Story of the Session of the California Legislature of 1909Hichborn, Franklin
History
Story of the Session of the California Legislature of 1909
Hichborn, Franklin
California -- Politics and government
The Assembly Committee on Fish and Game of course recommended it for
passage, and on March 15th, after a hot fight, it actually passed the
Assembly. But Cattell gave notice of reconsideration. Incidentally,
Governor Gillett let it be known that he would veto any measure that
required amateur fishermen to pay license. This was a damper upon the
Fish Commission crowd. When Cattell called the bill up for
reconsideration it was reconsidered and defeated. However, Leeds
accepted an amendment which struck out the clause which provided that
amateur fishermen must pay a license tax. On Leeds' motion the next day,
the amended bill was reconsidered and passed.
The three Fish and Game Commissioners serve without salary. Their
compensation comes from the pleasure of disbursing upwards of $200,000 a
year, what political prestige there may be in it, and rather generous
expense money[102]. But a bill was introduced to give each Commissioner
a salary of $3,000 a year. The measure did not become law, for which the
writer believes much credit is due Assemblymen Polsley of Red Bluff. The
State was thus saved $9,000 a year. General Stone and his associates are
just that amount out of pocket. They have, however, given no indication
of resigning their offices because the salary has been denied them.
But if the Fish and Game Commission was unsuccessful in increasing its
revenue and putting through other measures from the standpoint of its
members advantageous, its opponents were quite as unsuccessful in their
attacks upon the Commission. Like the panther cat that guards her young,
the agents of the Commission fought to retain the advantages which they
had secured in 1907, and were generally successful.
The chief of the attacks was that of Assemblyman Polsley, author of
Assembly Bill 433. This bill wasn't very long, contained less than five
lines, in fact, and just forty-three words, but its passage would have
saved the people of California more than $100,000 a year, or almost as
much as it costs the State to run the Governor's office, the
Controller's office, the State Treasurer's office and the office of
State Superintendent of Schools combined. Assembly Bill 433 repealed the
law of 1907, under which hunters are required to pay the Fish and Game
Commission for the privilege of going hunting. The bill was introduced
January 15th. It was referred to the notorious Assembly Committee on
Fish and Game. There it was held until March 10th. It was then referred
back to the Assembly with the recommendation that it "do not pass." That
settled Assembly Bill 433.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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