The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-04-19


number cast for the Stevens bill, it
is possible the thing could be done,
although this would only open the way
to a veto by Governor LaFollette,
which would probably be pretty warm
reading. There are some hopes that
senatorial and assembly districts may
be included in the bill as a cOmpTo-
mise, especially at the end of the ses-
sion, but the senate has once refused
to do this and it is doubtful if it will
surrender.
Talk of a Referendum.
The enemies Of the bill were will
ing to send even the full Stevens bill
to the state to be voted upon at a
referendum. Perhaps the friends of
the measure could now get that legis-
lative act if they wish it. Certainly
they are very confident that the peo-
pie would approve the bill at the polls.
The other side does not think so, how
ever. Public. sentiment is becoming
informed and no one can tell what
might be the verdict after the state
had discussed the matter a few
months longer.
fractional Fight On.
Looking at it politically, the fail
ure to settle the issue at this session
necessarily means a hard fractional
fight until the elections of 1902, when
not only the governor comes up for re-
election, but a legislature is to be
chosen which will both have nominal
ton reform on it's hands and also the
election of a United States senator.
With the rest of the country trying
to secure John G. Spooner as presi-
Dental candidate, it seems absurd that
his own state should be flashing itself
into fever which may even involve
his return to the senate. Governor
LaFollettte is quoted as freely say
ing he has no designs on any honor
except reelection. AS for Senator
Spooner his friends are insistent that
he must continue to represent the
state in the senate, whether he wants
to or not.
Surprise in Railroad Taxation.
What is really the most important
event of this session is the report Of
the tax commissions bill, 165a, I'M
favOrably by the assembly committee
The bill provides for an increase of
some 100000. The three members of
the committee who favor the bill are:
Hall of Dunn county, Stevens of Madi-
son, and Frost of Stevens Point. The
four members who voted against it in
committee are: McCabe and linn Of
Milwaukee, Lane of Phillips, and
BrunSOn of FennimOre.
The report came as a surprise, for
the tax commission was supposed to
lend such weight to the measures it.
reports as a result of it's skilled re-
searches as to insure passage. The
bill increases the tax rates for the big
roads from to 51a per cent. A dupli-
cate bill is in the senate committee
Mr. Hall is greatly disappointed at
the action Of the committee. The Op-
pOnents of increased railroad taxa
ton take the general ground that rail
roads are paying enough taxes now;
especially point to the discrepancy as
to personal property in the state es-
Gaping taxation, reported by the gov
ernOr's message and by the tax COM
mission. The Milwaukee Sentinel and
Milwaukee Journal are fat-footed
against any increased taxation of this
sort. There is another bill from the
tax commission proposing railroad tax
alton on an ad valorem basis Gas with
other property, but if the license sys-
tenn increase will not be accepted by
the legislature it is unlikely a radical
change of system will be adopted
No one knows yet how strenuous Gov
ernor LaFollette will be in this matter
Of corporate taxation.
Another Railroad Triumph.
Mr.. Halls railroad commission bill
was killed by "A to q in the assem-
bly,, but this, Of course, is no test of
tho i1poa1 cAOtioapt Tho oYyroci-
ton of manufacturers of the state to
railroad commission was practically
final.
Another matter along this line was
the ordering to third reading by the as
sembly Of bill that eXempts notaries
public from the operation of the anti
pass law. 1t seems that especially
in the smaller communities notaries
public are often men Of sufficient in
fuence for one reason and another to
entitle them to free passes on rail
roads and when the law went into eff
feet many designations came to the
governors office, men preferring to
ride notwithstanding their commits
sions as notaries to friends and in
some cases to their wives. The fight
on this matter will be renewed.
Dark Outlook for Osteopaths.
The osteOpaths bid fair to lose their
fight, which has been remarkably able
in view of the fact that there are less
than forty physicians of this school
in the state. What they want is a
special state board, to examine and ap-
prove osteopaths in medical practice.
What the regular doctors want is to
have osteopaths examined by the pres
ent state board as doctors of all 9th
er schools are examined. So in a gen
eral bill affecting the present state
board a paragraph was inserted regu-
lating the examination of osteopaths
by this board. The crisis came in the
assembly ON the motion to strike out
this paragraph and thus open the way
for the osteopaths' bill setting up a
special examining board. The motion
was lost-53 to 33.
The regulars say that doctors of ev-
cry school should have specified
training. To allow osteopaths to set
up SPECIAL and lower standard would
be to open the door to half-trained doc
tors from many states.
Not all men feel alike. If they did
the bill taxing ice cut in Wisconsin