Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-01-18
The Question Of Apportionment.

I The Question of appointments.
/ It has seemed to me to be my duty 70 sug
! geSr for your earnest consideration Wnetn-
er the constitution should not be amended
so as to more clearly define the rules Wnlcn
/ shall govern the Legislature in apportlohlng
1 and redistricting the state into Senate anu
| Assembly districts. ] have 10 reason WnaI-
ever to doubt that the present law IS
! constitutional one. but the manner in which
/ this important duty has been performed by
/ the Legislature has given rise, during the
last few years to litigation, to threats OF
/ litigation and to charges and counter
charges for which there should be no posi-
| bic justification.
The Supreme court, in decisions overturn-
/ ing two legislative appointments as uncon-
/ stitutionaI has laid down the general rules
governing the performance of such duty,
| but under the constitution, even as so con-
| Strued, much is OF necessity lett 70 leSlS-
] latiye discretion.
There is no power conferred by the con.
/ stitution upon any one of the branches OF
i the government of greater or more far
reaching Importance than the legislative
power of apportioning and redistricting the
state. However carefully such measure
may be prepared, it is, so far as experience
/ has shown, too much to expect that a ma
jority or more of 1873 persons, whatever po-
litical party they may belong to, Will be
! able to consider it and enact it uninf1u-
enced by partisan bias, local interest or sell
fish purpose.
The new constitution of New York, care
fully considered and adopted by a conyen-
ton composed Of many men OF great eX-
| perience and ability, contains some in
structiye provisions upon the subject and
the system adopted i'll Ohio may be con-
suited with advantage. 1t certainly is pos
Sible to so amend the constitution as to
minimize the difficulties which now beset
the work of apportionment. This is inn
portant both to conserve a great popular
right and to prevent growing popular dis
trust in the constitutionality and integrity
| of legislative action upon the subject,
caused by these constantly recurring con-
| troYerSios
Certainly no political party should be per-
| NIT tod IN t1- 70 ifcnlf 11lU a6U lf1t or
| power at the expense of the great principle
| of proportionate representation in the Leg
| islature, which underlies our system of gov
/ eminent.
A Law Commission.
I know something of the large amount of
work which devolyes upon this body and
the manner in which, especially toward the
| close of the session, it's various commit
| tees are burdened. 1t is this condition Of
affairs which makes possible the criticism
/ frequently made that under the severe
may not only be out of harmony, but many
times in actual conflict with statutes al
ready III existence and of character to in
| crease litigation at public and private ex-
/ pense, and to foster a sense of instability
i'll the law. | suggest therefore, that you
consider the question of appointing a com
i mission of trained men whose duty it shall
! be. When measures have passed to that
/ stage before your body where their final
| enactment is virtually assured, to- pass upon
the validity OF the measure and make rec
] concentrations when necessary, to bring
measures into harmony with existing stat
/ uteS.
Public Lands.
I am advised by the commissioners of
public lands that the work of completing
the swamp land record and the other work
in connection with the public lands has so
| far progressed that the force of this Of
/ flee can be largely decreased.
i In my opinion wise economy would
seem to dictate that the uncompleted work
of the land office might properly be commit
other rtmpntS
state government, supervision, of course,
remaining in the hands Of the three COM
interposes, l recommend that the Legis
lature take action looking to- this end.
The State Service.
In this connection recommend that an
effort be made to regulate and bring under
| some system the state service in the diff
| ferent departments in the capitol building.
! 1t is the general impression that this serv-
ice can be improved, and a large saving ef.
/ fected by some kind of classification of
the employees of the various departments.
No state officer or head OF any department
! should have unlimited authority to employ
/ clerks and other subOrdinates classifi-
/ cation of the employees, fixing the salaries
and limiting the number to the actual need
Of each department. would. have no doubt;
! increase the efficiency of the service and
result i'll material saving to the tax
payers.
There will undoubtedly come before this
session of your honorable body measures
looking to the extension of the civi-service
/ system in different cities in the state. There
/ is throughout the country, and especially
noticeable in our own state, Il desire for
an improvement of the present system. Any
| measure looking to that end. While its
scope cannot be clearly defined in this com
munication. should not be extended beyond
point where it will receive the hearty
support of the public. ! have no doubt that
you in your wisdom viii be able to mark
i the proper limits OF such measures.
Revised Statutes.
By a law passed in 1895. Messrs A. t.
Sanborn and j. l.. Bergman We're appoint
ed a committee to prepare and report to
| this Legislature bills for the correction of
such errors. and to harmonic such discrep-
ancies in the statutes as might be deemed
advisable. together with such additional
/ sections as were proper to carry out the
general design and spirit Of the statutes.
These gentlemen have completed their work
and have prepared bill which will be sub
mitted to you. The revision, correction and
important work and this bin will no doubt
receive the cordial attention which it de-
| serves.
Public Highways.
There is very general interest in the
! subject OF road Improvement throughout
! Wisconsin, and it is not unlikely that meas
ures looking toward the Improvement of
/ country roads may come before you. This
/ is subject in which the agricultural ele-
| ment OF our POI ulation is especially inter-
ested, and should measures be presented to
! you will, [ have no doubt, receive the care
/ full attention they deserve.
! State Board of Arbitration.
The Legislature of 1895 passed a law ere
ating state board of arbitration and con
citation, whose duty was defined to be
the reconciliation of differences between
employers and employees, and the prevention
/ Of strikes and other labor troubles.
/ The report Of this board will be laid be-
fore you and from it you Will learn that
the. board has accomplished a great deal
during it's short existence. The experience
! OF two years has shown that the law should
be amended in some particulars so as to in
crease the efficiency Of the board This re-
port will be printed. and as it contains
much that would be of service to both en-
/ ployer and emplOye. provision may we'll
! be made for some adequate distribution of
it. 1t is a subject Of the highest impor-
/ tance, and deserves. as | know it will re-
ceive, your earnest consideration
Insurance Code.
| At the last session Of the Legislature a
law passed creating commission to
| prepare an insurance code for the state
The commission appointed consists of w A.
! Fricke, insurance commissioner OF the state:
| Emil Baensch, lieutenant governor, and NJ G.