Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-03-30

Eoent and collection of taxes and pro-
vide that the state board of assess
ment shall meet in August of each
year and on the basis of the entire
property of the companies and the
property in the state, and the bust
ness done in the state shall determine
! the value of the property in the state
and impose the average rate of taxa
| ton. Other bills passed were: Nos
lois, requiring annual statements of
| taxes levied in towns, villages and
cities to be filed with the secretary of
state; 26Ss, (Roehr), requiring fire in
| suranee companies to write policies
through local agents; 1925, (Weltonl
authorizing towns, villages and cities
to raise from S25 to 500 for memorial
day observance; S36s, prohibiting
proxies at political conventions; and
1878, requiring viva voce vote in
| legislative senatorial caucuses. The
Bryant bill No. Sl4a, affecting argu-
ments to court and jury was non
concurred in.
In the assembly MIR. Sturdevant
moved that the bill giving wagons the
right of way over bicyclists on coun-
try roads be recalled from the senate,
it having passed the house the day
before. He argued that 1t 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 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 Ii
cense on life insurance companies was
on the calendar for a third reading,
when Mr.. Wheeler offered an import
ant amendment making the license
IL per cent. (instead of as in the
Orion bill) of the gross income, less
income on real estate less the pre-
miums earned in other states. The
Orion bill exempts only interest on
| U. S. bonds and income from real
estate and will produce in the aggre-
gate about $250,000 annually for the
state, while the Wheeler amendment
will produce S135,000 annually which
sum will increase to the extent of
about $500 a year. The
state now gets only 5000 from insur-
ance companies annually. Under the
Orion bill the Northwestern Mutual Of
Milwaukee would pay to the state
| $219,000, instead of $4,000 as now,
while under the Wheeler amendment 1t
will pay $1O5,000. 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. Wheel
er's bill, No. $50, which wisely seeks
to amend the law relating to the re-
covery of damages for injuries on side
walks and highways, finally went to
the judiciary committee. Mr.. Wheel
er said the law as originally enacted
contemplated only that an individual
injured might recover damages, but
that it's scope had been so enlarged
that husband might recover damages
for the loss of services" of his wife,
also for damages resulting from undue
accumulations of ice and snow on
roads or walks. With great feeling
and force he showed the infinite out
rage of which nearly every community
at one time or another is the victim as
a consequence of damage suits. Mr.
Dodge offered some amendments to his
| bill forbidding the sale of liquors
within one mile of the Milwaukee sol
diers' home. One made the distance
| u of mile and exempted breweries
from the operation Of the law. The
bill and amendments were killed after
brief debate. Despite an adverse
committee report, Mr.. Hall saved his
bill requiring all poisons to be retaied
in 3-cornered bottles. The bill was
ordered to third reading. The house
voted to adhere to its forfeiture-of-
| Office clause in and it's other amend
ments to the senates proposed anti
pass constitutional amendment, and
the chair appointed as house conferoes
Messrs. Orton Rusk and Sturdevant.
| The senate members are Messrs. Lam
oreux, Whitehead and Roehr. The
committee on railroads reported for
postponement the Humphrey bill for Il
two-cent passenger fare on railroads.
| The committee gives as its opinion
| that the enactment of such bill
would not be beneficial to the people
| nor justifiable to the railroads, hold
ing that 1t would necessitate raise
in freight rates and that it would re-
tard the building of new roads and i'm
provements on the present. A joint
resolution by Mr.. Vandercook to have
all bills in the hands of committees re-
ported by April l was carried. The
bill appropriating $4,000 to the Eau
Claire home for fallen women went
back to the claims committee on mo-
ton OF Mr.. Burlington.