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Story of the Session of the California Legislature of 1909 by Franklin Hichborn
page 156 of 366 (42%)
resolution was defeated, the investigation denied, by a vote of twelve
for to sixteen against[70].

But two important railroad measures were finally passed by the
Legislature. The first of these was the "Full Crew bill," which required
adequate manning of railroad trains. After being held-up as long as the
machine dared, the bill was finally passed. But the "Full Crew bill" met
with one of those unfortunate "errors"[71] which played such important
parts in the passage of the Anti-Gambling bill and the Direct Primary
bill. When the Legislature had adjourned this error was discovered, and
Governor Gillett refused to sign the bill because of it.

The second important railroad measure passed was the Reciprocal
Demurrage bill, introduced in the Senate by Miller, and in the Assembly
by Drew. As finally passed the bill provides that railroad companies
which fail to supply shippers with cars when proper requisition has been
made for them, shall pay the injured shipper demurrage at the rate of $5
per car per day. On the other hand, shippers who fail to load or unload
cars after a stated time, are required to pay the railroad $6 daily as
demurrage. The extra dollar which the shippers are required to pay the
railroads is exacted to compensate the railroads for rental of the car.

Similar laws up to the time of the passage of the Miller-Drew bill had
been adopted by seventeen States of the Union, including Oregon and
Texas. During the recent car shortage, it is alleged that empty cars
needed in California, were sent into Oregon and into Texas, that the
railroads might escape the demurrage charges exacted in those two
States. California, without a demurrage law, was helpless. At the
session of 1907, however, the machine, in complete control of the
Senate, defeated a reciprocal demurrage bill. To be sure the demurrage
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