Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-04
Legislature Enacts This
Bill Into Law but Kills
Others.
IN FEAR OF The EFFECT
Foreigners Have Millions In
vested and laps Are Need
ed in Fruit Culture.

Sacramento, Feb 4.-Johnson's bill
prohibiting aliens from being members
of corporations. one of the anti-Jap-
anese bills to which President Roose-
welt objects, was refused passage in
the assembly today by vote of 81 10
Is.
In Separate Schools.
The bill providing for insertion in
the existing law the word Japanese"
compelling children of that race to at
tend separate schools as "Mongo-
lians' and Indians" are compelled 10
do now was adopted by the assembly.
Power Denied Municipalities.
The bill to confer power upon muni-
cipalities TO protect the health, morals
and peace of their inhabitants by re-
stricting undesirable, improper and
unhealthy persons and persons whose
practices are dangerous to public
morals, health and peace to certain
prescribed limits was defeated.
Rejects the Bill
Sacramento, CAL, Feb. 4.-The as
sembly late yesterday afternoon by a
vote of % to 4S rejected Drew's anti
alien bill which prohibited foreigners
from owning land in California This
decisive vote sounds the death knelI
of all anti-Japanese legislation at this
session of the legislature. The senate
already has gone on record in the re-
port of the committee which declared
against the passage of any bill aimed
at the japanese.
There was large audience in the
assembly yesterday morning to hear
the debate on the bill. Drew made a
strong speech in advocacy of his meas
ire. He declared the president was
not opposed to his bill as it was now
amended, as he was informed in a let
ter from the president received yes
terday. In case the necessity arose,
Drew said, Japan could raise in Cali
fornia an army of 10000 of its own
| subjects, most of whom have served
| in the army.
"Japs" Needed by Fruit Growers.
Drew was followed by Melrose, who
declared that the bill would drive out
$10O, 100000 of foreign capital in San
Francisco and large sum throughout
the state. He declared the japanese
were necessary to the fruit growers,
as without their aid it would be inn
possible to gather the crops. He pro-
duced statistics showing there were
not more than IS Japanese land own
lers in all California.
Nathan G. Cole of San Francisco,
Iwho was elected with the endorsement
of the union labor party, opposed the
Drew bill on the ground that it was in
conflict with the state constitution,
that it was inimical to union labor, and
that it was not favored by the ma
tional administration, which he said
was dealing with delicate problem
land should be supported by the people
of California.
Feared Loss of Foreign Millions.
Probably the argument that had the
; most weight with the lawmakers was
that the bill would not only drive out
all Japanese capital but also all other
foreign capital 1t is estimated that
foreigners have over a billion dollars
!, invested in mining and other enter.
! prises in the state. and the withdrawal
, of this capital would put back the de.
velopment of the state 40 years. When
y the vote began intense interest was
: shown. The result was greeted with
: applause.
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