Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-05-08
WHAT LEGISLATURE HAS DONE
BESIDES CHOOSING SENATOR.
WORK is NOW CONCLUDED
Big Bills Associated With Names of
Leaders in the Two Houses-Ses-
sion a Notable One for Taxation
Enactment-List of Important Bills
Passed and Those Killed.
Madison, May 4.-The legislature

Madison, May 4.-The legislature
adjourned sine die at noon today
after an unusually long session. It
is in the matter of increased taxation
of corporations that the work of this
session has been unusual and from the
flood of bills which came in with that
end in view the inference at the early
part of the session might have been
that it was a decidedly anti-cOrpOra-
ton legislature. The most important
of these measures are the bills
taxing sleeping car, express,
fast freight and equipment line
companies, the Orion life in
surance bill whereby the Milwaukee
Northwestern Mutual company's taxes
will be increased from $34 900 to $780,,
600 and the bill raising the taxes of
the Milwaukee street car company
$4,000 That future legislatures may
be guided Alright in matters of taxation
a tax commission of three members to
serve for ten years, has been created.
No antitrust legislation was enacted,
but memorial to congress for that
purpose was adopted, nothing was done
to secure a public interest in the prop
erty or business of corporations and
nothing toward securing a uniformity
of state laws except the passage of the
fish and game bill. Beyond the Dag
gett anti-cOrset resolution no freak
legislation was attempted, though the
McGillivray bill for the equal distribu
ton of patronage among the counties
on the basis Of population was charac-
terized by many as such. The tone OF
the legislature as regards common
honesty was high.
The honors of the session
are perhaps divided between
Messrs. aHll and Orion, the giants Of
the assembly, who side by side have
borne the brunt Of the battle with the
corporations. Mr.. Hall having finally
brought about anti-pass legislation
after long years of effort declares
that his work is done and that he will
not be a candidate for office again
Judge Orton's great work was to
secure the passage of the life in
surance tax bill whereby the state
will derive a quarter of million or
more in revenue annually. Mn
True, another assembly leader,
has associated with his name
his now famous marriage bill,
leaders in the upper house, the tax
commission bill with his. With the
name of Senator Roehr goes that of
the anti-lobby bill.
| The governor has sent the True mar
riage license bill to the attorney gen
eral to pass upon it's constitutionality
which has made it's friends tremble a
little. The measure met many
vicissitudes in running the legislative
gauntlet and it's author was subjected
to much criticism, advice and no
| little abuse. The measure is de-
signed to prevent immature persons
living in adjacent states from COM
hitting matrimony in Wisconsin on
excursion tickets. 1t provides that
marriage license must be secured OF
the county clerk of the county in
which the female resides, or, if not
resident of the state of the county in
which the marriage is to take place
five days prior to the ceremony. But
this is not the only obstacle. If
the contracting parties are not of
legal age they must serve upon the
clerk the written consent Of their
parents or guardians. The license
fee is half dollar. The measure
will wipe out the marriage industry
which has given Wisconsin an I'M
enviable reputation and will be par
ticularly hard on Hudson, the Gretna
Green of twin city clipping couples,
and Milwaukee.
Now that the anti-pass bill is about
to become a law it's provisions are be-
ginning to cause public officials unend
ing worry I he fact is not generally
remembered that it applies to street
car, telegraph and telephone privi-
leges as we'll as those of railroads. 1t
will be more far-reaching than most
people suppose and the number of
people who will now have to 'dig
down" when the street car conductor
comes around it is said will be sur
prise to the unknowing.
Among the bills that have received
enactment are the four bills taxing eX-
press, sleeping car, fast freight and
equipment line companies whereby the
state will get thousands Of dollars in
revenue instead of paltry license fees, |
the Keene bill raising the age Of con-
sent from IA to Is years; requiring all
physicians to register; requiring judges |
of circuit or superior courts to give
oath before drawing their salary that
all cases argued before them 80 days
previous to the drawing Of the salary |
warrant have been decided; appropri |
ating $4,000 for an Interstate park
with Minnesota on the st. CrOix river;
requiring stores and factories to fur
nish seats for women when not en-
ployed; appropriating $4,000 for mon
ument at Lancaster of Nelson
Dewey, the first governor of
the state; prohibiting the
mamma pturo Of ri oars in the small