Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-29
MUCH HERALDED
RAILROAD BILL
DOOMED TO DIE
STETSON MEASURE KILLED IN
ADVANCE
TWO DEMOCRATS MAKE SEARCH
ING INVESTIGATION
Attorney General Webb, Seemingly
Embarrassed at Question Put to
Him Touching Benefits of
Proposed Law
Tspec,aI to The Herald.1

SACRAMENTO, Jan. 2S.-The Stet-
son railroad bill, so-called, already is
slaughtered. Drawn by a clerk in
viously a compromise, advocated by
Governor Gillett and Attorney Gen
eral Webb, and probably acceptable to
the desperate railroad managers who
are keeping their thermometers as
close as possible to the heart Of the
genuine representatives of the people,
it fools nobody who has taken the
trouble to inquire more than casually
into it's intent.
There has been a lot of talk about
this wonderful bill that the governor
and his chief legal adviser were going
to spring on the people of California.
Probably no other measure sent to
the legislature for many years has
been more extensively advertiSed-cer-
tainly none emanating from a chief
executive or an attorney for the state
has had its path StreWn with a greater
profusion of roses.
But somebody has been abroad dur
ing the small hours of the political
night which has suddenly descended
upon the railroad outfit and has streWn
thorns among the roses.
The first of the public hearings on
the various senate bills pretending 20
regulate the railroads of the state was
held this week by the senate commit
tee on corporations. Besides some of
the members of the committee, au-
thors of bills and newspaper men,
there were not more than four or five
in attendance. But those four or five,
every one of them, were watching the
proceedings with intense interest.
All Bluffs Called
The first evening was devoted to
what was supposed to have been a dis
cussion of the Stetson bill. But it
wasn't exactly a discussion. 1t was
more like a session Of the great Amer
lean game of draw in which all
bluffs were called.
There are couple of pretty big men
in the senate, both Democrats, by the
way. Their names are Campbell and
Miller. There are other big men-like
Caminetti, Black and Cartwright-but
Campbell and Miller are the big men
who, determined to take nothing for
granted, turned the hearing on the
Stetson bill into something resembling
an investigation Of the haunts of bugs.
Both took turns in playing with the
governors pet, to the evident confu-
sion and distress of it's lone defender
before the committee. Mr.. Webb made
it plain that he either is not thorough
Iy familiar with the intent of the
measure or was trying to becloud it's
goal by stump-speech oratory. Camp
bell and Miller sought facts; they pro-
cured magnificently rounded periods
of-platitudes. Campbell put two or
three questions to Webb which the
latter tried to sidestep, but couldn't.
Campbell pointed out, employing the
attorney generals own admissions to
aid him. that two of the sections of
the bill are in direct conflict, a thing
which the latter apparently had not
detected.
Attorney General Gets Irate
The attorney general did not take
kindly to. the inference that he might
not be entirely "up to snuff on the
measure he was so loudly and so la
boriously defending. He glared, ne
assured the gentlemen possessed of
huge bumps of inquisitiveness that the
bill was q grand measure, the best
that could be drawn under the con-
Stitutional provision directing that
some such law should be passed that
it was a great measure, that it GER
tainly was a great and a grand meas
ure, that it was a noble bill, that it
| assuredly was.
Campbell smiled. Miller-but Miller
! does his smiling somewhere inside.
Caminetti sat up but held his fire. He
looked ugly-but he really was sun
pressing a grin beneath his imperial
| mustachios.
''Why can't the railroad commission
fix rates under the provision of the
constitution" inquired Senator Miller.
ut cam" replied the attorney gen.
eral, admitting the commission has all
the power to fix rates it would have
were the Stetson bill to become law.
'And in thirty years." insisted Camp
bell, with glitter in his snappirg
black eyes, "aside from the oil rates
fixed nine years ago and the rates
adopted last yearsthe commission has
done nothingl"
Eyes," admitted the attorney general,
"the legislature has been as remiss IN
this regard as has the railroad COM
| mission"
"Wel1,'' pursued Campbell, relent-
lessly, suppose the legislature should
pass the Stetson bill. What earnest
have we that the railroad commission
would act?'
"The legislature has the power to
impeach the commissioners" replied
Webb.
eyes, that's true" retorted Camp
bell. "But the legislature soon will
adjourn for two years."
And can promise you" returned
Webb, ponderously "that if this bill
becomes la wand the railroad COM
missioners refuse or neglect to act AS
it directs, the governor will call the
legislature together in special session
for the purpose of impeaching them.''
Here California has a definite pledge
from the governor by proxy-for Webb
would hardly have dared to make any
such pledge as this without authority
from Gillett-that if, in the future, the
railroad commissioners do not obey the
law, he will give the legislature an
opportunity to impeach them.
But, somehow or other, ATTORNEY
General Webb's discourse was not very
| convincing. In the light of his attitude
of year ago people will want some