The San Francisco call., 1909-01-06


retain the respect OF his feflowmen.
The parole system accomplishes much
Of this. The prisoner goes directly
from the prison SON, 10 sarlne ssnPloylnenL 9ods ae M
drinking liquor, must avoid evil COM
panions and be frugal and saving. The
good results of this system have been
manifest Less than 10 per cent have
violated their parole since the adop-
tion of this system, while 80 per cent
have made good, and are now con-
Quoting themselves as honest, upright
and industrious men,
STATE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
A fair idea of the enormous amount
OF work devolving upon this depart
ment may be had by the statement
that plans and specifications, with full
detail drawings, have been prepared
for SO buildings al an estimated cost
Of construction Of S2,7s9,782. In addi-
ton thereto many other public works
have been undertaken by this depart
ment, notably the dams at Napa and
the veterans home. q water tank al
Mendocino a steel snokestack and oil
tanks at Agnews, and alternations in
the San Francisco Ferry building be-
sides all river and road work provided
for by past legislatures.
Upon new work the private arch
itects' fees are per cent, and would
have been s13S,4ss fer the new build
ings planned for the state. The ex-
penses for architectural services under
the department OF engineering upon the
above buildings have been s1l.301,
with q resultant saving 10 the state
OF S67,1s2.
RAILROADS
Our state has not kept pace with the
majority OF the states Of the union in
the enactment OF laws regulating rail-
roads and their business as common
carriers
and rebates should be clearly defined
and prohibited. and penalty attached
sufficient TO prevent the same, such
penalty to be applied alike to the COM
panv and to the shipper. for one who
knowingly receives any advantages or
favors which are not equally extended
TO other shippers, and which the isx
prohibits, should be held equally guilty
with one who grants Inem- The viola
ton of the law should be punished
BY fine or imprisonment, or by both
GOOD ROADS
For some time there has been an
agitation in this state in favor of good
roads and believe that the sentiment
OF the people today strongly favors
the construction of system OF state
highways running through the center
OF the state and along the coast con-
Meeting all the counties and principal
centers of population. That such
system will be OF great advantage to
our state no one can -eA deny. 10
build such system OF roads VIII re-
ouire the expenditure OF about sls,-
GOO 900. This amount can be raised by
q state bond issue, and it can be so
arranged that the principal snalt oe
paid by the state and the interest by
the counties through which the high
way passes, based upon the exact
amount Of money expended in that
county for the construction OF such
hfghwav. The question Of bonding
should be submitted 10 a vote-of the
people, and 1 recommend that legisla-
ton for that purpose be enacted.
BANKS
A special committee appointed at the
time OF the financial stringency IN 1907
will present TO the legislature draft OF
bill 10 regulate the business OF oank-
ing. which, IF enacted into law, VIII
cure many Of the evils heretofore exist
ing and will give TO this state code
OF banking laws unexcelled anywhere
The present law requires that every
commercial bank shall have always on
hand an amount equal TO 70 per centln
OF its deposits, but there Is no penaIty
provided for its falling so to do This
amount should be increased 10 at least
20 per cent. and severe penalty I'M
posed for a violation Of the law Dur
ing the late financial strlngency some
of the banks Of this state had on hand
as low as 3 per cent OF their deposits.
and many had less than Is per cent,
as required by lava most dan ngerous
condition for any bank 10 be IN. ana
one showing an utter disregard for the
safe protection of its depositors.
This eserye fund should be kept in
this state and not deposited In Chicago,
New York or IN some other city out
side Of the state, because the banker
depositing It there can realize good
rate of interest thereon. This money
IS for the protection OF the depositors
and should be where it can be reached
on short notice.
One of the great evils in banking
has been the loaning Of the funds Of
the bank to its officers and employees.
To this practice can be traced the cause
of most bank failures. No money of a
bank should be loaned TO any OF its
salaried employees. and the making OF
such a loan should be penalized, and
the directors who consented thereto or
acouiesced therein should be held per-
sonally responsible therefor.
There are many important matters
which are to be considered in drafting
proper banking laws which can not be
considered in this message. and trust
that you will give the questions your
most serious consideration and enact
only those laws which will be fair TO
all interests and which viii give the
best protection possible 10 the de-
good results from this session.
SCHOOL FOR ORPHANS
The state should do everything II
can to help its. its orphan shiioren;
citizens When a boy or girl reaches
IA wears of age they ought not to be
turned out into the world without
the struggle of life alone. but should
be placed in some institution where
an education can be secured and a
trade or some useful occupation
learned.
In my Judgment the state ought TO
purchase q tract of good farming and
dafrying land. build thereon homes and
schools for these children, teach the
boys trades and instruct them fully in
agriculture horticulture and viticul-
ture: instruct the girls in domestic
science and 1T them for useful lives.
In carrying out such a plan I recon-
mend that an appropriation of sI25, 900
be made with which TO purchase a site
and TO prepare plans for necessary
buildings. and that commission be
appointed by the governor TO select
the same and report thereon.
NAyIGABLE STREAMS
United States engineers have recon-
mended that the Improvement of the
Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers
be carried on jointly with the
state, and a bill is now pending in
congress appropriating like amount.
Last winter / went before the river
and harbor COMMITTEES of the house and
urged the passage OF this bill, and as
sured the members thereof that IL this
amount was appropriated the state of
California would do it's part This
would provide q fund Of $500, 600 to
commence the work. and further an
propriatfons can be made from time
- tina has near. eu<fr11~ -ov,,