Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-02-24
HOLD NIGHT SESSIONS.
Solons will Not Kill Bill
Without Dissecting It.
Fate Of the State Agricultural Society is
in Doubt.

in earnest No Legislature in recent
years has shown such 4 desire to work.
Early in the week both houses began
holding evening sessions, and if the pres
ent pace is kept up they will be ready
for adjournment before the end OF
March. It has also been demonstrated
that the Legislature is going to be eau
iious and will kill any bill about the
merits of which there is any doubt. Not
many important bills have been passed,
but several have been advanced by ac-
ton in one house or the other. The
State A gricutural society question has
been tackled and before the end of next
week the future of the society will prob
ably be settled 1t is the general Opin-
ion that the muddle will end in the state
taking the society's property and paying
its debts.
Milwaukee merchants seem to be deep
" interested in Assemblyman WEIGH S
bill for the licensing Of peddlers. Twenty
or more Of them have written to Chair
man Stone of the committee on state af-
fairs to whose committee the bill was re-
ferred, asking to have it passed aud Civ
ing reasons why it should be passed. 1t
is a sweeping measure which forbids ped
ding on the streets without license and
the merchants believe that its passage
would do away with a practice that
makes serious inroads upon their bust
ness. The bill applies to all parts Of the
state. and Mr.. Stone has received & num-
Der of letters from merchants in other
cities, but the deepest interest III TIE
matter seems to be taken in Milwaukee,
where the peddlers are the most nu.ner-
Gus and active.
Friends of the Wisconsin Historical
society express the hope that the move
ment for economy in expenditures will
not result III the killing of the bill to in !
crease the society's annual appropriation
from $4,000 to $4,000. The money is
not to be drawn until 1898, by which
time the society will be in the new build
inc and the additional money will be alb
solutely needed. The bigger home for
the library will entail bigger expenses,
which $1,000 u year will be entirely in
adequate to meet. 1t will surprise Il
good many persons to know that the
society spends only $500 a year IN the
purchase of new books. For one Of the
greatest historical Libraries in the coun-
try that is a very small amount. II the
library was fully appreciated there is no
doubt that the larger appropriation would
be made without hesitation.
Congress is NOT likely to be memorial
lied on the Superior bridge bill, after all.
Assemblyman Agen got the memorial
through the Assembly with great dis
patch but it met a snag in the Senate
ana Is likely 10 UG uGlu IuGI0 uulu II ID
toe late to be of any service, inasmuch
as this congress will very soon die. Mr..
Agen says that the facts in the case have
not been fairly stated to the Senate, and
he insists that the memorial ought to be
passed without q word Of opposition.
Nine out of every ten people in Superior,
he says, are in favor OF the amendments
prayed for in the memorial.
United States Senator Mitchell did a
graceful thing by sending Senator
Thayer president of the Senate, a hand
somey bound copy of the rules Of the
United States Senate with his name en-
bossed in gold upon the cover. Senator
Thayer was very much pleased with the
little courtesy. which was characteristic
of Senator Mitchell. Dan B. Starkey.
Uncle Dick Petherick who re-
tires from newspaper work to take
Il place on the state board of control,
has had more legislative experience than
any man on the press OF Wisconsin. lie
began as a young man working on the
State Journal for the late David Atwood
and in the capacity OF a printer was
around the Legislature for years. Then
he became a correspondent and for the
last fourteen or fifteen years has report
ed every session. He is a favorite with
Republicans and Democrats alike and he
will be missed in the legislative halls.
IL.
hatchery has effecualy settled a slam
der by producing q can of whitetish
fry for the inspection of the fish and
game committee. Last week a Two Rly-
ers fisherman made the statement that
he had seen whitefish fry planted in Il
storm, which carried them ashore, and
on the following day boys had picked
them up to feed them to their chickens.
Mr. Ncyin got d can of fry from Mil
waukee to show the committee that the
Young fish were too small to be picked
ND. When it is understood that white
fish fry will average 10000 to the quart
the foolishness of the charge becomes
apparent.
One thing that augurs well for short
session IS 4 disposition on the part of the
committees to act on the things before
them without delay AS q usual thing
the important bills, particularly those
that are troublesome, are allowed to drag
along, and the consequence IS that busl-
ness is never finished, BIZ this year that
does not seem to be the programme The
engineers bill may be cited as an exam
pie Of the change. Last year it dragged
along and had hearing after nearing: this
year it was given one hearing, and the
committee being satisfied that it should be
killed, il was reported at once Such
work as that will shorten the session
more than anything else.
Assemblyman Hurd, who is champion
ing an anti-cigarette bill, has a measure
before the Assembly to regulate the sale
of patent medicines in the state. 1t pro-
vidpS that patent medicines sold III this
state shall have q label on the wrapper
setting forth all the drugs contained in
the medicine, with an affidavit to the
truth of the statement signed by the man
ufacturer and accompanied by the date
and place of manufacture Medicine on
hand at the time of the bill taking eff
feet is 20 Ice exempt until If is sold.
The fish commission has issued a neat
legislative souvenir in the shape of 4
book of half-t0ne illustrations of the
Bayfield, hatchery. 1t was designed by
the commissions attorney, g. e. Whe-
Ian, who is an old newspaper man and
therefore knows how to get up a good
thing.
The Senate committee on judiciary has
cot down to business as no other COM