STATE PRIMARY LAW TO BE SIMPLIFIED
PRESENT SYSTEM
ADMITTEDLY WEAK
AND RIDICULOUS
Senator Hewitt of Los An
geles Has Plan Designed
to Divorce Republicans
and Progressives
SPEAKER YOUNG ALSO
NURSES PET MEASURE
Strobridge of Hayward Adds
Zest to Revision With
Some Novelties
GEORGE A. VAN SMITH
CALL BUREAU.
SACRAMENTO HOTEL,
Sacramento, January 0.
Simplification of the direct primary
law to the end that the system may not
be made both ridiculous and offensive
is the purposo of Leslie R. Hewitt of
Los Angelas, who wants to head the
sonato committee on elections and elec
tion laws.
Hewitt, who is one of the most capa
ble men in tho logislature. has no hard
and fast notions about the details of
a- primary law amendment. He is
kindly disposed toward tho original
provisions of the first primary bill as
they related to the tiling of candidates.
That bill made no provision for the
troublesome and expensive candidates'
petitions. It provided for the Minne
sota system of candidates filing by
affidavit and the paymerlt of the pre
scribed fee.
I'RESEXT LAW HI UDRMCD
The Los Angeles senator is an ardent
advocate of the direct primary princi
ple* He believe* that the California
law has b*en mangled and loaded with
unworkmanlike amendments until it is.
in itself, ■ standing invitation for pop
ular repudiation.
Painless divorce of the republican
and democratic parties is a problem
thmt has agitated the mental machin
ery of progressive party leaders since
November.
Senator Kdward Strobridge of Hay
vard has a solution. In fact, that
problem is one of tho least of several
that he hopes to solve by the enact
ment of a single bill. In this meas
ure he intends to provide for nonpar
tisan primary election* and the applica
tion of the San Francisco majority
flection scheme to state and legislative
politics.
Sf rohridge has not boon nominated by
tlip administration to enact its effect ion
I»W ideas. Senator Hewitt and Speaker
Young of the assembly probably will
share that honor.
However. Strobridge is to
make a fight for h ntpst ingeniously
complicated measure ?Te-s»gned to r«»x
--■ ■'utioni/e state Hr, tion». He would
make the separation of the progress
ive and republican parties easy by
providing that places' on the official
ballot shall bo given to parties that
alone or in conjunction with others
polled :: per cent of the vote at the
1911 election.
PARTISAN RKGISTR ATION
He would provide for partisan reg
istration, but he would put all pri
mary candidates on a single Austra
lian ballot and permit the electors of
all parties to vote it as they now vote
general election ballots. * According
to the Strobridge plan, any candidate
for legislative nomination, governor,
United States senator, or what not.
who received a majority of all the
votes at the primary election would be
declared elected without the necessity
of running at the ereneral election.
The Strobridge bill does not provide
for any cHange in the existing platform
convention scheme tior in the method
of nominating presidential electors. It
retains the petition for places on the
primary ballot, but strikes at the peti
tion nuisance by providing that no
petition shall be circulated within 200
feet of any registration place.
Speaker Young, to whom the gover
nor has looked for {he preparation of
primary election law amendments, has
not attempted to reduce his ideas to
bill form. He will give the subject no
attention i;Mil after his committees are
appointed.
One point he is clear on. Tie desires
lo retain the present platform conven
tion system.
Young is not a liberal direct primary
man. Tie is opposed to most schemes
designed to make it easy for independ
ent candidates after the primary elec
tions. It is not difficult to believe that
he and Senator Hewitt will differ ma
terially or they may be able to adjust
their differences with the assistance ot
the governor,
BOIRBO\S TRITI-|,KXT AGAIN
Thefr patronage tears dried for a
time, the democrats in both houses
hunted new fighting ground today
The reports of the committees on rules
ifforded the only target for their
practice.
With the drop of the gavels in both
houses the bourbons began a sma'l
arms competition, which they continued
throughout the day.
The assembly minority started its
ruction with an attempt to postpone
all consideration of the report of the
committee on joint rules. It lost that
skirmish by a vote of approximately
two to one.
Then it centered its attack on the
report itself.
The senate democrats duplicated the
assembly program, omitting only the
test vote on postponement.
The net result of their efforts when
the two houses adjourned tonight was
the elimination of a nonessential pro
vision in the proposed rules for the
regulation of the newspaper correspond
ent s.
