Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-09
FIGHT BEGUN ON
RACE TRACK LAW
GAMBLERS DIVIDED AND FAC
TONS LINED UP
TWO BILLS INTRODUCED BY CAL
IFoRNIA's soLoNs
Over 800 Measures Submitted in a
Single Day at Observation-Disclosures
ing Mistake Made by
LaWmaker

SACRAMENTO, Jan. S.-Over 100
after the list Of committeeman had
been read.
While many minor changes had been
made by Lieutenant Governor Porter,
the important chairmanshipS remained
as slated several days ago, Leavitt get
ting the finance plum and Willis the
judiciary.
With the introduction of four of
the bills-tWo in each house-the fight
in the legislature over the race-track
issue became an open one. Not only
was there an incident in the senate
which was construed by the "antis'' to
mean that Senator Edward I. Wolfe
of San Francisco and Senator Frank
Leavitt of Alameda will line up against
the reform bill with all their strength,
but it developed that there was a di-
vision among the gambling men them
selves.
More than 800 bills were introduced
in the assembly and senate, the ava
lanche pouring upon the two houses
rather suddenly and unexpectedly.
A precedent was broken in the as
senlbly. Never before have bills been
introduced SO long before the appoint
ment of committees to ratify them.
Speaker Stanton has tried to prevent
for several days the threatened flow of
measures prematurely, but when Tran
sue of Los Angeles suggested yester-
day that a great deal of time might be
saved by the immediate presentation
of bills, to be assigned to the proper
committees and printed by the time
the committees were appointed, the
members took kindly to the idea and
got their pet measures ready this
morning.
Tia1,to,op+ CHo1,orror Dor+a, J,od in
tended to wait until the committees of
the lower branch were named before
appointing his standing committees in
the senate, but upon learning of the
action of the assembly, FASTENED to as
sign the senators and made his an
nouncement at the forenoon session.
Both branches adjourned until Mon
day morning and tonight many of the
members returned to their homes.
Many more will leave tomorrow morn
ing, either for home or San Francisco.
Anti-race track, direct primaries,
banking, anti-Japanese, railroad rate,
child labor, insurance election and
both houses. Eighteen constitutional
amendments were proposed.
Two Against Race Tracks
Two bills were introduced prohibit
ing gambling at the race tracks and
TWO dUNOCdIluS the QlT0CI primary.
Senator Walker and Assemblyman
Otis presented identical bills as in
dorsed by the anti-race track league,
and Senator Martinelli and Assembly
man Butler Of Marin handed in a more
sweeping measure, but providing for
a Jail sentence instead of a prison SEN
tence.
The direct primary bill introduced
by Senator Wright of San Diego is the
one advocated by the leaders in that
movement. Another, fathered by AS
semblyman Samuel Fleisher of Santa
Maria, provides for the Swiss system
Of postal primaries.
Many appropriation bills were intro
duced, the amount asked for in a
score of them in the senate aggregat-
ing 1,S46,2 05, and considerable sum
in addition to that being asked for in
the assembly.
The largest appropriation asked for
is the amount specified in Senator
Wolfe's bill providing for the cree
ton Of state trades school at San
Francisco.
Senator Wolfe wants half million
dollars.
The most exhaustive measure was
that presented by the special commits
sion on banking, which abolishes the
present bank commission and provides
for the creation of a department with
superintendent at a salary of 10000
year.
Speaker Stanton introduced it in the
assembly and Senator Leavitt in the
upper branch
In the senate, measures aimed at
betting on the races were introduced
by Walker of San Jose and Martin
ELI of San Rafael. the latter being the
one favored by the anti-race track
league and providing for punishment
of thirty days in Jail to one year in
state prison. while the latter, though
more sweeping in its prohibitions, pro-
V1des only for a Jail sentence.
Soon after the reading of the COM
mittee appointments, Senator Wolfe
asked that bills be introduced accord
ing to the alphabetical list of mem
bers, beginning with "A''
Walker Makes Mistake
Then Bell of Pasadena yielded the
floor to Walker and the latter sent up
bill he believed to be that against
the race track. Instead he found he
had introduced one of minor impor-
lance, and this gave Martinelli of Ma
rim a chance to present his measure
| first
When Walker had another opportu-
nifty he introduced the leagues bill and
moved that it be placed on the senate
flle and considered by a committee of
the whole instead of being assigned to
the standing committee on public NOR