Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-04-18

ions 1Cr the nomination of town and
county officers and leaving all other |
officers in the state, including con-
sressmen, state senator. s, sembly.
roen and all city officials to be named |
by the old convention system. The |
other is by Senator Kreutzer. and in
addition to county officers makes the
election apply to delegates to
he state, congressional, state senate
ial, and assembly district conve l.
lions. 1t was decided to finally dis
Jose Of the whole matter Thursday.
The three-hour session of the as
sembly in the morning was largely
-iyen up to eloquence and argument,
Mr.. Hall making long speech in
favor Of his bill creating a railroad
Mr.. David Evans talking
but in vain in behalf of wo-
man suffrage and several members
chewing the rag" over the matter Of
exemptions. But nothing reached d
elimination except the suffrage prop
osition which was ruthlessly voted il
to innocuous desuetude, 81 to 80, those
in favor of suffrage being .Messrs.
Barker, Benson, Brunson, Coapman,
Dahl, Dodge, Erickson, D. Evans, L.
". Evans, Fenelon. Frost, Gilman,
Henry, H. Johnson, Nc
Cermick, Mcmillan, Middleton, Over
beck, Pomrening, Price, Rasmussen,
Sarau, Smalley, Sturdevant, Thomas,
Whitson, E. A Williams, Young and
Ray. Assemblyman Dodge's ex-
emption provoked a vigorous attack
from Mr.. Cady, who explained that it
was a measure reducing the wage
exemption to $40 a month for two
months, or $50 in all 1t is now $50
for three months, or $3.50 in all. He
said the grocers' association of the
state was behind the measure and yet
these very grocers under the existing
law are entitled to a 5000 exemption.
He regarded the discrimination as
outrageous. Mr. Dodge contended
that fifty per cent. of the failures OF
grocers was due to losses from bad
debts. Most laboring men are honest
and these men were not affected by
this bill. 1t only reached those who
would defraud. If the exemption
were reduced, men would cut their
garments accordingly. A large ex-
emption was simply premium on i'm
providence, argued Mr.. Dodge, and it
was not the proper business of the
legislature to encourage that sort of
thing. Mr.. McGill opposed the bill
and Messrs. Henry and Root spoke for
it. At the evening session it was
passed. The Hall bill creating a
railroad commission was advocated at
length by it's author. 1t prohibits
unjust discrimination of all kinds.
Scarcely a state in the union, he saiu
but had some regulation as this bill
provides. The opposition comes from
the manufacturers. In Illinois they
have a railway commission which
fixes the rates. There the rates are
such that manufacturers can live.
Here a man cannot engage in man
ufacturing unless he gets special
rates. The rest of the state has to
pay for this privilege, said Mr. Hall
In Illinois no such special rates are
permitted and there manufacturing
fiourishes and the people generally
get justice done them. The speaker
showed that railway rates in Illinois
and Iowa were from 80 to SO per cent.
lower than in Wisconsin. Mr.. Spratt
and Mr.. Dodge supported Hall but no
vote was reached. Among the bills
passed was Spratt's to provide pen
sions for members of police and fire
departments in small cities.
Madison, April 9.-The senate con-
CURED in the Hall resolution for a
constitutional amendment authorizing
the use of voting machines in Wis
consin. The vote was 10 to 12 A
senate bill was passed making the
state tax commission a state board of
assessment. The evening was devoted
to discussion of the primary election
bill.
The assembly opened with a sharp
clash over the bill to reduce the ex-
emption for debt to which laborers are
entitled from $3.50 to $50, but it re-
NAMED passed. After vigorous
speech Mr.. Dahl secured the passage
of his bill adopting the Torrens land
transfer system. Judge Orion at
tackled it. The vote was SO to &c.
1t is local option measure, counties
being empowered to adopt or reject
it. Halls bill creating a railroad COM
mission was killed, "A to "a. Among
the bills passed was one requiring
detective to have a license obtainable
from the secretary of state, good for 5
years and costing 500. Judge Orion
questioned the bill appropriating
dalles of the st. Croix. Mr.. Erickson
said that two years ago $500 was
appropriated Gnstead of S1O,00O) as
needed 1t is necessary to continue
the purchase to make of any avail the
previous purchase. The bill provides
for commission of three. The lead
ing nature magazine was quoted to
show this park ranks next to Niagara
and the Yellowstone as a marvel of
beauty. The bill was ordered to third
reading.
Madison, April 12.-Gov. La Toilette
sent another veto to the senate this
returning without approval
Senator Whitehead's bill providing
that when proceedings for the leasing,
or sale Of property Of
minors or other persons under
r6i To- in Xo1y IN, nf.-I