The San Francisco call., 1909-02-21
SOLONS AIM AK AT
RAILROAD BOARD
Determined Assaults to Be Made
on Commissioners by
Senator's
Failure to Aid Shippers in Rate
Fight May Prove Dis
astr0us
Especial Dispatch 10 The Call


CALL HEADQUARTERS, CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE BUILDING, SACRA-
! MENTO, Feb 20.-The coming week
will witness determined assault upon
the three members of the railroad COM
mission. Two democratic senators are
arming for fight which may result in
the most important as well as the most
spectacular effects. One of them,
Campbell Of San Luis Obispo, will try
to haul the railroad commissioners be-
fore the senate for an explanation of
their continued inactivity. The other.
Camineti OF Jackson, will make this
investigation the basis for impeachment
! proceedings.
1t is entirely probable that Commits
sioners Irwin, Summerland and Love-
land will be directed by the senate to
appear and answer pertinent questions
! having special reference to their fail
ure to espouse the cause of the ship
| pers In the campaign for reasonable
! freight rates. 1t is not beyond the
| bounds of possibility that the showing
| of the three commissioners will be so
poor that proceedings to remove them
| from Office will be strongly supported.
CAUSE FOR WORRY
! Considering that the senate has
overthrown the machine by passing the
! anti gambling and direct primary bills
and the Sanford resolution denouncing
| the Pacific Mail company, there is no
! telling how far it may go when it
| starts after the railroad commission
ers. The commissioners have cause to
! feel worried: so have Jere Burke and
! Walter Parker.
Campbell's resolution calling upon the
railroad commissioners to appear be-
| fore the committee on corporations
| and tell why they have not done their
! duties is resting peacefully in the cor
! porations committee, of which Glen
! Bates of Oakland is chairman. 1t has
! been there since February IL.
! 1t will not stay there much longer If
! Campbell has his way. Tuesday he
| will make a motion to call 1T out of
| the committee for debate upon the
| floor That will start the fireworks and
test the ability of the crippled machine
| to protect Messrs. Irwin Summerland
! and Loveland.
! CAMPBELL INSISTENT
The resolution has remained in COM
mittee long enough, says Campbell.
1T is time for it to come out. If the
railroad commissioners are honest men
they will have no objections to appear
/ ing before a senate committee and an
swering a few questions about their
constitutional duties. If they are not
honest men, they should be compelled
to appear, so that the legislature may
properly investigate their inaction and
remove them according to law 1t
seems that some of them have ex-
pressed Willingness to appear In
| that event. the committee should not
| delay to send my resolution to the
| senate. If it is true. as stated. that
the commissioners are preparing a re-
port, some good has been accomplished
already"
Campbell doesn't care at this time
to tell what are the few questions"
which he will ask the commissioners.
Caminetti's resolution, calling for the
impea chment Of the three commission
ers, will be brought into play after
Campbell gets through. II Campbell
fails Tuesday the other resolution will
not have chance; but the senators
who are preparing to catchise the COM
missioners do not think that Campbell
| is going to fail. They think, too, that
when the commissioners get through
answering "a few questions the case
| against them will be so bad that Cami-
nettis resolution will have something
| more than a bare chance OF passing
| both houses.
Passes River Improvement Bill
| CALL HEADQUARTERS CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE BUILDING, SACRA-
MENTO, Feb 2o.-1n a short session
this morning the assembly passed the
1 bill annrODria ting RfS0 On0 for ~ rao.i