. but that is eighteen months
hence, and that vote will be taker
at a Presidential election. with Other
questions Of moment before the pub
lie In the meantime the Japanese ar.
coming in in droves to the discom
fture of all who are interested in th'
Industrial and moral welfare of thi'
State