Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-04-14
SoLONS WORKED HARD
Long-fought Medical Bill Runs
the Gauntlet.
Members Decline to Surrender Their
Railway Passes.

been a short but very busy week for the
Legislature. 1t did not begin until
Wednesday night and each house has held
only six sessions, but more work has been
done than was done in most of the longer
weeks earlier in the session. Several
important measures were finally disposed
Of The Wylie pool BILL held up last
week, was passed by the Senate and is
now law. The long-fought medical
bill also passed. The Hall anti-pass
resolution and the Davis corrupt prac-
tees act were advanced, and the Lewis
primary elections bill, which was consid-
cred dangerous, was killed. A resolu-
ton by Mr.. Barnum to compel the mem
bers to give up their passes ct once was
defeated after hot fight.
The people of Racine county are max
ng things interesting for Assemblyman
Nosher by their untiring efforts to kill
the Sheridan drive bill. They object to
the bill because they fear that it will
put Il load of taxes upon them, and so
great is their agitation that no amount
of explaining can convince them that the
load will be a very small one. Mr..
Mosher has told them that the bill puts
the county TO an expense of only 5000
for the opening of the road and leaves
the county board, which can be trusted
not to bankrupt them, but they will not
be appeased. When Mr.. Mosher re-
tur2ed Thursday he found his desk load
ed down with letters and remonstrances.
The road would be a great benefit to that
section of the state and the bill will no
doubt pass in spite of the protests of
the Racine people.
The first edition Of the new blue book
is out, and it is very much handsomer
volume than the blue books of the past
have been. In place of the old-fash-
Toned photographic Illustrations are nu-
merOuS half-tOneS. some of which are eX-
cellent. There are many more illustra-
tons than the book has ever contained in
the past. and they will make it more
valuable to the general public. In addi-
ton to pictures of the different state in
stitutioGS are portraits of the state Cffi-
GERS and the Wisconsin Congressional
and Senatorial delegation, including
honored because of his manful stand for
sound money in the last campaign. 1t
viii be some time before the book is
ready for general distribution.
Victor Berger of Milwaukee is here
for the purpose of killing what is left of
the Green labor bill, for which he
WORKED SO nara before 1t was reported.
The committee on state affairs, which
had the bill, reported a substitute for it,
and that is what Mr.. Berger wants to
kill. He says that everything of value
in the original bill has been left out of
the substitute and it would do no good
to pass it. There is not word in i, he
says, about child labor, or weekly or
monthly payments, and what is left is
of no account to the laboring people. He
declares that the committee left some
paragraphs which referred to sections
that were cut out. and the bill is conse-
quently meaningless. He is very wroth
over the action of the committee.
Each member of the Legislature has
been furnished with Il copy of the inter
esting report issued by George III. Haz-
gard, the Minnesota commissioner for
the interstate park at the Dells Of the
st. Croix. The report contains some
very Interesting illustrations of the beau
tiful scenery of the park, and also some
valuable information concerning that
picturesque region. A strong effort is to
be made to pass the bill now before the
Legislature increasing the amount of
land to be taken for WiScOnSin's side of
the park.
If the Legislature keeps UP the squirt
which it has made for the past two days
Il may be possible to adjourn at the end
of next week, after all. During the past
forty-eight hours q great amount of work
has been done in both houses and many
important matters have been finally dis
posed of. If the same willingness to
tackle bsthersOme matters had been
shown earlier in the session an adjourn
ment might have been taken q week ago
A rule is to be made limiting the amount
Of speech-making in the Assembly, and
that will have tendency to expedite
business. The Assembly has an unusual
number of able takers who want to be
heard on almost every important matter,
and the consequence is that great deal
of time is consumed in speech-making.
Gov Scofield having signed the Wylie
anti-pO0l-selling bill, that much-talked-
about measure is now Il law, and there
will be no more opportunity to accuse the
members of either house of corruption
and double-dealing in connection with it.
1t has been charged that all sorts of I'M
demanded work had been attempted to
defeat the measure, but it is difficult to
see where any tactics were employed that
were any worse than those used to defeat
any bill. As a matter Of course the
gamblers desired to defeat the measure
and worked against it, but it does not an
pear that they used methods not ordinari-
" used by lobbyists. But admitting that
they did, it was hardly fair to the SEN
ators and assemblymen TO assume that
they sympathized with or aided in the
gamblers schemes. The members of
both houses have been scored OF account
of the bill when there was no reason for
it, so far as any fair-minded man can dis
cover.
The employees of the state departments
are on the anxious seat Just now. Up
TO Thursday it was thought that the in
vestigating committee would not recon-
mend many changes, but Thursday after
noon a report began to circulate to the
effect that there were to be wholesale
discharges and big reductions in salaries.
It was said that the committee bad
Topped something like $4,000 a year
from the salary roll, and there was great
anxiety to see who was to be discharged
or reduced in pay. The r.embers of tke
committee would not say what they
would report or when they would report,
though they might report today. Several
of the employees talk of resigning if their
salaries are cut much. Dan.