Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-15
UNIFORM BILL
TO BECOME LAW
PASSED BY BOTH HOUSES OF
THE LEGISLATURE
Measure Forblds limitations Of Ma
tlonal Uniform, Except In a Few
WeIl-Deflned Cases, Under
Severe Penalty

from Sacramento yesterday announced
that the army uniform bill which Mr..
Louis placed before the state legislature
two years ago has been passed by both
houses and requires only the governors
signature to become a law The bill
was presented at the last legislature,
but the session ended before it could
be voted on.
Mr.. Louis measure makes the wear
ing of an army or naval uniform by
any one not in the United States mill
tary service a penal offense. 1t is
aimed at the so-called degradation of
the United States uniform by it's being
so commonly worn by uniformed en-
ployes of hotels, stores and corpora
tions that it no longer commands re-
spect The bill is in the form of an
added secI1on to the penal code. 1t Is
in part as follows:
Every person other than an officer or
an enlisted man of the national guard
or naval militia of the state of Califor-
mia, or of any other state, or of the
United States army, navy, marine corps
or revenue service, or inmate of any
soldiers home, who at any time wears
the uniform of the United States army
or navy, or any part of such uniform,
or uniform or part of a uniform similar
thereto, within the bounds of the state
of California, is guilty of a misde-
meanor, and if found guilty of such an
offense shall be punishable by a fine Of
not less than $100 nor more than $3.50
or by Imprisonment in the county Jail
not to exceed sixty days, or by both
such fine and imprisonment; provided
that nothing In this act shall be con-
strued as prohibiting persons of the
theatrical profession from wearing such
uniform, in any playhouse or theater,
while actually engaged in following
such profession, and provided that
nothing in this act shall be construed
as prohibiting the uniform rank OF
civic societies parading, or travelling In
| a body, or in assembling In lodge
| room; and provided, further, that
whenever the national guard, or any
| part thereof is in active service, or is
| called into active service, no civic or
ganization' or member thereof shall pa
rade or appear in uniform in the local
| ity where said national guard is in
service"
Secret Societies Exempt
The provision allowing members OF
secret societies to parade in a body is
an amendment to the original bill. The
original act prohibited members of any
| civic organization from wearing the
uniform, but this met strong opposition
in the house and the amendment allow
| ing wearing of the uniform on parade
was inserted
Mr.. Louis is the governors naval at.
tache in Los Angeles. He has been ir
the service fifteen years and recently
| received a silver service medal from the
state. He entered the service in Sar
Diego in 1891, and of the 100 men who
| Joined with him, he is the only one re.
| naming. The local camp of United
| Spanish War Veterans will send tele
gram to the governor today asking hin
to sign the bill.
| In addition to launching the new
measure, Mr.. Louis has been active IL
pushing it, and spent four days at Sac
ramento during the opening of the pres
ent legislative session.
THE wearing of the uniform has be
come so common said Mr. Louis
that military men of any standing M
longer wear it on the street unless ol
duty. 1t has been copied so closely b!
many large Industrial establishment
and hotels that it often is impossible t
tell the difference between the real ant
the imitation. The military uniform
stands for everything connected will
the freedom of the country, and i
should not be degraded"
Some questions of the constitution
ality of the measure have been raised
but supporters cite Chief Justice Har
lan's decision on the use of the flag 70
advertising purposes as settling an!
possible objection on this score. Th
Nebraska measure, forbidding the us
of the national flag on any advertise
ment was taken to the United State
supreme court on the appeal of two mel
! accused of selling beer in bottles
marked with flag labels. The justic,
upheld the constitutionality of thu
measure. This, the advocates of tn,
new measure say, is an exactly similal
case to any which might arise from tn,
uniform law.
Governor Gillett is said to favor thC
law and is expected to sign it will
little delay.