The rules will come up for final con
sideration in both houses tomorrow.
They seem to furnish the only basis for
the minority's sharpshooting.
With the rules adopted Lieutenant
Governor WaUace will be ready to
announce his committee assignments
and the senate will be prepared to
open the bill hopper.
Speaker Young does not expect to
complete his committees until next
week.
REWARD FOR SITHERLA\D
Rumor of a character to command
respectful consideration has it that
two of the three big committees in the
lower house will go to the Bpeaker
nhip candidates whose agreement made
Young speaker. The gossips have It
'that W. A. Sutherland of Fresno will
be chairman of the committee on reve
nue and taxation and that 11. Stanley
Ronedict of Lew Angeles will head the
judiciary committee.
W. F. Chandler of Frosno, it is said.
is slated* to preside over the ways ami
means committee.
Senator Dominic Joseph Beban of
San Francisco is sponsor for a measure]
oX immediate interest to iran Fran-
Secretary Jordan Peeved
Auto Licenses the Cause
Secretary) of Slate Jordan, who ob
jects to transfer of supervision of auto
licenses to highway commission.
> ; *-
Cisco. For City Attorney Percy V.
I-iongr he lias introduced a bill appro
propriating f5,841.79, the amount of the
Stockton Street tunnel assesments
falling , on state lands under control of
the harbor commission.
I'.y securing an appropriation Beban
hopes to avoid the embroilment of tiie
city and the state in a suit to enforce
the payment of the assessment.
Secretary of State Frank t\ Jordan
is mixing: his war paint. Jordan be
lieves he has discovered a highway
commission plot to take over the auto
mobile license bureau and its reve
nues.
The automobile license bureau is one
of the most important departments of
the secretary of states office. Also it
involves some of the most desirable of
the secretary's patronage.
SKRVKS \OTICR O\ (iOVKRNOR
Jordan announced today that he had
informed tho governor's secretary that
he would submit to no further disrup
tion of his organization.
"I told Me£a>b«," said Jordan today,
"that I would stand for no more inter
ference with my pf&ce. If they try to
i;ikf the automobile department away
from me I will invoke tho referendum
and then put the initiative on them.
1 lold McCabe that, too."
Thirty assenVblymen havo signed a
renewal of the famous "cow county"
caucus agreement, which enabled the
legislators from the interior to con
trol thp work of the extra session in
1911. Twenty-one of the assemblymen
parties to the agreement met today and
elected Assemblymen J. If. Inman and
Hugh Bradford, both of Sacramento,
chairman and secretary, respectively.
C ENATE DISCARDS
CUSHING'S MANUAL
SACRAMENTO, Jan. P.—Cushing's
Manual, for 40 sessions the parliament
ary guide of the senate of California,
lost that proud distinction today and
made way for Robers' EUiles of Order.
This change was made in order that
procedure in the senate and assembly
should be as nearly alike as possible.
Roberts' rules have been the guide
in the lower house.
The new senate rules were ready for
introduction when the upper house
convened today. They differ from the
rules , of previous sessions mainly In
alterations made necessary by the di
vided session.
SENATE RULES RISHED
The senate rules were sent to the
printer with a rush order and a list
of republican patronage was disposed
of. It included Miss- Gertrude Burnett,
a committee clerk, named by Senator
E. E. Giant (Dem.) of San Fran
cisco, who had made a fight against
the democratic patronage list because
her name was not on it.
Miss Burnett is a sister of former
Senator L. G. Burnett (Rep.) of Shu
Francisco. Burnett was defeated at the
primaries by former Senator Edward
I. Wolfe, and Wolfe, in turn, was de
feated by Grant.
The first senate bill w;is introduced
Jby Senator Boynton at the request of
■ State Controller A. B. Nye. It appro
| priates $900 to pay the expenses of the
presidential electors who will assem
ble here next Monday to participate in
ceremonies at which one of their num.
ber will be chosen to go to Washing
ton.
RILES ARK SISPEXDED
It was passed under a suspension of
the rules and of that portion of the
state constitution which provides for
the reading of bills three times on dif
ferent days.
Senators Curtin and Caminetti. dem
ocrats, began quizzing Senator Wright
about constitutional points when the
joint rules were taken up.
Senator Caminetti objected to the
power allowed the revision committee.
