Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-03-04

insurance advertising.
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The committee appointed early in the
session to classify capitol employees and
adjust salaries has not vet made re-
port but is making a thorough investi-
cation of each office, and when their
work is completed they will be able to
tell just what the duties of every man
in the capitol building are and the com
parison Of salaries will give them the
necessary facts to adjust the pay of the
state employees. Their report will be
made in the form Of bill.
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\ great fight was made during the
week over the bill appropriatine $S, 900
to pay the debts Of the Wisconsin State
Agricultural society. When the bill was
reported there was minority and ma
jority report. The latter report for in
definite postponement was killed bv a
vote Of 10 to 80 but later the bill was
recOnsidered and referred to the COM
mittee on state affairs. The bill pro-
vides for the paying of some IS 900 debts
of the fair association.
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A substitute has been reported for
the beet sugar bill introduced by SEN
ator McGillivray and the new measure
gives the bounty to the raisers and not
to the manufacturers
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Among the more important bills given
hearing during the week were: The
bicycle baggage bill, department store
bill, Marquette and General Rusk and
Fairchild statue bills, "struck'' jury
bill, state park bill and medical board
bill. Quite lobby appeared before
the committee to speak in favor of the
bicycle baggage bill which provides
that passenger on a railroad NAV
carry $50 pounds Of baggage or in lieu
therefor bicycle, and numerous peti-
tlons are being received favoring it's
passage. Assemblyman Taylor, who
introduced the department store bill
was the principal speaker in its favor
and he advocated the measure on the
grounds that the department stores
were driving the smaller merchants out
of business and that the large stores
with many clerks tended to lower the
morals of the clerks by the small sal
aries paid. The state park delegation
want the land about ST. Croix falls in
creased to ,440 acres, the commission
continued and an appropriation Of S25,-
600. 1t is probable that an appropria-
ton just sufficiently large to purchase
the land will be made leaving the i'm
prOvement to the future. The rail-
roads lobbyists opposed the 'fstruck"
jury law while a number of prominent
attorneys spoke in its favor.
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a bill appropriating monev to i'm
prove the new fish hatchery at Bayfield,
was reported with an amendment max
ing the amount $4,000 instead of Sl5,-
900. The immigration board bill was
reported with an amendment making
the appropriation $1,000 for two years
instead Of $4,000, The bill for
northern state fair to be held at Chip
pewa Falls was favorably reported in
the assembly.
*x#
There promises to be sharp fight on
the bills to make the new county of
Rusk out Of parts of Chippewa, Saw
yer and Price, Or parts of SAWYER and
Chippewa.
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On Friday the committee on state
affairs to whom was referred the gov
ernor's financial message telling of the
S25O,OO0 deficit reported Il bill for the
levy Of a $40 mill direct tax. The
action Of the executive in communi-
eating to the legislature the condition
of the treasury was approved. The
report said: at is matter about which
there should be neither concealment
nor makeshifts. The people are enti-
tied to know accurately and fully at all
times the condition of public affairs.
The committee fully agrees with the
conclusion Of the governor that state
officials cannot under the constitution
lawfully involve the state in indebted
ness by overdrafts at hanks with or
without, interest"
#s*
In relation to the railroad companies
paying their taxes in advance the re-
port says: "Under the const tuition the
state has the power to alter and even
repeal their charters, and because Of
this relation a request of an advance is
equivalent to a demand for an ad-