Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-03
SPEAKER SURE ANTI-JAPANESE
BILLS WILL FAIL
MEASURES UP FOR FINAL BAL.
LOT TODAY
Proposed Local Option Lsws to BE
Amended-Angeleno Active in
Lobby-others Also Seek
Legislation
tBv Associated Press.l

bills that viii come up Tor Hlldl pass
age tomorrow will go through, sad
Speaker Philip A. Stanton of Los An
geles in an interview tonight with the
Associated Press.
"The members of the lower house, at
least a large majority of them, realize
the great Importance of this proposed
legislation and heartily agree with
President Roosevelt and Secretary
Root that such measures are unwiSe.
according to figures / have just
seen, Mr. Drew's bill prohibiting all
aliens from owning land. if enacted,
would drive out of California cool
billion of capital. What We want is
to bring more capital in, not send it
away at this tremendous rate
Millions of foreign money is invest
ed in our mines and oil properties and
have served to advance development
of the states resources to an incalcu
liable degree. / feel confident tonight
that the Drew bill will be beaten in
the morning, and there is no question
in my mind that when that is killed all
the others aimed at the japanese will
die similar Deaths
ASsemblyman Richard Melrose If
Anaheim Will make the principal
speech against the Drew measure. He
has been collecting for several days
statistics to show the amount of money
invested in California by aliens.
Amended Measure
Drew's bill is the one amended at
the request of the president eliminat
ing alleged discrimination against the
NippOnese, but the governor and lead
efS in both branches of the legisla ture
are opposed to it in any form, and the
chief executive would veto it if passed.
MI. Drew will be assisted in his
fight for the land bill by Grove L.
Johnson of bn
Japanese measures against which the
president has entered his objection.
They will draw their principal support
from members of the San Francisco
delegation and assemblymen who have
large union labor constituencies.
Johnson's bills preventing aliens from
being members of corporations and
5 segregating Japanese in the public
schools and in residential districts also
are a special order Of business for to-
morrow at IL o'clock. and will be taken
up Immediately after roll call on the
Drew bill.
Mr.. Melrcse said tonight: 81 prob
ably will open the discussion tomor-
row in opposition to the Drew bill 1
will take the position that the presence
OF the $4,000 Japanese now in this state
Is not menace to labor; that on the
contrary, they are of benefit to the
fruit growers of the state and do work
which it is impossible to get white men
to do.
Problem to Solve 1t
Il will further argue that as the
number of Japanese is steadily de-
creasing, the problem of their presence
will soon solve itself; that the Japanese
government, in good faith, is carrying
ut its agreement with our own gov
ernment and preventing the immigra-
ton of its subjects.
Dill in my opinion is the disastrous
effect it will have upon the interests Of
the state by preventing the investment
of foreign capital, and thus retarding
the development of our great mining,
oil and other industries
1T Will also prevent the industrious
and thrifty of every nation from COM
ing here and becoming home makers
and desirable citizens, as under the
provisions of the bill the German,
Dane Irish, Itdlian-in fact the people
of ali nations other than our own
are placed on a par with the Japanese
and Chinese, so far as the acquisition
of land in our state and the investment
of money is concerned"
The public morals committee of the
assembly, and the election laws COM
mittee of the senate, held joint meet
ing late this afternoon to hear argu-
ments on the Wyllie local option bill
The assembly chamber was crowded
every available seat on the floor Of
the house being occupied, and the gall
leries were packed with women.
Local Option Bill
Before the meeting was called to
order Assemblyman G. w. Wyllie and
Senator j.. b. MartineIli. sponsors for
the bill in their respective branches,
agreed upon several amendments that
probably will be made before the bill
is reported out favorably.
These exclude wineries. distilIeries
and breWeries from the provisions Of
the law, allowing them to operate as
heretofore, but stipulating that they
shall not sell their products in qllan-
titles of less than five gallons: also
changing the special election feature
so that it applies to precincts instead
of municipalities, so that one precinct
in a city may vote dry and another
in the same municipality may vote to
be wet
F. w. Dietrich of Sacramento. presi-
dent of the Royal Arch, spoke against
the bill. He said prohibition was a
menace to the hop and barley industry
of the world, and that local option was
only a step toward prohibition.
Attorney Choyinski, representing the
Retail Liquor Dealers association of
San Francisco, and H. w. Trichley,
also spoke adversely.
Those who spoke in favor of support
ing the bill favorably were the Rev.
Erwin s. Chapman of Los Angeles and
the Rev. T. F. Burnham of Vallejo
Letter from AngeIeno
Chairman Estudillo of the senate
committee read a letter from Charles
]. Hall, secretary of the Prohibition
league at Los Angeles, opposing the
measure, because, he said, it was a
compromise and he wanted nothing but
outright prohibition.
Members Of the probation committee
of San Francisco, including prominent
judges, who are interested in a bill
pending in the senate Judiciary COM
mittee, regulating juvenile courts and
the manner of appointment of probation
officers, met IN the capitol building to-
day and agreed upon amendments to
the measure under consideration that
will be suggested to the judiciary COM
mittee tomorrow.
One point that has most deeply con-
cerned the senators affects the appoint
ment of officers. San Francisco and
Los Angeles people interested in the
juvenile courts wish to have these ap-
pointments left to the probation COM
mittee composed of citizens concerned
i'm the welfare of children. and to this
end seek the insertion in the bill of a
clause providing for such procedure.
The members of the San Francisco
committee will suggest that the power