The San Francisco call., 1907-02-24
LEGISLATORS VIEW SITE
PROPOSED FOR CAPITOL
Citizens of Berkeley Honor
Lawmakers by Giving
Large Banquet
VISITORS IMPRESSED
Signs Indicate That Move
Will Be Endorsed by
Both Houses
VISITORS IMPRESSED
Continued From Page 50, Column

was escorted at once to the Elks' Hall,
where 800 persons enjoyed the banquet
which had been prepared by the COM
mittee. The train brought in all 25o
people from Sacramento among whom
were so members of the Legislature.
The other 200 were wives and daugh-
ters, pages and attaches, for this
Legislature does not travel without
considerable refine.
Among the lawmakers who came
were the following:
Senators-Wright, Mattos, Leavitt.
Broughton, Caminetti, Sanford, Bell,
Willis, Hartman, Keane, Wolfe, Lukens,
Miller, Markey, Savage Price, Boynton.
semblymen-Walsh, Percival, K.
". Thompson, Otis, Ludington, Lemon,
Kelly, P. A. Johnson, Held. Strobridge,
Hans, Devlin, Cutten, Finney, Whit
more, McKeon, Cogswell. Case, Ham
mon, Pierce, Weske, Transue and
Speaker Beardslee.
The speeches at the banquet were
brief and informal. Thomas Rickard.
Mayor of Berkeley. acted as master or
ceremonies. In his address he voiced
the hope that the Legislators would
come to Berkeley often, and said that
one of the pleasantest features Of the
occasion had been the cementing OF
the ties between Berkeley and the
cities of Oakland and Alameda in the
common purpose to secure the capitaI
for the university town. He introduced
H. c. CapweN chairman of the oak
land Chamber Of Commerce, who said:
Il think you will all like the Berke-
ley idea. But what detained you? Con-
sidering the place from which you
came and the attractiveness of the city
to which you are now come, we want
to know what detained you? You are
now close to the promised land, or to
the land which is promised, as you viii
see by a glance at the map on the wall,
and we are all agreed with you that 1t
is the proper site for the State capitol"
Rev. E. E. Baker Of the First Pres
byterian Church in Oakland was then
called upon, and answered in humor-
Gus vein. He said:
The removal of the State capital to
this beautiful city is an idea which
meets my hearty approval, and 1 VEN
ture to speak for Oakland in the mat
ter II Will bring you handsome gen
tlemen here to visit US more often.
What about the ladies?" interrupted
a voice.
II don't need to say anything for the
ladies. They speak for themselves. But
1 am sure that when you are located
here it will result in temperate legisla-
tfon. am not referring to the Berke-
you know Oakland will be only thirty
minutes distant, and you will be able to
get over to San Francisco IN thirty
FIVE minutes, where the saloons keep
open all night do not say this from
my own knowledge. President Wheeler
knows. He stayed out all night in San
Francisco lately so the papers said.
But I am sure that the continual out
look which you will have out through
the Golden Gate viii be to you a SER
mon in beauty. 1t will make you think
of death. I am quite serious, and / do
not mean political death, but real
death. That will be an idea which
ought to make legislator do anything,
even his duty. We are all your friends.
We are your friends in the sense Of a
definition I heard recently, by which a
friend was described as one who knew
YOU were no good and was able to for
get it. We all stand for bigger and
q better capital. and one which won't
cost you anything except that which
we do not supply"
1t was o'clock when the party left
the hall and boarded the automobile
caravan, which carried them to the
site of the proposed new capitol build
ings. More than sixty machines had
been provided by the committee, and
nearly as many more fell into line. Co
ing west on University avenue the
route was out Grove street to the for
ty-acre plot near the bay shore, a mile
and a half north of the university
grounds Arriving there the party
alighted and inspected the ground. 1t
was a beautiful sight that met their
gaze, a place where the green hius
sloped to the shore, and the view out
through the Golden Gate in the sun
light caused more than one member of
the Legislature to acclaim his belief
that here was the ideal site for the
State capitol buildings; where they
would be seen from every steamer en-
/ tering the harbor and from all of the
bay cities
It had been the intention to continue
the automobile ride by q trip through
the university grounds and to the new
Claremont Hotel, but lateness OF the
hour prevented this.
Duncan McDufie, secretary of the
committee. was enthusiastic over the
prospect of Berkeley's success. He said
I'VE are now assured that the meas
ure will have the necessary two-thirds
majority in both houses of the Legisla-
ture. Practically all OF ths members
from Southern California and the San
Joaquin Valley are In favor of the re-
moval to Berkeley. All the coast coun-
| ties south and north. are with us, and
all of the bay counties are solid for
Berkeley"
The economy cf the idea is what i'm
presses me-" said Senator Mattos. Half
the population of the State are within
a ten-cent ride of Berkeley. We have
been paying rent for executive offices
IN San Francisco which can be housed
within the Capitol buildings II they are
! here in Berkeley. The Supreme Court
could be given suitable quarters, as
well as the Appellate Court, and the
State Law Library would be within the
reach Of a much larger number Of read
ers. 1t seems to me very probable that
the measure will pass both houses Of
the Legislature"
Il do not consider it proper for ms
to appear IN the role of a promoter
OF the removal project" said Benjamin
Ide Wheeler, who was present at the
/ banquet and went to the proposed site
with the party, but It is a natural
idea that the Capitol and the State Uni
versity should be together. This is
the situation in at least three of the
States in the Middle West and am
sure IL has never been a disadvantage
4 to those universities"