The San Francisco call., 1907-01-12
INSURANCE BILLS
OBJECT OF PLOT
San Francisco Delegation
Detects Scheme to Ham
per Pending Legislation
DEFEAT OPPONENTS
CALL HEADQUARTERS,
1907 ElGHEH STREET.

SACRAMENTO, Jan. 11.-Behind a
resolution to proceed to the introduce
ton of bills, which was introduced in
the Assembly today, Representatives
from San Francisco saw a scheme to
hamper insurance legislation and bring
about complications calculated to make
defeat probable If not certain. They
stood solidly together, and, with the
aid of country members, defeated the
motion by the narrow margin of six
votes
All the Los Angeles members and all
but one of the representatives from
Alameda County voted against San
Francisco
AssembIyman Phil Stanton of Los
Angeles made the motion for the i'm
mediate introduction of bills and ar
gued at length in support of it. He
was vigorously backed by his Siamese
twin colleague. ]. P. Transue The op-
position was led by Assemblyman Nath-
an c. Coghlan of San Francisco.
According to the rules of the House,
bills must be referred to some standing
committee No such committee had
been appointed and none will be be-
fore Monday morning. Opponents of
immediate action suspected trap They
figured out that if the resolution were
carried, jealous members, some of
whom had insurance bills to present
would unload at once. The bills would
reach the right committee, but it was
feared that after they were reported
week or two hence some wise member
would raise the point that they were
irregularly referred at time when
there were no committees in existence
i he probable outcome would be the en-
forced withdrawal of the bills. This
would make it necessary for advocates
of all of the early bills to do their
work over and in many cases the delay
would give lobbyists time to encompass
the defeat of measures distasteful to
corporate interests.
JOHNSON is SILENT
noticeable feature of the debate
was that Grove L. Johnson, who OBJ
jects to insurance companies being re-
quired to make deposit with the State
Treasurer, had nothing TO say. Johnson
is the most skilled parliamentarian In
the House, and is invariably generous
with advice, but today he kept silent
through all the discussion.
Stanton pleaded that time could be
saved by getting bills to the State
Printer at once. He did not want to
stay N Sacramento more than the sixty
days for which legislators are permit
ted to draw pay.
Peter Kelly of San Francisco moved
to adjourn, but Speaker Beardslee de-
clared him out of order and expressed
a hope that thoughtless members would
not retard the work of the Legislature
by making motions of that nature at
inopportune times.
Coghlan of San Francisco moved to
lay the resolution on the table. He
was ready to stay at his post seventy
days if necessary
stanton took the floor again. ST
have no personal interest at stake" he
replied. II stand here without single
bill to present at this session.
Such a statement could only serve to
increase the suspicious of the opposi-
tion. AS for the spectators, discerning
ones wondered If Stanton had taken the
trouble to be reelected for the sole
purpose of getting his sister on the
Assembly payroll, and that having ac-
complished his object. he was content
70 let others do the lawmaking.
Stanton warned the legislators that
any delay would mean a seventy days
session.
COGHLAN MAKES REPLY
Coghlan made reply. IT did not
think there was any one here for the
mere compensation" he said. 1--WE are
here to serve the people"
"Why not begin it now?" inquired
Stanton, and the House laughed.
Phil Walsh of Oakland favored the
resolution. He also stated that he had
no bills to introduce.
Transue of Los Angeles talked earn
estly in favor of what Stanton pro-
posed. Like Stanton and Walsh, he
had no bills to introduce.
BY this time the San Francisco dele
cation was convinced that there was
some underground work in. progress.
They decided that they wanted the
question settled quickly, and Coghlan
withdrew his motion to table. This
brought about a vote on the original
resolution.
When Grove Johnson's name was
called he broke his silence by voting
AYE" This convinced the San Fran