Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-05
DISTRIBUTION OF
PEOPLES MONEY
WORRIES SOlONS
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE IS
FACING PROBLEM
DIVISION OF PATRONAGE TO BE
CAUSE OF CONTENTION
Otherwise Cut and Dried Program
Will Call for Harmony-AlI Have
Friends Who Want Names
on Payroll

~ AGRA -ENTO, Jan. 4.-Aside from
the formal opening of the legis-
~ lature today at noon and the or
ganization of the two branches ac-
cording to program, the most import
ant problems before the law makers
were the questions of how to distribute
the patronage and in what form the
$1,000 appropriated for each member
shall be paid.
The senate has solved the former by
allotting to Republican senators SIS
day after taking out of the whole sum
of $500 daily the salaries of constitu-
tional officers and giving the president
of the body the disposal of $22 and the
nine Democrats SO a day.
In the assembly, however the pat
ronage issue is still paramount. A
caucus lasting from until o'clock
this evening failed to reach the desired
conclusion.
AT a meeting of the Republicans this
morning before the assembly was
called to order, a committee headed by
A. M. Drew of Fresno, was appointed
to deal with the question, with instruc-
tions to fill the most important posts
and then devise a scheme for the euuit-
able distribution of the remainder.
At this afternoons caucus, however,
the committees recommendations were
not fancied by about half of the mem
bers, one side favoring the allotment
of $6 and the other one of So a day to
each Republican.
Friends Want Money, Too
AS every legislator has from two to
five friends eager to get themselves
enrolled on the assembly payroll, and
these would-be- attaches are clamoring
for the fulfllment of promises the
question has become more serious than
the members had anticipated
Adjournment of the caucus held this
afternoon was taken until 10 o'clock
tomorrow morning, when it is probable
the special committee will be able to
make a supplemental report enabling
the caucus to arrive at an understand
ing before the next session Of the as
sembly.
There was little delay in getting
down to business after the two houses
were called TO order shortly after II
o'clock.
The new members were sworn in
without a hitch and the officers were
quickly elected. Following are the men
who will have charge of affairs:
Senate-President pro tenn, Edward
/. Wolfe of San Francisco;- secretary,
Lewis Hilborn; sergeant-at-arms,
Louis Martin: chaplain, Father H. H
Wyman of San Francisco.
Assembly-Speaker, P. A. Stanton of
Los Angeles; speaker protein, George
M. Perine, San Francisco; chief clerk,
Clio Lloyd; Minute clerk, H. F. Harper;
sergeant-at-arms, John Stafford.
Two Predict Good Results
Both Lieutenant Governor Porter and
Speaker Stanton, in their addresses be-
fore the bodies over which they are
to preside, predicted a session of unus-
ually good results in the way of leg
islation.
The conservative estimates tonight
place the probable length Of the ses-
sion at eighty days.
This has always been a delicate prob
lem in the past, as the members re-
ceive only $S a day for sixty days, at
the end of which period, if their labors
were unfinished, they were at liberty to
adjourn or serve without pay.
Under the new arrangement, how
ever, with $1,000 for each member a
session of 100 days will give them $40
a day, and for this reason it is be-
lieved the solOns will not be in a great
hurry to return to their homes.
The matter as it now stands does not
provide for the maner in which the
$1,000 shall be doled out and it will be
necessary to introduce a bill to settle
it.
A committee is working upon one
now and probably will recommend that
SO or $12 a day should be paid out un-
til the end Of the legislative period,
when a balance is to be paid over.
Leeds Will Father 1t
Such measure will be introduced
in the assembly by Walter Leeds Of
Los Angeles
Lieutenant Governor Porter and
Speaker Stanton will be busy during
II next few days with the organiza-
ton of committees, after the appoint
ment of which the usual avalanche Of
bills will flood the capitol.
While the most important chairman
ships have already been allotted, there
are still many desirable plums in the
committee line. Speaker Stanton has
invited the members to send him the
lists of those bodies upon which they
would prefer to serve and will not
have his task completed for two or
three days.
The message of the governor, which
may be received by the legislature to-
morrow forenoon, is looked forward to
with q great deal of interest, as its
receipt will be the signal for the active
law-making to begin.
The first important business to be
disposed Of will be the naming Of a
United States senator but there is no
excitement over the issue.
Senator Perkins friends have opened
headquarters at a local hotel, with
George Hatton of San Francisco in
charge, but it is generally conceded
that unless something unforeseen hap
pens there will be little opposition to
the selection Of Perkins.
The Democrats will caucus on the
senatorial proposition on Wednesday,
but according to a statement made to-
night by Senator Sanford, the minority
leader, the name of Perkins Demo-
cratic opponent has not been decided
upon.
RELIEF TRAIN FULL OF