Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-03-30

uoHe IN the state snail determine the
| value of the property in the state and
| impose the average rate of taxation.
Other bills passed were: Nos. 104s,
requiring annual statements of taxes
levied in towns, villages and cities TO
be filed with the secretary of state,
26Ss, (Roehr), requiring fire insurance
companies to write policies through
local agents; 2?2s, (Welton), authS'iz-
ing towns villages and cities to raise
from S25 to 500 for memorial day OBJ
| servance; 1865, prohibiting proxies at
political conventions and 337s. re-
curing viva voce vote in legislative
senatorial caucuses. The Bryant bill
No 3l4a, affecting arguments to court
and jury was non-concurred in.
In the assembly Mr.. Sturdivant NOV
ed that the bill giving wagons the right
OF way over bicyclists on country
roads be recalled from the senate, it
having passed the house the day be-
fore. He argued that ii was purely
class legislation. The bill was recall
ed and then killed. The senate bill
was concurred in prohibiting the pass
system Without debate and by a I'M
animous vote Senator Lamoreux's res
olution (Which had passed the upper
house,, for constitutional amend
| ment permitting the creation of an
appellate court was non-concurred in.
The orion bill to increase the license
on life insurance companies was on the
calendar for third reading, when Mr.
Wheeler offered an important amend
ment making the license 11a per cent
Instead Of l as in The orion billl OF
| the gross income, less income on real
estate, less the interest on u. S. bonds
anu less the premiums earned in other
states. The Orion bill exempts only
/ interest on L. S. bonds and income
! from real estate and will produce in
the aggregate about S250,000 annually
| for the state, while the Wheeler
| amendment will produce $4,000 an
| nually which sum will increase to the
extent Of about $500 a year. The
| state now gets only $500 from insur-
ance companies annually. Under the
| Orton bill the Northwestern Mutual Of
| Milwaukee would pay to the state
| $4,000, instead OF $4,000 as now
| while under the Wheeler amendment it
will pay $lo5,000. The bill and amend
ment went over till Tuesday for con-
| sideration. The Northwestern Mutual
company objects to the bill strenuous
| ly because it affects companies in other
states and those states will at once put
| into effect retaliatory tax laws against
| the Milwaukee company.
Mr.. Wheeler's bill, No. $50, which
| wisely seeks to amend the law relating
to the recovery of damages for injuries
| on sidewalks and highways finally
went to the judiciary committee. Mr.
| Wheeler said the law as orig
| inally enacted contemplated only that
an individual injured might recover
| damages but that it's scope had been
| so enlarged that a husband might re-
| cover damages for the loss of SER
vices" of his wife, also for damages re-
suting from unuue accumuations Of
| ice and snow on roads or walks. With
great feeling and force he showed the
| infinite outrage of which nearly every
community at one time or another IS
| the victim as consequence of damage
suits.
| Mr.. Dodge offered some amendments
| to his bill forbidding the sale of
| liquors within one mile of the Milwau-
Kee soldiers home. One made the dis
| lance q of mile and exempted brew
| cries from the operation of the law
| The bill and amendments were killed
| after brief debate. Despite an ad
verse committee report, Mr.. Hall saved
| his bill requiring all poisons to be re-
! tailed in 3-cornered bottles. The bill
| was ordered to a third reading. The
house voted to adhere to its forfeiture
of-ofiice clause in and its other amend
| ments to the senate's proposed anti
| pass constitutional amendment, and
! the chair appointed as house conferees
| Messrs. orion, Rusk and Sturdevant
| The senate members are Messrs. Lam
oreux, Whitehead and Roehr
The committee on railroads reported
| for postponement the Humphrey blu
! for a two-cent passenger fare on rail
roads. The committee gives as it's
| opinion that the enactment of such a
| bill would not be beneficial to the peo-
/ pie nor Unsuitable to the railroads.
| holding that it would necessitate a
raise in freight rates and that it would
retard the building OF new roads and
| improvements on the present.
| A joint resolution by Mr.. Wander
cook to have all bills in the hands Of
| committees reported by April / was
carried. The bill appropriating $4,000
/ to the Eau Claire home for fallen
women went back to the claims com
mittee on motion of Mr.. Burlington.