Amador ledger., 1907-03-01
Capital on Wheels.

A determined effort is being made
to move the state capital from Sacra-
mento to Berkeley. The movement is
backed by powerful influences, and
is far more dangerous than the spas
modic efforts which have been made
in the same direction in the past.
An act has been introduced in the
Legislature to have the matter voted
upon by the people at the next general
election in November, 1908. 1t re-
quires a constitional amendment to
carry the scheme. A majority vote
on the amendment, however, will
carry; but 1t requires a two-thirds
vote in the legislature to have the
proposed amendment submitted. The
advocates of the removal claim they
have enough members in each house
to put the amendment through. The
sections of the act are as follows:
Section. l On and after the first
day of January, A. ID. Nineteen
Hundred and Nine, the seat of govern
ment of the State of California shall
be changed from the City of Saora-
mento to the Town of Berkeley, and
it is hereby declared that on and after
said date the Town of Berkeley shall
be the seat of government of this
state.
Section 2. 1he question of such
change of the seat of government shall
be submitted to the people of the
State at the general State election to
be held in the month of November in
the year Nineteen Hundred and
Eight, and in the manner, and sub
iect to the regulations and provisions
provided in Title Two, of Part Three,
of the Political Code of the State of
California, for submitting any pro-
position or constitutional amendment
to the vote of the people, and said
question shall be designated on the
ballot in the following words IAN
act to change the seat of government
of the State of California from the
city of Sacramento to the town of
Berkeley. P"
The reasons that are being urged in
favor of the removal are frivolous
when compared with the arguments
against the scheme. Granting that
Berkeley is more central point,
that the bulk of the population is
centered thereabouts, these are poor
excuses when weighed against the
tremendous cost to the taxpayers
involved in the change. The present
capitol buildings cost over 81, 900, 600.
They answer the purposes admirably,
and with additions from time to
time, will meet all requirements. To
think of putting the capital on wheels
at this juncture seems silly. If the
matter we're private enterprise no
sane business man would dream of so
doing. 1t is self interest, and not
the welfare of the state at large that
is at the root of this agitation
Nevertheless it is not at all unlikely
that the proposition will command an
affirmative vote if submitted to the
voters. What howl the Berkeleyites
would raise if an agitation were
started to move the state university
away from their town. And yet such
proposition would not be one whit
more unreasonable than their scheme
to corral the state capital. The state
capital and university in one town
smacks a little too strongly of
cent? alizatlon.
BY the way, the state capital has
done considerable travelling since
California was admitted into the
union. In l849 it was at Monterey,
and in December of the same year it
was shifted to San Jose. In 1852 and
1853 Vallejo was the home of the law
makers. In 1852 Sacramento held the
honor for brief period, The years
1854 found Benecla in possession of
the coveted prize. In 1854 the seat of
government returned TO Sacramento,
where it has remained ever SINCE, in
spite of repeated attempts to shift 1t
elsewhere. We believe California has
had it's full share of the expensive
pastlme of capital moving. Let US
hope common sense will block this
latest scheme of private greed.
The old Mono timber road, thirty
mile narrow gauge affair THAT runs
east from about the Summit, has
changed hand RECENTLY. The pur-
chasers will take up the old rails and
construct a broad guage line upon
the same road-bed and connect with
the Southern Pacific near Tonopah
The intention is to supply the Nevada
mining fields with timber.
Besides this an electric line Is
being projected by the same parties
to connect. the Summit Terminal of
the Mono road with the Sierra rail
way, distance OF sixty miles,
Angels Record.
g. W. Getchell. proprietor of the
Prospect, met with an accident last
Monday that will cause him to lose