Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-04-18
At The CAPITAL.
Madison, April 18th.

dairy products, spurious articles at food
and edibles generally be palmed off on
innocent and unsuspecting people, that
is. If it can be prevented by the State
Dairy and Food Commission, provision
for the appointment of which was made
by legislative enactment during the
past week. Mr.. Mark Curtis bill pro
viding for the commission was passed
in both houses and in neither was there
any considerable opposition. The bene-
fetal effects likely TO result being so
apparent that little developed. What
opposition did prevail was from q
financial view. While some of the
members were not opposed TO the OBJ
jects of the bill yet they thought the
expense to the state incident TO the
execution of the law ought not to be
incurred. 1t was with view TO elm
mate or rather cut down these that Mr..
Mead referred an amendment entirely
cutting off the appropriation for a
laboratory. This, however. would not
be consented to and the bill rs original
ly introduced went through The law,
for such ii will be as soon as published,
provides for a commissioner and two
assistants. one of whom is to have an
expert knowledge in the matter of
dairy products, and the other. be a
practical analytical chemist. The COM
missioner will receive salary of $4,000
per annum and the assistants 81 800
each and necessary expenses. The
governor is to make the appointment
the commissioner who IN turn will desig-
nate his assistants. 1t is made the duty
of the commissioner to enforce all laws
that now exist or that may hereafter be
enacted regarding the production. man.
ufacture or sale of dairy products, or
the adulteration of any article of food
or drink or of any drug. Such work it
is provided, shall be accomplished by
inspection, personally by the commits
sioner or his assistants. In the execu-
ton of the law any cheese factory,
dairy, store or place where there is
reason to suspect that the law is being
violated may be entered. The COM
missioner will have an Office in the
state house, also laboratory will be
fitted up for his use and that of assist
ants. He will make annual reports to
the governor, twenty thousand copies Of
which will be printed and circulated
through the state. The law is q good
one and stands high among the few
excellent achievements of the present
legislature. 1t will not only serve to
-srotect people generally from impositors
and farmers in particular from unfair
competition in certain farm products
but conserve public health as well. Its
effect can be wholesome only.
One of the bills slaughtered during
the week was Senator Kidd's providing
for the semi-annual payment of taxes.
The measure never got beyond the grip
of the committee on Assessment and
Collection Of taxes TO which it was re-
ferred about the middle of the session.
1t was upon their recommend that in
definite postponement was made.
A subject Of much discussion and
matter in which Mr.. Osborne the pugna-
cious member who represents portion
of Lafayette county achieved one Of the
most distinct victories of the session
was the Coolidge peddlor bill. Mr..
Osborne had similar measure before
the Assembly which in effect legislated
the state treasury agent, Henry z.
Fischer, of Milwaukee, out of office.
He made lively fight in support of
this but the opposition was too strong.
The Coolidge bill then came up. TO
this he submitted IN amendment which
provided for the appointment of several
state peddler agents the supervision of
whom to be in the secretary of state.
This also ousted the state treasury
agent but contained good features
which the original Osborne bill did not,
consequently the course of the amend
ment was much easier than the original
bill However, throughout a lively
fight was waged and it was only by the
majority of one that Mr.. Osborne finally
came of the victor. The contest, on
vaaious phases of the question continued
during the greater part of the sessions
Of three days. Mr. Ring, Neilsville
lawyer who throughout the session has
ranked high as one of the leaders of
debate was the champion of the opposi-
ton. During the discussion of the
matter the affairs of the state treasury
agent as managed by him had rather
thorough airing. Mr.. Osborne laid be-
fore the assembly some rather startling
facts. Among them was the statement
that that official had been receiving his
339 per cent of the monies paid into the
state treasury by peddlers who them
selves came here and made the pay
ments. The modus operandi of this
peculiar proceeding, admitted by the
agent himself, was for the state treasury
whenever the agent came to Madison to
pay over to him such money. The
agent then deducted his fee of 335 per
cent and handed 1t back TO the
treasurer as money collected by him.
The law on this matter reads that the
state treasury agent shall receive 391
per cent of moneys collected OF caused
to be collected by him and paid (by
him) into the state treasury. 1t has
been generally known that the Office of
treasury agent was among the latest
in the patronage of the governor but
that this was the crooked avenue
through which part of the fat came was
not quite such common knowledge un-
til Mr.. Osborne divulged it in debate.
1t was this fact perhaps more than any
thing else that led to the passage of the
bill A probable action in the Senate
is a concurrence in the bill as amended.
a somewhat unexpected action even
a. a. e.. a.. e al L.