The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-05-24

LaFo1lette Not Opposed to Spooner.
Fortunately, she is greatly improved
in health. Governor LaFOllette has
told intimates that he had no designs
on the senatOrship in 1894, though it
would be impossible to convince the
nightmare type of politicians this is
not so. Interests that are afraid of
the onward march of the tax commits
sion may continue to plot the down
fall of the LaFOllette regime and to
make the next election of lawmakers
a bloody struggle; but Governor La
Toilette and Senator Spooner pre-
sumably prefer peace and the choice
of a legislature gathered to- do it's
duty in uneventful fashion.
Matters on the Campus.
The university is drifting toward
commencement and the streets are
dotted with young men and women
wearing the mortar board hat
that betokens graduating dignities.
The youth are busy securing employ
ment and it is a claim for higher edu-
cation that, as a rule, there is vacan-
cy waiting each of them. President
Adams thinks he will be able to re-
sumo his duties next fall, Dean Birge
in the meantime having taken excel
lent charge of affairs. The vacancy of
dean of the women has not yet been
filed; and while the world is filed
with good women, it is surprising how
difficult it is to get one for such posi-
tiOn-a WOma-- with the necessary
qualities Of command, dignity, culture
and sympathetic charm.
The fraternity and sorority system
has been under revived criticism Of
late, with especial reference to the
practice of rushing" candidates. The
competition in securing desirable ac-
cession to these rival orders is t-e-
mendous and developes some serious
evils. AS for the student life in these
brOtherhOOds, it varies in helpfulneSS
according to the class of young peo-
pie thus grouped together; and espe-
cially in the sororities it is dependent
On the character of chapero1a who
is installed in the chapter houses.
Temper of Life i'm Chapter Houses.
Each order has a character Of it's
OWn-SOme are made UP of young fell
lows or girls; who have more money
than the average, which parents
dread: with perhaps dash of family
or other prestige, which some parents
covet for their children. One order
may be known as studiOus and grave;
another as sprightly and social, and
yet the same society varies in differ
ent years. Sometimes a sorority will
secure as mother superior" some tim
id little woman who is afraid of los
ing her post and is glad to do the low
ly offices that crowd of fifteen or
more girls neceSsitate, and then you
| may expect rag-time piano music in
1x,
| randa at q time when the girls should
be getting their ''beauty Sleep" But
| given a discreet and influential WOm-
an over them and the same company
! will become as tractable and eXem-
! plary as a parent could wish. A par
| ent who was 'skepticaP' as to the bene-
| fits of such associations for his chill
| dren tells me he is pleased with the
companionship they obtain and he
studies the young people of the chap
ter and does what he can to direct
them in wise paths. But a parent
should insist on examining the envi-
ronment for himself and then keep in
touch with the routine life of the
house where his hopeful spends the
most of his Or her time.
Tax Commissions Increased Powers.
Reviewing the session one notes
| that the tax commission enjoys in
| creased powers. Hereafter they make
| the state assessment, (nO longer a COM
mittee of state Officers) and it is pro-
! vided that the commissioner shall
have power to require town, city and
! village officers to report information
as to the assessment of property, col
lection of taxes, the expenditure of
! public funds for all purposes and any
| other information which said commits
sioner may require, to require individ-
uals, partnerships, companies, assO-
citation and corporation ito furnish in
! formation concerning their capital
funded debt, value of property, earn
| ingS, taxes and all other facts called
/ for.
The state tax commission is there
| fore destined to play an increasing
part in the affairs of the state. By
equalizing on full or fair face value
all the property of the state, the tax
commission may bring it about that
the amount raised by the one mill tax
for schools is nearly doubled-it was
| 100000 last year. The bill which
| proposed to limit this school support
to $S3OOO0 was defeated, and there
j will be money to burn" for schools
unless the tax commission finds some
way to evade the law. Of course
the rich southern counties produce
most of this revenue, and perhaps the
j poorer northern counties would not OBJ
, ject to lavish appropriations for the
common schools
1t should be said for the dead leg
| islature that it was an economical one
the appropriations were we'll kept in
hand. There were 100000 apprOpri-
ated by the legislature (but held up
by Governor Scofield) to be provided;
this was DONE The total appropria-
tons equal $1.755 900, though the orig
inal bills called for 100000 more.
One of Dick Petherick's Criticisms.
The law provides for an auxiliary
membership of the board of control
in addition to the Cuintette-and this
position is assigned to the popular
"Dick" Petherick Richard is a per-
ennial Santa Claus to the children of
the state institutions and it makes no
difference to his glowing heart wheth-
err they are GAINESVILLE blind, Waukesha
hayward or Chippewa Falls imbecile.
Combined with his gentleness is a