Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-10-31
THE AMENDMENTS
mHE HERALD las given some

til 1lAO CACCtlOl ANONCAAAntA % FAA@ -
a result of somewhat careful study
of these amendments, we submit to our
readers the following suggestions The
amendments are treated of in the order
in which they appear upon the Official
ballot.
No. 1. relating to separation of state
and local taxation and providing for
taxation of public service and other
corporations for the benefit of the
state"
This amendment we believe to be
vicious and it should be defeated. The
way in which the state railroad COM
missioners and other state officials are
manipulated in our state government
for the benefit of corporations does
not encourage citizens to vest any adj
ditional functions of government in
commissions. We believe the amend
ment, if adopted, may be made the
means of INSCRIPTIONS corporations
lodging their taxes to an even greater
extent than they are able to do under
the law as it stands. For this reason
we think the amendment should be de-
feated.
Senate constitutional amendment
No. IA, relating to compensation OF
state officials"
We believe this amendment should
be adopted for the reason that the
salaries of state officers at the present
time are certainly not sufficiently large
to induce men of ability to serve the
state government. Our present state
salaries were fixed some thirty years
ago, and since that time money has
become more plentiful and the cost of
living as we'll as the price OF services
has increased very much. The salaries
provided for in the amendment do not
appear to us excessive compensation
for men of ability to perform the work
required by the offices.
Senate constitutional amendment
No. Is, relating to the length OF legis-
lative sessions, compensation of the
members of the legislature, ETC."
This amendment, we think, should be
adopted for several reasons. In the
first place 1t prevents the introduction
of bills after forty days of the ses-
sion have elapsed without consent of
three-fourths of the members. This is
in the interest of preventing the intro
duction and rushing through of legis-
lation without proper attention in the
hurly- burly of the closing days of the
| legislative session. The amendment
also provides for a salary for each
member of the legislature of $1,000,
which is not excessive compensation
| for the time required from the business
of members of the legislature in at
tendance upon it, and should have the
! effect of securing better men as MEM
bers of the legislature. 1t also limits
the total expense for officials, en-
ployes and attaches of the legislature
to $500 per day, which may be consid-
cred somewhat excessive, but is less
by good deal than legislatures have
been costing the state heretofore.
SENATE constitutional amendment
No II, repeating section of article 13,
relative to the assessment of a mort
gage, deed Of trust, contract or other
obligation by which a debt is secured,
we believe should be adopted. The eff
feet is to repeal the section of the con-
stitution providing for taxation of
mortgages. This section, so far, has
never accomplished. anything beyond
having the amount of the mortgage
tax added to the percentage of inter-
est drawn by the loan, and in most In
stances has resulted in the interest be-
ing increased by a fraction of a per
cent, as, for instance, IL the rate of
taxation upon the mortgage was 21s
per cent, the lender usually added 8
per cent to the rate of interest which
he would otherwise charge. The Sec
ton as it exists has never been a pro-
lection to borrowers, but rather bur-
den, and we believe should be re-
pealed.
Senate constitutional amendment
No. 20, relating to state Indebtedness,
we believe should be adopted. This
amendment provides for the Issuance
of state bonds which will mature in
seventy-fve years, instead of within
lW6uly NhlNI - SAAS pA~HSiAS AA'%@
itation. 1t is a well known fact that
the longer state bond has to run the
larger the price which can be obtained
for it, and we believe that the length
ening of the term of state bonds is in
the interest of true economy and there
fore that the amendment should be
adopted.
SENATE constitutional amendment
No. 81, relating to the extension of the
terms of the existence of corporations"
we believe should be defeated. There
is no doubt that the law concerning
corporations in this state, and especial
ly with reference to their right to issue
bonds and stocks, is in need of thor
ough revision. Should this amendment
be adopted it may raise the question as
to whether or not corporations taking
advantage of it to extend the term of
their existence would be subject to SUCH
restrictive legislation as might be
adopted in the future. 1t is a subject
which should receive complete and
comprehensive treatment and should
not be dealt with by piecemeal. We
therefore believe the amendment should
be defeated.
Senate constitutional amendment
No go, relating to limitations of the