"When my bill or any bill goes to the
desk and is received it becomes a sen
ate document and can not be changed
without consent of the members," he
said.
Senator Beban was discussed for
chairman of the committe on fish and
game, but at the request of Adjutant
General E. A. Forbes probably will be
put back as chairman of the commit
tee on military affairs, the position he
held two years ago.
The entire afternoon session of the
senate was consumed with reading of
the proposed joint rules, and when ad
journment was taken until 11 o'clock
tomorrow they had not been acted upon.
They will be taken up again tomorrow.
RULES ARE SUBJECT
OF PARTY DIVISION
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 9.—Assemblymen
smacked their lips over oranges picked
from snow laden trees on the grounds
of the capitol*today while fighting over
the provisions of the report of the joint
rules committee, which was a special
order of business at the afternoon ses
sion.
Every member found on his desk an
orange wrapped in paper bearing the
legend, •"Grown on the grounds of the
state capitol."
Assemblyman Polsley led a fight
against a pfoposed "committee of revi
sion and printing," an innovation de-
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1913.
Will Appeal to Voters
If This Patronage
Is Taken Away
SACRAMENTO. Jan. 9.—Secretary of
State Frank C. Jordan, who was shorn
of much patronage by the thirty-ninth
legislature, learned today that bills
will be introduced to take from his
supervision the licensing of automo
biles throughout the state.
According to Jordan, the plan Is to
place this department of his office
under the direction of the state high
way commission.
"I have handled this work satisfac
torily, so far as I can learn,"' he eaid.
"It has been done properly. Now an
attempt will be made to take It away
from me. I believe the move Is
prompted by a desire to increase the
patronage of the highway commission,
and if necessary I will put it up to the
people of the state through refer
endum."
signed to facilitate the correction of
clerical and orthographical errors. He
claimed that the committee would have
too much opportunity to change the bill
from jts author's intent, and also ob
jected to a provision for the printing of
a weekly history of bills on the ground
that it would tend to inconvenience
members and delay their work.
RILES COME IP TODAY
Rules on which there was no dispute
were passed by viva voce vote today,
and debate on the remaining rules was
made a special order of business for
tomorrow at 2 o'clock.
The report of the committee on
standing rules of the assembly was
brought in at the afternoon session
and made a special order of business
for tomorrow at 10 o'clock. The rules
were not changed from those in force
last session, it is understood, save for
the elimination and consolidation of
certain committees, resulting in a re
duction of their number to 45, as
against r>rt Inst jsession.
Speaker Young announced the follow
ing committees:
Rules. H. W. Brown. San Ma too,
chairman; contingent expenses. Lyman
Farwell. T.os Angeles, chairman: at
taches, Frank M. Smith, Oakland, chair
man.
C ACRAMENTO TOLD
O JO QUIT CARPING
SACRAMENTO. Jan. !>.—Percy V.
Long, city attorney pf San Francisco,
appeared today before the Sacramento
Chamber of Commerce and told its
members that unless they felt a little
more friendly toward San Francisco's
to have a state building, cost
ing $1,000,000, on the civic center site,
legislation designed for Sacramento
improvements probably Mould fare
badly.
Long renewed his suggestion of a
bond issue to cover all new state build
ings, and was seconded in it by As
semblyman J. M. Inman of Sacramento.
He hoped that it would be effective
in quieting sectional jealousies.
RELIEF MOVEMENT
BEGUN IN EARNEST
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 9.—State relief
for the banks of the citrus district of
southern California who have been
hard hit by the damage to the orange
and lemon crop, will be sought by As
semblyman James E. Cram of High
land, who conferred today with State
Treasurer E. I). Roberts in the at
torney general's office upon the pos
sibility of the state lending money on
call at a low rate of interest. As
semblyman Kram will leave for San
Bernardino tomorrow night to confer
with the bankers of the orange dis
trict as to the best method of arrang
ing the relief.
BOARD OF HEALTH
PROPOSES REFORMS
SACRAMENTO. Jan. !).—A program
of, preventive measures outlined by the
state board of health will be introduced
in both houses of the legislature within
a few days, according to former Sena
tor Louis H. Roseberry of Santa Bar
bara, attorney for the board.
The hoard wishes laws providing:
Certification of hospitals: jurisdiction
over pollution of salt water; jurisdic
tion over proposed water supplies for
cities.
A cold storage registration.
