Imperial Valley press., 1913-05-20

ernment. Both the Democratic and
Republican parties pledged their nom
inees for the legislature to give the
people a chance to amend the consti-
tuition Of the state, by providing for
the initiative, referendum and the re-
call. The special interests newspapers
on that question concentrated their at
tack upon the recall.
| ut was useless to attack the niti-
ative and referendum because all poliii-
cal parties had declared in favor Of
that. 1t was consequently useless 10
attack the recall generally for the same
reason.
"The recall Of the judiciary, how
ever, was denounced as revolutionary
We We're told that it would destroy
the independence of the judges and
make them sycophantic followers Of
public opinion, upon the trial Of every
case. We now know that all these
bugaboos were figments of the imag-
nation.
1.-The legislature which has just ad :
journed enacted large number of laws
which are designed to accomplish eco
nOmic reforms. As is usual in such
cases, the representatives of special
privilege bitterly attacked both the leg
islators and the proposed laws. The
| Legislators We're denounced by such
newspapers as the San Francisco
Chronicle and Post, the Sacramento
| Union and the Los Angeles Times IS
megalOmaniac or something worse. The
proposed laws were denounced as
freak legislation
THE fact that 1000 bills were III
| trOduced in the two houses in the
Legislature during the session was
| pointed to as conclusive evidence tha!
the members were unfit to perform
their duty. AS a matter of fact 4
large part of the bills We're introduced
in each of the two houses at the same
time. and in making up the estimate of
1000 each Of these was counted twice
Moreover, the number Of bills intro-
duced was not at all unusual. About
the same number has been introduced
at each session Of the legislature for a
score Of years. Moreover, this num-
Der compares favorably with the num-
Der introduced in other state legislai-
ures. Ii is my recollection that in the
Pennsylvania legislature four years ago
about 10000 bills were introduced.
Among the most important meas
ures enacted by the legislature are:
First, compulsive workman's COM
pensation act. which contains an insur-
ance clause, which is intended TO give
protection from the rapacity OF the
insurance companies. The necessity
Of protection in this regard was main
tanned at Sacramento by the insurance
companies, to either defeat the bill or
eliminate this clause therefrom.
Second, the minimum wage law,
which applies only to women and which
is intended TO prevent any Industry
from paying wages to girls or women
which are too low to enable them to
purchase the bare necessities of life
The report Of the vice commission Of
Chicago shows that such low wages
constitute one Of the most direct con-
tributary causes Of prostitution.
Third, a so-called mothers pen
sion law under which the state, in
stead Of paying money as it has in
the past only to orphan asylums to aid
in the support Of orphans and half
orphans, will in proper cases pay the
money direct to the widow as a con-
tribution toward the support of her
child or children, so that she may keep
such child or children with her and
under her maternal care and direction.
The cost to the state will be very little
more than under the present system.
and ii is hoped that the beneficial re
suits to the deserving widows and or
phans will be immeasurable.
Fourth, the establishment OF an
immigration commission, to prepare for
the expected influx Of immigrants from
Europe as soon as the Panama canal
has been opened. New York City now
has an immigration problem which is
next to insolvable, growing out of the
fact that thousands of Immigrants land
there every-year and concentrate in
its tenement districts. This overcrowd-
ing produces disease and crime. For
a number of years strenuous efforts
have been made by private individuals
TO have plans formulated and legisla-
ton enacted to solve this problem by
having a considerable percentage Of
such immigrants sent upon their arrival
to the interior and other states, where
they can secure employment or engage
in farming. California is wisely pro-
ceeding upon the theory that AN ounce
CT preventative is better than pound
Of cure in this respect
Fifth, a water commission bil'
which is intended to enable and re-
quire the water commission to make
available in this state for irrigation and
power purposes, and likewise for the