Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-20
RAILROAD RATE
BILL DISCUSSED
BY LEGISLATURE
MAY PUT BAN ON PASSES TO
STATE OFFICIALS
SIGNS WALKER-oTls
RACE TRACK MEASURE
GiIIett Denies He Withheld Signature
Till Ninth Day to Delay Enforce-
ment-Law Operative in
Sixty Days
tBy Associated Press.1

NACRAMENTO, Feb. 19.-Rallroad
rate measures were prominent in
~ the legislature today, a demand
being made by Senator A Caminetd
of Amador for action upon his reso-
lutions calling for investigation of the
increase in freight and express charges
and amendments being made to the
bill introduced by Leroy. A Wright Of
San Diego, providing for a maximum
freight rate.
The principal change 8 made in
Wrights original measure prohibits
the issuing of free passes to persons
holding state offices.
Caminetti sought by resolution to
resurrect from the committee on fed
eral relations his two-rate measures,
claiming they had been withheld from
the house long enough and giving no
tice that on Wednesday he intended to
make a fight on the floor to have them
reported and passed.
Caminetti also called for action
upon his Joint resolution asking con-
gress to extend and enlarge the Chi
nese exclusion law and it's discussion
was made a special order of business
for Wednesday.
In the assembly this afternoon the
chief debate was upon the special
pleading bill. John w. Preston of
Ukiah asked that it be made a special
order for Monday and the bill will be
further discussed and acted upon at
that time.
Tomorrow morning the principal
b11S nf %hn hi ha
second reading of bills of a local or
routine nature.
Signs Race Track Bill
Governor Gillett signed today the
Walker-Otis race track bill, which will
have the effect of closing the big tracks
at Emeryville and Arcadia.
The measure was sent to the gov
ernor February 10, after having been
passed by both houses with practically
no opposition.
Under the law the chief executive
| has ten days for considering all bills
sent him by the legislature.
This is the ninth day since he re-
! ceived the Walker~Otis BILL but the
governor denies that it was his inten
tion to avoid taking it up before the
! end of the period allowed.
| He said today he took the bills in
| their order on his file, as is his custom.
| ty days.
The signing of the Walker-Otis bill
will result in cUrtailing the present
season at Emeryville by about
month.
At Santa Anita the seasons end will
have been reached before the bill be-
comes a law.
The racing at Emeryville was to have
continued until about June 1, while at
Santa Anita the season closes officially
about April 15.
Sounds KneII to Pools
The signing of the Walker-Otis bill
sounds the final knell of pool selling at
race tracks in California, as well as
| Wiping out the various pool rooms
which have thrived both openly and
! secretly in all parts of the state.
Violation of the new law is punish
able by imprisonment in the county
jail or prison for a period of not less
than thirty days and not more than
one year. Debate for and against the
race track bill was productive of more
bitter animosity than any other meas
ure brought before the present session
of the legislature.
The proceedings were marked by a
caustic attack on the clergy by Thom-
as H Williams, jr., of the Jockey club
and by other race track stockholders.
The OIL, however, passed both houses
by Overwhelming odds, the assembly
voting 81 to 10 for its passage while
the senate sent it to the governor for
signature with 33 ayes against but
noes.
At the request Of Governor Gillett.
George Heustis, secretary of the State
Lunacy association, has compiled fig
ures on the appropriation bills that
have been introduced during this ses-
sion and the figures on the appropria-
tions actually allowed by previous
legislatures.
Measures Considered
The present legislature is considering
measures calling for the expenditure
of $9,150,345. in addition to the reg
ular expenses of operation of the state
government which aggregate q sum
close to $10,000,0O0 annually.
From the total Of $3.50, ,345.40 in ap-
preparation bills introduced at this
session $396,689 is to be deducted for
the large number of bills that are du-
pIicates of others. This, however, will
not be of much help to the governor
when he comes to sift down the mass
that will be within a reasonable figure
%for the pOcketbook of the state.
The special appropriation bill signed
by Governor GiIlett last session called
for a total of $3,026 613.08. At the ses-
sion of 1905 Governor Pardee signed
bills of this nature aggregating $2,592.-
3S1.97. The tax rate following last ses-
sion was 40 cents while that of the
session before it was 49 cents.
The highest amount Of special ap-
preparation bills ever allowed in the
history of California was at the ses-
sion of 1899 when Governor Water
man signed bills calling for $3,440,-
949.49. This was followed by a tax
rate of 721a cents.
If Governor Gillett were to allow all
the appropriations called for by the
present Legislature the running ex-
penses of the state for next year would
be about $1S,200,00O and the tax rate
would be about 95 cents. Of the nine
millions called for in the special ap-
preparations two-thirds Of the amount
are for various appropriations, such
as river work, a trades school for San
Francisco, an exposition building for
Los Angeles, a state reformatory and
an armory for San Francisco The
remainder is for state institutions and
claims against the state.