The hospital act is intended to drive
out hospitals of dubious practices.
San Jose, Petaluma and Los Angeles,
the board reports, all pollute salt water
with their sewage, and that from San
Jose is said to harm the Alviso oyster
beds.
CALHOUN GUNNING
IN A DRESS SUIT
Magnate, Taking Wrong Suit
Case, Leaves Hunting Togs
to Banqueter
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 9.—Patrick Cal
houn's haste in leaving a train at Sui
sun tonight, taking with the wrong
suitcase, left P. C. Hale with a duck
hunting costume on his hands and gave
Calhoun a full dress outfit.
Calhoun decided to make a trip to
Suisun to Investigate some properties
he is interested in. He loaded his
hunting clothes in a suitcase with a
couple of clean handkerchiefs. Hale,
with his brother, R. B. Hale, were com
ing from San Francisco to Sacramento
to attend a banquet in Hotel Sacra
mento, given by former Senator C. B.
Bill in honor of J. Digiorgio, a noted
fruit expert.
As the porter announced Suisun Cal
houn was in the diner. He rushed
from the table to the rar and grabbed
the first suitcase he happened to find
near his seat and left the train. Ten
minutes later Hale came out of the
diner and discovered that his suit
case was missing.
Hale had no troifble getting a dress
suit in Sacramento, but news of how
Calhoun will solve the problem when
he arises In the early morning to don
his hunting clothes and finds the dref*
suit wiil be awaited with considerable
interest by Hate brothers,
MANY MEASURES
ARE ANNOUNCED
BY LEGISLATORS
Among Them Is One Creat
ing Four More Superior
Judgeships for San
Francisco
SACRAMENTO. Jan. 9.—A gift of
$1,000 from Mrs. Phoebe Hearst to the
commissioners of the California Red
wood park may be accepted pnder the
terms: of a bill which Senator Herbert
C. Jones of San Jose will introduce In
the senate.
Tourists in the park, which is bettor
known as "Big: Basin," have complained
for years of the poison oak which
abounds there. Some of them, not
being acquainted with the bush, have
been lured by its bright foliage into
taking quantities home with them and
have suffered distressing cutaneous
outbreaks.
To clear the traveled portions of the
park Mrs. Hearst has offered' $l.ono,
but until new legislation can be en
acted the gift may not be accepted.
Jones also will offer a bill for a road
into the park, starting at Saratoga
summit, running along a watershed
and connecting in the park with a road
leading out another way. For this
$100,000 is desired.
NEW BULDIMiS FOR AGXRW
Four new buildings for the Agnew
state hospital are provided for in an
other bill by Senator Jones, appropriat
ing $190,000 for their construction. This
is $20,000 more than the maximum al
lowance in the budget. The difference
is justified on the ground that it does
not exceed income derived by the hos
pital from pay patients and other
sources and paid back into the state.
A statue of George Washington for
the San Francisco civic center is pro
vided for in a bill of Senator D. J.
Beban of San Francisco which appro
priates $20,000 to be merged with an
other $20,00n promised by the Washing
ton Memorial association.
Senator Beban also will offer a bill
for the payment of an assessment of
$S.S4I levied against the state by the
city of San Francisco in connection
with the tunnel project in Stockton
street. I'nless the State appropriates
this amount the city will have to sue
for it.
Among measures to he introduced to
morrow are the following by Asspmh
blyman Milton L. Schmitt of San Fran-
Cisco:
Extending the McEnerney* act two
ream; creating four more •aperiox
Judgeehfpa in San Francisco county;
requiring all railroads or interurban
electric roads to install signaling de
vicr-s at all grade crossings where trains
of cars pass at greater speed than
10 miles an hour: providing? that cor
porations defaulting the corporation
license tax may be reinstated by the
secretary of state upon payment of tho
defaulted tax and penelty; a concur
rent resolution requesting* counties
and municipalities within the state to
purchase goods produced in California,
and an amendment to the political code
requiring California made goods shall
be specilied in bids from state insti
tutions.
HOII.D ABOLISH HALF HOLIDAY
Assemblyman T. J. Weldon of Ukiah
will introduce a bill abolishing the
Saturday half holiday in all public of
fices throughout the state. His position
is that the rural population is put to
great inconvenience by the closing of
public offices Saturday afternoons.
