Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-11-02
FAVOR BUT SIX
OF AMENDMENTS
DEMOCRATIC Committeeman
Reach CONCLUSIONS
Most of the Constitutional Proposals
Are Found on Analysis to Be
Vicious and Voters Are
Warned Against Them

After a long session yesterday the
Los Angeles county Democratic COM
mittee made recommendations concern
ing the vote on the proposed constltu-
tional amendments.
Those favored are Nos. Is, 26, go, SO, 3,
and 2S.
State constitutional amendment No.
This amendment decreases the taxes
on all public corporations and will in
crease the taxes on all other property
in this state.
Vote no.
Senate amendment No IA = This
amendment raises the salary of the
governor from $4,000 to $4,000 and of the
lieutenant governor from per diem
to a fixed salary of $4,000, and other
officers proportionally. 1t involves an
additional outlay of about $4,000.
Senator Bell of Pasadena objects to it
because of the great increase Of the
salary of the lieutenant governor,
which, he says, considering only the
days of actual service, raises his salary
from a per diem of $40 to $133, and be-
cause no corresponding increase is made
in the salary of the speaker of the
house, who performs the same kind of
service.
The amendment also authorizes the
legislature to give authority to employ
any number of clerks in these offices,
no one of whom shall be paid over $500
year.
Vote no.
Senate amendment No. 10 This
amendment provides
l. That no bill shall be introduced
in either house forty days after the
commencement of the session without a
consent of three-fourths of the mem
bers thereof. This is designed to pre-
vent the practice heretofore prevailing
of having a great rush of bills toward
the close of the session. When the time
is so short that 1t is impossible to give
them careful consideration.
2. The second section Of this amend
ment provides that the pay OF such
members shall be $1,000 for each "regu-
lar session. and $40 a day for each
special session." and limits each spe-
cial session to thirty days; also that
each member shall receive for "contin-
gent expenses not exceeding $50 for
each regular session" 1t also limits
the total expense for each house for
officers and employees for each regular
session" to not exceeding 5000 DAY,
and for each special session" to not
exceeding 5000 day.
There is no limit placed on the dura-
ton of regular sessions. See also
senate amendment No. 80.
Vote yes.
Senate amendment No. 26-This sec
ton provides for the repeal of section
4, article 49, of the constitution and
does not add anything to the existing
law.
The section repealed is the one pro-
yiding for the taxation of mortgages.
Vote yes.
Senate amendment No. 29.-This
amendment proposes to extend the time
of payment for debts contracted by the
state from twenty to seventy-nVe
years, and also provides an exclusive
method by which these debts shall be
contracted and paid, and that the law
creating these debts "shalf be irrepeai-
able until the principal and interest
thereon shall be paid and discharged.
1t also provides that no effort may De
made to establish a sinking fund TO
pay the debt until one-fourth Of the
time for which the debt is contracleu
shall have expired.
1t also provides that if the debt Gre
ated is over 100000 it must be sub
mitted to a vote of the people.
This last is the same as the existing
provision. But the general purpose OF
the law seems to be to borrow money
under circumstances that will sadie
the next generation with debt. "After
us the deluge." 1t is made in the in
terests of the money lenders.
Vote NO.
Senate amendment No. 31.-This is
an amendment which provides that any
corporation not "a quasi-publ1c corpor-
alton" may have its charter extended
for a period not exceeding fifty years
by the written consent of tWo-thlrds Oh
the stockholders or members.
This is the amendment for which the
banks are clamoring.
The Hibernian Savings bank of San
Francisco has $3,000,000 now under It's
control which, upon the expiration Oh
it's charter must be paid to its owners,
who are the original depositors II
this amendment is carried the persons
in control of this bank will have the
use of this fund for another PERIOD OIL
fifty years. and it will not be PAID 10
it's rightful owners.
THE amendment is Objectionable be-
cause it practically extends all the
charters from a term of years to one
in perpetuity. Corporations should
wind no their affairs the same as IN
dividuals. If this amendment is
adopted land can be held by corpora
lions forever, and sooner or later the
English statutes of mortmain will nave
to be enacted here.
Tnasmuch as it is not required to in
ouire into the affairs of each particular
corporation to determine whether or
not they should be given new lease
for doing business, 1t would be crime
to attempt by one law IKE thlS 10 SiNC
them all perpetual life.
Vote NO. nut
Senate amendment No. 80. - This
amendment provides that the "legis-
lature may also provide that in no
case shall the amount paid for officers
and helm exceed $500 day for the reg
ular and 5000 a day for the special SEES
sions. :. a+o
amendment No. 16.
Vote YES.
Senate Constitutional Amendment NO:
az provides that all stockholders OF
cornorations shall be personally and
individually liable" for such proper
tion of "all its debts and liabilities
contracted during the time he was a
stockholder as the amount of his stock
was 70 the whole of the capital stock.
Also that the directors or trustees or
cornorations shall be jointly and sew
eraIly liable to the creditors and stock
holders for all moneys embezzled or
misappropriated by the officers Thereon
during their terms of office. 1t eXempts
expositions.
Vote-YES.
senate Amendment No. 34-This
amendment prohibits the legislature
from passing any law authorizing lot
ferries or gift enterprises" and directs
tbe legislature to pass laws prohibiting
"the fictitious buying and selling OF
the shares of capital stock of corpora |
tions in any stock board, stock ex-
change or market under the control of
any corporation or associations" and
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