River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-01-21

10 bring measures into harmony with ex-
| listing statutes.
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
l Office can be largely decreased.
In my opinion a wise economy would
| seem TO dictate that the uncompleted work
/ OF the land Office might properly be COM
mitted to one of the other departments OF
the state government, supervision. OF
course remaining In the hands of the three
GO mmissioners provided for by the consti-
1 tuition of the state, and IL no legal obstruc-
tion interposes. recommend that the Leg
islature 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 differ
ent departments in the capitol building.
| 1t is the general impression that this service
can be improved. and a large saving
effected 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. A classic
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 sery-
d
tax payers.
There viii undoubtedly come before this
session of your honorable body measures
looking TO the extension of the civil service
| system In different cities In the state
There Is throughout the country and
/ especially noticeable Ia our own state a
desire for an improvement of the present
| system. Any measure looking to that eld
while its scope cannot be clearly defined
in this communication, should not be ex-
ceive the hearty support of the public.
have no doubt that you In your wisdom
will be able to mark the proper limits of
such measures.
Revised Statutes.
By a law passed in 1895. Messrs. A. l..
Sanborn and j. r. Bergman we're appoint
ed by committee TO prepare and report 10
this legislature bills for the correction of
such errors, and to harmonic such d!screp-
ancies in the statutes as might be deemed
advisable, together with such additional
sections were proper to carry out the
general design and spi-'. Il the statutes.
These gentlemen have npleted their
work and have prepared bill which will
be submitted to you. The revision cor
rection and smplifcation of the statutes
Is highly important work. and this bill
will no doubt receive the careful attention
which 1t deserves.
Public Highways.
There is a very general interest in the
subject of road Improvement throughout
Wisconsin, and IL is not unlikely that meas
ures looking toward the Improvement of
country roads may come before YOU This
Is a subject I'm which the agricultural ele-
ment of our population is especially inter
ested and should measures be presented
to you they will. have no doubt, receive
the careful attention they deserve.
state Board of Arbitration.
The legislature of 1926 passed a law Gre
ating state board of arbitration and con-
citation, whose duty was defined to be the
! reconciliation of differences between en-
ployers and employees. and the prevention
of strikes and other labor troubles.
The report of this board will be laid he
fore YOU, and from 1t you will learn that
the board has accomplished a great deal
during its short existence. The exoeri-
ence of two years has shown that the Jaw
should be amended in some particulars
so es to Increase the efficiency OF the
hoard This report will be printed and as
II contains much that would be of serv-
ice TO both employer and employe. prcvi-
sion may well be made for some adequate
distribution of IL. 1t is a subject OF the
Highest Importance, and deserves, as
know 1t will receive. your earnest con-
sideration.
Insurance Code.
At the last session of the legislature law
was passed creating commission to pre-
pare an Insurance code for the state. The
commission appointed consists OF Hon. w.
A. Fricke, Insurance commissioner of the
state Hon Emil Baensch. lieutenant gov
ernor and Hon. NJ c. Phillips, of Oshkosh.
This commission has completed its work
and the result will be laid before you.
Among the important things recon-
mended I'm the new code Is that the duties
Of the commissioner of insurance be clear
" defined, and that every fee and per-
duisite heretofore received by that official
be eliminated, so that the only compensa-
ton will be the salary.
The subject OF fire and life insurance is
of great and increasing Importance to the
people, and l commend the commissions
report to your best consideration and at
tention.
The Dairy Industry.
The stringent law prohibiting the manu-
facture of spurious dairy products in our
state has had salutary effect. In his re-
port, which will be laid before you, the
state dairy and food commissioner sug-
gests some changes to make the law more
effective. The law has proven to be so
beneficent in its workings that ] have no
doubt you will view favorably any effort
to increase its good results.
The National Guard.
The national guard of Wisconsin las
reached a plane of efficiency never before
equaled in its history. 1t is to-day
probably the best equipped and train FL
body OF state militia to be found in the
country. This high standard, which has
been reached only by the most careful at
tertion and wise management, should DO
maintained, and the necessary provision
for its maintenance should be made by
your honorable body. In his annual re-
port, which will be submitted to you, the
adjutant general makes some important
recommendations which should receive
your thoughtful attention.
Soldiers Monuments.
The commission appointed by the legis-
lature of 1895 to select sites and erect
monuments to Wisconsin troops who took
part in the battle of Chickamauga has
completed it's work, and it's report has been
filed. II is but just to say of this COM
mission that II has succeeded in erecting
what are conceded to be the most at
tractive monuments on the field of Chicka-
manga; and yet II has been able to keep far
within the amount appropriated for the
purpose. There still remains of the ap-
preparation the sum of S4.7 1921. BY the pro-
visions of the law the commission IS not
authorized to expend this money for any
purpose but that specified. The commission
recommends that II be authorized to eX-
pend the balance of the fund in the erec-
ton of a monument TO the Wisconsin regi-
ments which participated in the battle OF
Mission Ridge. The suggestion needs no
argument to sustain IT, l cordially ap-
prove the recommendation that the unex-
pended balance of the appropriation he
used In The erection of the additional mon
ument
Inc existing DdIkiHS cOue OF w iSCOiSih
Is utterly inadequate to meet the require
ments of the banking business of the pres
ent day II does not sufficiently protect the
people, nor does IL throw around the busi-
ness itself those safeguards which are cal
cuIated to secure the best results, and is
quite out of harmony with the most APP
proved methods of modern banking.
There should be careful and immediate
revision of our banking law. by the aid
of a commission or otherwise. The legis-
ature of Michigan has a banking code
hich may be worthy of your consid@ra-
ton. II is modelled upon the admirable
national banking system. Such a measure
must, under the constitution be submitted
to a vote ofthe people. recommend that
action he taken upon 1t at this session 1: II
be found practicable.
| think in the existing situation that the
duty and responsibility of examining into
the condition of the state banks should be
placed upon the state treasurer, who was
by a vote of the people substituted for the
bank comptroller when that office was
abolished 1t is the clear intent of .he
banking law that herea fter the state treas
urer should stand in the relation to the
state banks which had been occupied by
the bank comptroller. 1t is a matter OF
grave doubt whether il is in harmony
with the law adopted by the people, that
the work of supervision of the banks, so
deliberately provided for by chapter 2el Of
the laws of 1895, should be intrusted 10 an