The socialist member from Ijos An
geles, C. W". Kingsley, will introduce
an amendment to the present child
labor law placing the minimum age of
employment at 16 years and providing
that no illiterate child under IS shall
be an employe during day school hours.
An act repealing constitutional
amendment No. 1, enacted at the last
session of the legislature, a bill re
imbursing San Bernardino county for
tht- $200,000 net loss said to have been
sustained by the operation of the
amendment during the last <|jpo years,
will be Introduced by Assemblyman
James K. Cram of Highland. Similar
bills will be introduced in the senate
by Senator J. Avey of Redlands. , The
San Bernardino delegation claim good
support in both houses.
San Bernardino rounty received $.".1,
--000 reimbursement from the state for
the loss of its revenues from railroad
taxation, and was compelled to pay out
in the neighborhood of $250,000 to
school districts in reimbursement of
their lost incomes. One district. Cram
said, lost 8S per cent of its income by
the operation of the act.
HKVIS4OX OF BACKING LAWS
The San Francisco delegation, moved
by the recent unsatisfactory experience
of the state bank commission with the
Continental Building and Loan associa
tion of San Francisco which, when it
failed, flouted the state authorities by
putting itself under the protection of
the federal courts, will back a joint
resolution calling upon the California
delegation in congress to amend the
federal bankruptcy act. Assemblyman
Arthur I* Shannon of San Francisco
will introduce a resolution which will
call for legislation to make it impossi
ble for a state banking corporation to
evade responsibility to the state bank
commissioner.
Congresman elect John T. Nolan and
Charles McConaughy, lobbyist in the
assembly for state labor organizations,
announced tonight they would advocate
the passage of a bill compelling all
professional chauffeurs to pass an ex
amination designed to prove their com
petency before given a driver's license,
and also an anti-injunction measure.
iTOTESBURY LOSES CASE
Jury In Action Against Hammerateln
Can Not Agree on Verdict
NEW YORK. Jan. 9.—The suit
brought by Edward T. Stotesbury, the
Philadelphia banker, against Oscar
Jlammerstein to recover re
sulted today in no verdict. After four
hours' deliberation the jury in the
United States district court reported
a disagreement and was discharged.
Rtotesbury contended that the money
he sued to uncover was a loan. Ham
merstein held that it was a gratuitous
contribution for the support of grand
opera in Philadelphia.
"MORMON KID" GUILTY
Voninn Who Accneed Reltske Weeps at
Jury's Verdict
Three minutes* deliberation was re
quired by a jury in finding: Fred
Reitzke, known as "The Mormon Kid,"
guilty yesterday afternoon in Judge
Dunne'e court. Bessie Carlson testi
fied that she gave Reitzke $20,000 Jn
four years of underworld life. When
the jury returned so speedily the
woman buret into tears, dpolaring that
she felt swry for the prisoner. Reitzke
\\\l\ be sentenced Saturday
Cold Blinds Caminetti
Stricken at His Desk
Senator Is Afflicted
Strangely While
Reading Rules
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 9—Senator A. J
Csminetti of Jackson sat down at his
senate desk today to look over the
printed report of the joint committee
on rules and found that he could not
read a word of it.
The print being exceptionally small,
the senator tried his eyes on a pocket
list of members of the legislature, in
which the lower case letters were a
quarter of an inch high.
"They're all blurred," he s-aid. and
looked toward the front row of the
senate desks.
"I <an see paft of Senator Hewitt
up there," he observed, "but not all of
him. ,.
The senator attributes his temporary
affliction to a cold. He is Opposed to
tlip joint rules and was vexed at his
inability to read the final'report.
"Joint committee • meetings are op
posed to the principle of a bicamera
legislative body." he said. "Even with
out these rules, we couHl have met
together if we wanted to do so."
Senator Caminetti did not leave the
senate hall, but said he probably woul<f
see an oculist some time today.
Later in the day Senator Caminetti
said he had recovered his vision. He
read the joint rules report and par
ticipated actively in the debate on it.
DOMESTIC COMMERCE IS
RECKONED BY MILLIONS
Imports and Exports of the
Western Metropolis Total
$91,406,461
San Francisco custom house statistics
of imports and exports for the calendar
year of 1912, published exclusively In
The Call January 1, were estimated by
using the figures for December. 1911,
as the figures for the last month had
not been tabulated. The following
figures and estimates show the com
plete statistics for the year 1912. the
figures for December, 1912, being avail
able yesterday:
Total imports ?R2.744.1R«
Total exports of e<Mße«tic cimkls 54,707,890
Total shipments t.»Ala>kn 2,575,556
Total slilntiifiits to Hawaii 18,193,850
Total shipments to Guam and Tutnila. 95,163
The total exports and shipments of
domestic merchandise amounted to
|75,5§2,41t.
