Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-04-05
THE LEGISLATURE.
Senate.

VAS opened with prayer by the Rev. w. J.
Mckay of the Methodist church, with Lieut..
GOV: Stone in the chair. A message was
received from the governor transmitting
letter from the secretary Of the treasury,
asking that the Legislature pass an act
empowering the federal government to pur-
thase sites for postoilice building in James
ferred to the judiciary committee. Another
executive message brought in veto of
Senator Mills bill, relating to filling a
vacancy in the office of municipal Judge in
Douglas county. At the request of Senator
Mills the consideration of the veto was set
Ter Friday morning Senator Whitman Sc
1 ;Hred the adoption of an amendment to No.
ls9s, by Senator Welton, for the reorganiza-
ion of the National guard. The bill as
lraWn provided an age limit of - years
for all staff and regimental officers when
first commissioned. This the joint commit
Zee claims was changed to Al years under
me belief that that was the limit in the
regular army: The fact appearing that As
| years is the United States limit for grant
!ng commissions and the amendment was
| adopted and the bill passed. This was the
oniy Senate bill passed The following AS
ng $40 to Albert Kalmbach. comforting adj
litional jurisdiction on the county court of
St Croix county; requiring seven months
school as Il condition of state aid relating
20 the benofciaries of insurance policies:
Increasing the age of consent: relating to
The amount of the bond OF assignees in
voluntary assignments: creating a municipal
'ourt for Shawano county.
The anti-pass bill was on the Senate cal
hndar on the 2Sth and an eXpectant hush
ell upon TIE senators as the clerk read the
lite: TO prohibit the pass system and
provide q penalty fon the violation there
If. Senator Roehr arose, and, after an i'm
pFesSiye pause. stated that the conference
committee had under consideration an
amendment to the constitution prohibiting
ne use OF the free pass, which ought to
conform with the bill The committee. he
said, had not yet reached an agreement
and he asked that the bill be laid over. His
motion was carried. and the bill was laid
over, with al. amendment hy Senator Mills
providing that the contemplated measure
snall not repeal that section of the statutes
of 1898 which allows the railroad commits
sioner TO ride free in the discharge of his
ohcial duties. Senator McGilivray's joint
resolution allowing the state to appropriate
money to be raised by taxation and not in
my wise to constitute Il public debt to be
1sed i'll the construction or Improvement of
public highways. was adopted. Mr. Wander
looks resolution that bills in the hands of
committees be reported by April / and Sen
lfor LamoreuXs resolution for final adj
ournment on April II We're both on the cal
andar. Senator LamoreuX thought there
might be conflicting provisions in the two
resolutions an, and asked that they be laid
over until Thursday morning, which was
lone. Mr.. Andeesons bill to enable church
insurance companies to amend their arti-
relating TO formation of hail insur
ince companies were concurred in A de
pate was precipitated when Senator Mar
ms bill increasing the appropriation for
teachers institutes from $4,000 to Sl5. 600
came up Tor passage. Senator Jones object
81 TO the measure on the ground that the
appropriation had been too radically in
creased. He said he thought he was violat-
ing precedent by working against the favor
iDle report of Il committee, but he could
lot favor the bill. He moved its preference
% the committee on education Senator
Baxter favored the bill. He said he had re.
:eived thirty letters from school superin-
endents ana teachers urging the necessity
or such a measure. Senator Stout stated
hat of the 5000 teachers in the common
schools of the state 400 had been unable
% secure normal or high school Diplomas
This fact alone, he said proved that there
vas Il crying need for institute work Sen
ltor Lamoreux thought the fund should
lave been Increased in the same proportion
which it originally stood. one-quarter
being taken from the normal school and
hree-Quarters from the general state fund
Senator Baxter responded that the norma
chools needed their entire appropriation
o carry their own work. Senator Mar
in said that if the bill should be rereferre & n
would come back unanimously endorsed
senator Jones motion for preference was
ost and the bill was laid over until the
evening, when Senator Kreutzer offered asg@
tmendmen- changing the proportion of APP
,ropriations. Mr.. Dahl's Torrens land sys-
EN- bin was rereferred to the committee
IN state affairs Senator Munson stated
he measure. Mr.. Parker's bin relating TO
he sale and excise of intoxicating LIQUORS
vas ordered to Il third reading. Three bills
we're ordered engrossed: Regulating mutual
bicycle insurance companies: to appropriate
sum Of money TO the normal school income
and: relating to mechanics liens. The
senate then took Il recess until 80 ~ H.
The evening session Of the Senate on the
18th short. Five bills were acted on
,esides receiving the reports of committees
The threatened struggle over the increase
II the annual appropriation to the teachers
Institutes was avoided by an amendment To
he bill, offered by Senator Kreutzer. Sew
raj senators objected to increasing the APP
,ropriatiOn entirely from the general fund
senator hreutZerS amendment reduces the
proposed appropriation from $4,000 a year
% $4,000, of which $4,000 is to be taken
rom the Normal school fund, and $4,000
rom the general fund. This was satisfac-
DRY to everybody and when the amend
nent had been adopted the bill was con
:urred in. The bills taxing sleeping car
Express, freight line, and railway equipment
companies respectively came in from the
Assembly with verbal amendments which
we're all agreed to, so these bills are now
inaliy passed. A resolution by Senator
Baxter was adopted permitting the Joint
committee on claims to introduce 4 bill
providing that all contractors who are CIV
n contracts on public buildings shall be re-
luired to furnish bonds, not only for the
completion of the work, but also to insure
he payment of all material, men and EN-
,loyes. This resolution is the result Of
ieveral bills in the hands Of the committee
or the payment Of people who furnished
material for public work, but were not paid
BY the contractors.
Senator McGillivray's patent medicine bill
'eceiyed its death blow in the Senate on
iealth and sanitation reported it for IN
lehnite postponement The senator was |
somewhat cheered, however, by the passage |
# his bill providing for weekly remunera-
ion of $15 for the Senate and Assembly |
.haplains. Senator Martins bill increasing |
he appropriation for teachers institutes |
rom $4,000 to $4,000 was taken in hand |
md amended by Senator Kreutzer so as to |
decrease the appropriation to So, 900, $4,000 |
20 be taken from the normal school fund |
md $4,000 from the general fund of the |
Itate. The amendment was adopted. Sen |
ltor Reynolds was the only one that vcted |
against Senator Harris bill for tax of 10 |
cents on every ton of ice cut on the mean.
Tered lakes Of the state and shipped out Of |
he state Senator Hatton's bill appropriate |
ng $4,000 for the enlargement of the Wis |
.onSin Veterans home went through with |
out dissenting vote. Senator Bissell's bill |
increasing the appropriation for free high |
schools from $50, 600 to 100000 passed |
without comment. Other bills were passed |
is follows: Increasing the appropriation to |
commissioners of fisheries by $4,000: appro- |
orlatlng $500 TO the state library commits |
sion for the maintenance of summer |
school of library science; providing that |
shall be open. at all times for the trans;,c
ion of any business; approprIating $4,000 |
20 Supt. l.. d. Harvey to enable him to |
investigate the best methods of teaching |
agriculture and manual training in the com |
mon schools: compelling railroads to make |
connections at functional points within the |