Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-09

| ODDOSlIlOn) IL uTBtu IllctL NllC ilitCiobo
commerce commission consider the
protests against the advance in the
transcontinental freight rates and that
| our representatives in congress be
requested to exert themselves in be-
| half of legislation to grant further
powers to the commission, and that
congress give speedy consideration to
| the Bristow report as made to Presi-
| dent-elect Taft and to the speedy es-
tablishment of the federal steamship
! line for the Pacific as recommended
| in the report.
"In the assembly Grove L. Johnson
offered certain amendments to the res
olution and Mr.. Stanton voted for
these amendments. They struck from
the resolution all reference TO the
| Bristow report and all recommenda-
ton for the establishment of gov
ernment line of steamships on the Pa
| cific. All that was left of the resolu-
| ton was the request that the inter-
| state commerce commission consider
the protests made against the increase
In transcontinental freight rates, and
| that our representatives IN congress
work for the granting of further pow
ers to the commission.
After being emasculated in the as
| sembly the resolution went back to
the senate. Stanton had put himself
| squarely on record as against that part
of the resolution recommending that
the government complete its line to
San Francisco. Had the senate con-
! CURED in the assembly amendments
the legislature, by negation, would
have gone on record as opposed to
| the government line.
TAKES S. p. ORDERS
"The fact must not be lost sight of
that the assembly-and Mr.. Stanton
was already on record against the
| competitive line and the concurrence
of the senate was needed to kill off
the proposal.
How the vote for the amendments
was viewed at the time is well ex
pressed by the San Francisco Call Of
February 10, 1909
johnson and those other MEM
bers who are taking orders from
Jere Burke and Walter Parker in
-ehalf of Harrimans interests
wheedIed the assembly into amend
ing the resolution by striking out
all reference to former Special
| Panama Commissioner Joseph L.
.}ristow and his recommendation
that the government operate a line
IN the Pacific, because the Pacific
! fail Steamship company was DOM
mated by the transcontinental rail-
road lines.
"The senate refused to concur IN
| the amendments and the assembly re-
fused to recede from them. The res
olution was therefore thrown into a
conference committee, which failed to
agree. Then it went to a committee
| on free conference, composed of three
members of the senate appointed by
Lieutenant Governor Porter and three
members of the assembly appointed
by Speaker Stanton.
OPPOSES FEDERAL LINE
] "In appointing the three assembly,
men Speaker Stanton gave evidence of
his opposition to the proposed federal
| line by naming Johnson of Sacramento
and Transue of Los Angeles, both
! known to stand with him in his oppo
sition to the federal line, and Drew,
| friendly to the resolution. Fortunate
ly the senate half of the committee
consisted of three of the strongest anti
machine members of the legislature
Sanford, Black and Cutten. The joint
committee finally restored the pro-
visions urging the establishment of the
government line, their opponents gave
up their opposition and the COM
mittee report and amendments were
adopted.
"These statements are compiled from
the official minutes of the legislative
session, with the exception of the
reference to the San Francisco Calls
story on Ile HSDl 1Iley prove COu-
clusiVely that Mr. Stanton eXerted him
self to the utmost to defeat the
proposition looking toward the estab-
/ lishment of a goVernment-owned line
of steamers, and that he finally sup
ported the measure only after his at
tempt to render the resolution worth
less in this respect had signally failed.
From the beginning to the end he was
opposed to the movement. By absurd
IL III. I,n 10 H.
bility for his vote against these most
important sections of the resolution.
II His course is scarcely becoming in
one who aspires to the highest office in
the gift of the voters of the state"
FLAYs sTANTON's RECORD
simultaneously with the issuance of
the statement by the Peoples lobby
yesterday several prominent members
| Of the Los Angeles chamber of COM
merce let it be known that they are
waging a determined battle to prevent
the possibility of Stanton's election.
One of these men, an active member
| of the Los Angeles county Democratic
| central committee, presented the fol-
lowing statement to The Herald, III
which he gives the public what he be-
lieves is the first real insight into
Stanton's legislative record. The
statement follows:
"Mr. Stanton's claim that he is
responsible for and that credit should
be given to him for the passage of the
consolidation bill so as to enable San
Pedro and Los Angeles to consolidate
| is too ridiculous to be given credit by
\ those who know the inside of the fight
for the consolidation bill and the fact
that a paid lobby had to be main
tanned at Sacramento by the Water
ways association of Los Angeles of
which Joseph Call was chairman at
that time and by the San Pedro cham
ber of commerce will conclusiVely
prove that Mr. Stanton did not prove
! true even to his duty of seeing that
| that bill should be passed by the legis-
| lature.
"If it had not been for the tireless
energy of Joseph Call. 7. b. Gibbon,
John Gaffey, Eugene Seward, secre--
tary of the San Pedro chamber or
commerce, and Albert Norton, 1t Is
safe to say that the consolidation bill
would have suffered the same fate at