Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-18
FEAR FLOODS
WILL RETARD
LEGISLATURE
LAWMAKERS MAY NOT GET
BACK TO CAPITAL
QUORUM NOT EXPECTED TO BE
PRESENT TODAY
One of Important Hearings This Week
to Be Investigation of Proposed
Donation for Water Front
improvements
[By Associated Press.l


q GACRAMENTO, Jan. lion account
~ of the flood in the American,
~ Feather and Sacramento rivers
there is some danger that a quorum
will not be present in either branch of
the legislature tomorrow.
The senate adjourned Saturday to
meet Monday at IL a. M, the assembly
IL p. M, and a majority Of the solons
went home for the week end
Besides the delay to Legislators, many
persons who expected to arrive in time
to appear before various committees
have experienced difficulty in getting
into the capital, and unless the early
trains tomorrow get through without
miShap legislation may be at a stand
still.
One of the most important hearings
of the coming week will be a joint COM
mittee investigation of the Islais Creek
bill introduced by Senator Welch, pro-
vld1ng for the appropriation of $1,000 900
for the condemnation of sixty-three
blocks of inundated land in the Potrero
district of San Francisco for the erec-
ton of warehouses and the construc-
ton of docks
Besides numerous commercial bodies
q large number of private interests are
on the qui vive and will have delega-
tons on hand to combat various sec
tions of the bill and to offer amend
ments.
May Look at Ground
Senator Welch said tonight there was
some talk of taking the committees to
san Francisco to go over the ground,
but that he did not think such a trip
would be necessary. There is every in
dication of a bitter fight over the bill
George N. McRae, representing the
ship Owners association, suggested TO
both committees that they journey to
san francisco to determine whether or
not the report and recommendations Of
the joint committee on harbors ap-
pointed by the thirty-SeVenth legiSla-
ture should be followed.
This proposes to place in the hands of
the harbor commissioners the power to
Improve the shipping facilities as fast
as the harbor revenues will permit, and
that any bonds voted are to be used in
improving the present water fronts.
Against the recommendations of the
harbor commission the friends of the
Welch bill will muster all of their
strength, and Commissioner Stafford
also is expected to appear before the
committee to explain his position.
Some of the private interests, such as
the lumber interests, propose that land
owned by them in the district to be
condemned be left in their possession,
TO be improved as planned before the
Islais creek project was advanced, and
when the state wants it to give it UP
under condemnation proceedings with
out unnecessary delay.
According to some of these interests
it would be fifteen or twenty years be-
fore the property would be wanted by
the state.
Theory Declared IncorrAc+
Senator Welch holds that the theory
that condemnation proceedings would
not be necessary, advanced yesterday,
is incorrect owing to an old grant by
which the government relinquished
title.
The Strengthening out of the tangle
will require lengthy sessions of the
committees.
Senator E. o. Miller and Attorney
General Webb will confer tomorrow
night concerning the StetsOn railroad
commission bill introduced in the SEN
ate.
Miller wants the attorney general to
include some direct legislation in the
commission measure, rather than give
entire power to the body itself.
He will endeavOr to induce Webb to
make his reciprocal demurrage bill part
Of the commission measure, and is will
ing that there should be a clause in
serted which suspends penalties for
terms of thirty and sixty days when
conditions are abnormal.
A score of delegates to the conven>
ton of the State Good Roads associa-
ton, which will indOrse a bill to be in
troduced in the legislature, arrived on
late trains today.
The directors had planned for an at
tendance of several hundred, but owing
to the delay of traffic not more than
fifty are expected to appear.
The directors will meet Monday
morning, consult with the governor
later in the day and set an hour for the
convention to open in the chamber of
commerce.
Their bill calls for the appointment Of
state highway commissioner and the
improvements of highways already
built that may be turned over to the
state in satisfactory condition
The association consists of about TO-
300 farmers and business men in all
parts of the state.