Gold bullion to the amount of $10,
--712,134 and silver bullion totaling
$5,121,910 were also exported.
As bullion fs really merchandise It
should be added to the figures, which
would then show exports and shipments
of domestic commodities amounting to
$91.406,461 —all by sea.
These figures do not include coin or
currency, nor foreign merchandise ex
ported from bonded warehouses, nor
foreign merchandise in transit through
the United States.
The export and shipping trade by sea
from .this port for 1912 showed in
creases and one decrease (to Alaska)
as follows:
Imports, increase JR.fifiß.Re4
Kxports. domestic good*, increase ll!2SO - 817
Shipments to Alaska, decrease f>71.243
Shipment! t.> Hawaii, increase C.r>o^Bß4
Shipments to Philippine*, inereane. .. . ise.l42
Exports t<> New Zealand, increase 174.9.10
Kxpurts to Australia, Increase 609,738
HYDE AND SCHNEIDER
ASK FOR CLEMENCY
Land Fraud Cane* Recalled by Appli
cation of Convicted to Taft
for Pardons
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.~Frederick A.
Hyde, formerly of San Francisco, and
Joost A. Schneider, convicted in this
city of conspiracy to defraud the
United States in connection with lands
in California and Oregon, have applied
to President Taft for pardons. Hyde
was sentenced to serve two years and
to pay a fine of $10,000 and Schneider
was given 1-1 months and a fine of
$1,000.
Attorney General Wickersham is in
vestigating their rights to executive
clemency.
DEATH RATE IS MODKSTO IS LOW
(Special iMspatcb to The Call)
MODESTO, Jan. 9.—At the meeting
of the city council last night City
Health Officer Falk submitted a report
showing 129 deaths in Modesto for the
last year, compared to 183 births. Of
the latter 66 were males and 67 fe
males. He reported the death rate in
Modesto as much lower than in most
cities, being 2 per cent, as compared
to an average rate 3.5 to 4 per cent
for California cities as a whole.
■ /3
Clearance Sale of Our Entire Stock / rice
of Coats, Neck Furs and Muffs at, ut " i "
Siii ■*■ Exactly 1/2 r*ce I.'M-.il
w I I 5~~ —— hßjj ||||J|
Clearance Sale of Our En- Jg^ 8 IMα f f Aγ 1 !? II raßjl IHi m
tire Stock of Women's and ffA*'* - ™'fc 11 11 B-il
Senator A. Cam'metti of Jackson,
who temporarily lost his eyesight yes
terday rvhile reading report of joint
committee on rules.
GARMENT WORKERS RIOT
TO GET STRIKE BREAKER
Thousand Men and Women
in Frenzy When Man Ap
pears to Take Job
NEW YORK, Jan. 9.—The appearance
of a solitary strike breaker late today
in front of a downtown clothing factory
was the signal for one of the most des
perate riots the police have had to con
tend with since the garment workers
began their strike.
Strikers attacked Jhe man, a police
man went to his aid, and in a few
minutes more than 1,000 men and
women were fighting to tear the strike
breaker from his protector.
A dozen more policemen rushed to the
spot and began to make arrests, but
most of their prisoners wrenched away
almost as soon as they were seized.
After a long struggle the policemen
reached their station house with only
the three rioters they had been able to
keep. The police used their clubs and
left a trail of broken heads'.
CUPID AND CHRISTMAS
FORM FIRM ALLIANCE
Holiday Season Show* Larsre Number
of Marriage Licensee Inmaed by
Matrimonial Clerk*
The holiday season and Christmas
spirit proved good allies for Cupid, ac
cording to the report made by Re
corder Godchaux yesterday, showing
that 568 marriage licenses were issued
during the month of December. Docu
ments of all kinds were filed and re
corded to the number of 7,074, as
against 4,490 for the corresponding
month in 1911. Among them were 2,440
deeds, 569 mortgages of real property,
103 mortgages of personal property,
107 builders' contracts, 291 releases ot
mortgages of real property, 167 deeds
of trust, 204 notices of completion of
builders' contracts.
