Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-02-03
MANY BILLS STARTED.
A Fairly Good Week of Legis-
lation at Madison.
State Departments and the University
to be Investigated

Senate. In obedience to the PROVISIONS OF
the constitution each house of the Legis-
lature voted for senator on Tuesday and
on the following day the two houses met
in joint convention in the Assembly cham
Der at noon. Lieut.-GOv. Baensch pre-
sided at the convention. Contrary to the
usual programme when there is no con-
test, vote was taken and Mr.. SpOo1Ier
received 11S votes to for W. c.. Sill
verthorn and 2 for Gen. Bragg. Mr..
Spooner appeared and made a speech of
acceptance.
During the week there were many inn
portant bills introduced and action was
taken on some matters of q good deal Of
interest to the people. A resolution was
adopted by both houses providing for the
appointment of a committee to investigate
the state departments. and a committee
was appointed which will go to work at
once. a similar resolution was adopted
which calls for an investigation of the
university with view to determine
whether or not the money appropriated
to the institution is being judlciOusly ex-
pended. Gov. ScOfield sent in a message
vetoing the first bill passed by the Leg
islature, he having discovered that the
bill was loaded.
The people of Milwaukee and for that
matter of every city in the state will be
interested in a bill which ASSemblyman
Yorkey of Milwaukee is fathering. 1t
is calculated to do away with the inn
position practiced by telegraph and ex-
press companies by charging for the de-
livery Of prepaid messages or packages
when the recipient happens to live out
side of the circle in which they choose to
deliver them free of charge. 1t is Il
short bill and its only provision is that
telegraph and express companies must
deliver any prepaid package or message
which they receive.
Senator Withee says that he did not
introduce his resolution calling for an
investigation Of the university because
he has any luminosity toward the institu-
ton, but just to get information to which
he thinks the public is entitled. 1T is
purely a matter of business with me-"
he said. "When | invest my money in
the stock Of a company want to know
what the officers are doing with it. The
people of the state are the stockholders
to know what is being done with the
money that they put into the institution.
The committee appointed to investigate
the state departments has not yet done
anything toward making the inquiry
which it intends to make. 1t held Il
meeting and adjourned subject to the
caif Oil iuS cIIdlrIudu. kSOule time next
week it will meet and perfect its organ
ization. after which it will get to work.
The committee is not going out for the
purpose Of taking official scalps. It is
going TO make q fair and impartial in
yestigati0n and recommend reductions in
the force only where reductions can be
made without injuring the service. Most
of the members of the committee believe
it will be found that there are not so
many useless employees as the public sup
poses there are.
There is a curious indisposition on the
part of the members OF the Assembly
70 discuss matters that come I'D for CON
sideration. Most of the measures that
have been acted upon so far have been
adopted without any talk. AS a usual
thing there is disposition to talk too
much, but this Assembly does not seem
to be afflicted in that way. Some things
Tor the voices OF the speaker and clerk
and the members in voting, that would
have brought out q long debate if they
had come before the last Assembly. But
1t Is early in the session and possibly
there VIII be talk enough before its close.
BLENDERS Of both house are complaining
tlfaf the state printers do not print the
bills fast enough, and a resolution IS to
be introduced in the Assembly to poke
them up. 1t is the same old complaint
which was made two years ago and has
been made, it is said, at every session in
recent years. So far not more than half
been coming in slowly, too Old timers
says that in the days when David At
wood was the state printer the bills Of
the previous day were laid on the mem
bers desks every morning, and in those
days the bills were longer and more
numerous than they are now.
The Assembly is probably the only
legislative body III the United States
during the opening prayer. In both
heHses of Congress the members all rise
on the stroke OF the gavel and stand
while the. prayer is being delivered,
whether they believe in the prayer or
not The members of the Senate fol
nesabeIs Of the Assembly keep their
seats.
There have been large number of Wis
itors at the capitol during the last two
days, including HoDe Sackett of Berlin,
semblyman Christians of Jefferson. Scott
Of West Superior, Meggett of Sheboy
gan, Currie Bell of Bayfield,. August
linn and William MOmsen of Milwau-
keQ> They were all here 'just to see
the boys" but for some of them seeing
rhe boys seemed to be very important
business.
An amusing instance of the spread and
twisting of report occurred in Madison
q few days ago. a company cutting ice
on Dead lake was ordered by it's Chi
cago house to stop because there was
nienty of ice nearer home and its four
employees were discharged. Somebody
remarked that the discharged men had
exploded with wrath, and when the
report reached town it had grown into
4 story TO the effect that a boiler had
exploded and killed four men.
w A. Jones hopes to secure the pas
sage of his bill increasing the annual APP
priation of the Historical society from
$4,000 20 $4,000 without much opposi-
ton. He introduced it because he realizes
that it will be necessary for the society
TO have a bigger income when it gets IN
to its new building The bill provides
that the society shall not get the appro-
priation until 1898, in which year it will
take possession of it's new building. MIR.
Jones thinks that when the members UNI
oh