Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-20
WISCONSIN, LEGISLATURE.

Madison. April 1.-The senate con-
CURED in house bill No. 34Oa (Slade),
to pay Robert S. Houston $1,000 for the
killing of dairy herd by the state
veterinarian. Bill No. 311a (Dresser),
permitting increase of maximum
weight of steam engines on public
| roads to tons was ordered engrossed.
No. 304s (Munson), abolishing the Of
flee Of treasury agent, was killed. A
debate ensued on the Green bill, No.
327s, to increase the salary of the clerk
in the bank examiners Office from
| 81 200 to $1,000. Senator Whitman in
troduced an amendment to raise this
pay of the scrub women of the capitol
from 81 10 Sl.25 per Gay. The bill and
amendment finally went to the COM
mittee on state affairs. At the even
| ing session of the senate the commit
tee on claims reported without recon-
mendation bill No. 356s, providing for
| state board of taxation. Senator
Whitehead offered a substitute which
provides for commissioner at sal
airy OF $1,000, first assistant at $4,000
and second assistant at $4,000, their
| terms of office beng ten years.
Bills were passed Or concurred in
| by the assembly as follows: Nos. 126a
| Uange), applying the caucus law, now
in force in cities, to towns and villages
with reference to general elections;
456a (Wells), providing for the organ
! ization of corporations for the i'm
provement of streams and the con-
struction of canals; 1895 (Welton), for
the reorganization of the national
guard; 299s (Jones), appropriating
$1,000 to Michael Gleason, contractor
on the Waukesha industrial school;
340s (BisselD, making an annual ap-
preparation of $500 to combat the San
Jose thistle and other like fungus
pests; without debate senate bill No.
1913, making special appropriations to
various university causes was con-
CURED in unanimously. Its appro-
priations are: For additions to the
dairy herd, to enlarge the dairy build
ing and for change in heating plant,
| $780, 600; for an engineering building
100000, for water tower for the sup
ply of the capitol $4,000 and for an
electric plant to furnish power and
light for the university, the new his
torical building and the capitol and
light for the capitol park, $4,000.
The Woodwork bill, SIS, fixing sala-
ries at the state prison and especially
providing that those employees taking
meals out of the prison snail have SIS
a month extra, was opposed by Nr.
Mosher, who said it proposed to create
two classes of employees and would
tend to break down prison discipline
On his motion the measure was indefi-
nitely postponed. A resolution was
offered by Mr.. Hall instructing the
attorney general to furnish opinions
as to what the effect would be of the
changes proposed in senate bills 60, 81
and 1913, relating to the reorganization
OF railways, to the issue of their stock,
and their government, control, opera
| ton. etc. The measures are supposed
to be in the interest of the reorganiza-
ton of the Wisconsin Central, as Judge
| Orion finally explained, especially to
enable that company to water it's stock
indefinitely, thus exempting that COM
pany from the operation of the gen.
eral prohibition on the subject. After
long debate, all were ordered to
third reading, the vote being about CT
| to 10 in each case
The greatest speech of the legislative
session thus far was delivered by AS
CO h1ryr,o Ho11
vocacy of his amendments to the SUBJ
stltute for the Orion bill, relating to
license fees to be paid by railroad COM
panles. The committee substitute to
the Orion bill was the special order
for $3.50 o'clock. When.it came up Mr..
Hall submitted amendments providing
for a taxation of per cent. on the
gross earnings of roads that equal or
exceed $4,000 per mile; 51s per cent.
when they are between $4,000 and
$4,000; 5 per cent. when they are be-
TWEEN $4,000 and $4,000, and ~ Der
cent. when between $500 and $4,000.
During his speech Mr.. Hall declared
that the state should receive $500 900
more from the railroads than it does.
He disliked to see favoritism and COW
ardice shown in the attitude of the
legislature toward great corporations.
He believed the railways had never
pair their share of the taxes and in
1897 he gave figures to prove this and
subsequent developments, he said,
have shown that he was right. He
gave elaborate figures on the values |
and earnings of the roads in Wiscon-
sin and said that it was time the pol
~ of heads win, tails you lose"
that the railroads have carried on
should be changed and argued for
higher rate of taxation. The bill then
went over for day.
Madison, April 12.-In the senate
the bill appropriating 1885, 900 for inn
proVeMents at the university was on
the calendar for passage but went to
the committee on claims, on motion
OF Senator Green. The only bill re-
ported by committee was the blanket
fish and game bill. BY it's provisions
a resident will have to be provided
with license, costing 81, to shoot
ducks and geese, prairie chickens, or
any kind of game, and a Nonresident
will have to pay $40 for the same priv
llege; if the latter wants to shoot deer.
be must pay S25 license, this including
small game also. The proceeds are to !
go to nav 30 danrty game uoroonc |