MOSES MAKES MISTAKE
Elevator Man Badly Scalded by Step-
ping In Hot Water Pool
Maurice Moses, elevajtor operator at
149 Bush street, stepped into a pool of
boiling , water while turning off a steam
valve to stop the elevator power short
ly before noon yesterday. Moses sus
tained second degree burns on both
legs, for which he was treated at the
harbor emergency hospital. He later
was removed to his home at 1333 Ellia
street.
MARRIED "SIB ROSA"
(Sppclal Dispatch to The Call)
SAN MATEO. Jan. 9.—Unknown to
their friends and only notifying their
parents at. the last minute, B. Frank
Morris and Miss Grace Anna Duffy
slipped quietly away to Redwood City
last night and were married by Rev.
David M. Crabtree of St. Peter's Epis
copal church. Morris is secretary of a
San Mateo fire company and is promi
nent in fraternal circles. His bride is
the daughter of James Duffy, a con
tractor.
BILL PROPOSES
MORE REVENUE
FROM AUTO TAX
Measure Contains Drastic
Rules Both for Protection
of Pedestrians and the
Motoring Public
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 9.—Legislation
which will increase by tenfold the
funds available for repair and mainte
nance of state and county roads Is pro
jected by Assemblyman Milton 1...
Schmitt of San Francisco in an automo
bile license bill which, he Bays, has the
support of the principal automobile as
sociations of the stato.
Besides imposing license taxes, based
upon the law in effect in New York,
Schmitfs bill contains drastic* regula
tions both for the protection of the
pedestrian and automobile public.
California in the fiscal year 1011-12
received from its automobiles some
thing , over $63,000, as there now are
about 76,000 automobiles in the state.
New York, from 84,000 automobiles,
collected nearly $900,r>00.
PROPOSED SCHEDVLJE OP TAXES
The proposed schedule of license
taxes, which it is estimated will brinsr
to the state road fund $600,000 per
year, Is as follows:
Automobiles—Twenty-five horsepower
or less, $5 per year; -~> to Sβ horse
power, $10; 85 to 50 horsepower, $13;
above 50 horsepower, $20.
Trucks and commercial vehicles, $•"
per year.
Taxicabs, J." per year.
Sightseeing automobiles. $20 per year.
Motorcycles, $2 per year.
The bill requires the display of
license number pbites on both front
and rear, illuminated at night. Tho
tags are to be furnished by the licenso
official's office and are to be changed
in color each year. Penalties are pr»
scribed for owners failing to Obtain
and display license plates within l'>
days after acquiring a machine, and
owners desirous of receiving the same
number from year to year may do so.
SPECIAL PLATES FOR DEALERS
Automobile dealers and manufactur
ers will receive plates marked with
the letter "M"' at $10 a year flat
license and $1 each for any plates they
take out, for testing and demonstrating
cars.
A license of $2 a year is fixed for
chauffeurs. The bill will provide that
no law may be enacted requiring auto
mobiles to travel at less than 12 miles
per hour and will lix 30 miles per hour
as the lawful maximum.
The bill does not, as does the New
York act, relieve automobile owner-*
of a personal" property tax on their ma
chines. It provides that the
of state shall issue, the license* and
turn over the funds collected to the
state highway commission, which shall
apportion them among the counties.
HIW TRIAL FOR THOMAS SMITH
(Special Dispatch to The Call)
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 9.—.Holding that
the dying statement of Charles Walters,
which was admitted in evidence, was
secured while the man was irrational,
the supreme court today granted a new
trial to Thomas Smith, charged with
murder, thereby reversing the appe'
late court and Superior Judge Hughes
of this county. The decision was writ
ten by Justice Henshaw and it con
tends that Walters did not despair of
life when the "dying" statement was
taken. Smith shot Walters down on
X street in September, 1910.
The Blue Bird
Brooch
Emblem of Happiness
—AT—
RADKE'S
219-221-223 POST ST.
Blue Birds in Beautiful
Blue Enamel
Made Especially for RADKE
& CO. in Two Sizes
$2.50 and $4.50
WT TTPCICS (Of Harris & Hess,
. 1. aLOS Attorneys)
NOTARY PUBLIC
Room 709, HEARST BUILDING
Phone Kearny 232
Residence Phone West 9481
3