The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-02-20
Railroad Magnates Talk


fight on the subject in the senate.
Railroad Magnates Talk.
The railroad committees of the two
houses gave a hearing to the railroad
managers last week. and Il DC - Of
very brainy rlen came to town. - AZ
vim Hughitt of the Northwestern las
q dignity indeed scholarly appear
ance beitting college professor;
while President Earring of the ST.
Paul road is younger and more spirit
ed. They We're accompanied by their
laWyers-anl, of course, there are no
nimbler. no more adroit minds on
earth than these chief attorneys of
great railway corporations. There has
been some Inclination that the railways
thought ''the jig was up" and would
surrender the present system in taxing
their property & per cent. on gross
earnings and accept the ad yalOrem
plan, as recommended by the tax COM
mission; but the hearing revealed 9th
erWise. The railroad men kept bark
ing back to the fact that in Minnesota
the license fee is but 3 per cent. (as
as they think it is. they are adverse
to going to The uncertainties of an al
yalOrem assessment, under which plan
all their properties are valued and
taxed us is other property. They kept
repeating their doubt that the railway
property of Wisconsin is one-eleventh
of all the taxable property in the state
+I,n1- II +I,C
OF course, in some light. their conten-
ton is Il strong one.
State Control of Freight Rates.
On this subject of railroad taxation
waits the proposal to limit freight
rates. 1t is IN important. drastic plan
and the fact that six weeks are gone
with no visible evidence of the issue
beyond Governor LaFOllette's argu-
ment in his message) makes it doubt
full if it can become law at this SEES
sion. A bill to effect it must come
from committee. if at ALL
Lawyers I'm Ascendancy.
The law is the best stepping stone
to public life, especially to the higher
posts. OF the thirty-three senators.
thirteen are lawyers by occupation.
Of the 100 assemblymen, nineteen are
lawyers. Lumbermen are always we'll
represented in Wisconsin legislatures
six in the senate and the same number
in the assembly. OF physicians there
are Dr. Dinsdale of Soldiers Grove
and Dr. Nerbeck OF Lodi, both i'll the
assembly.
The agriculturist interest aften COM
plains that it is not sufficiently repre-
sented-therc is one farmer" in the
senate-with Il horticulturist and two
agriculturists. Passing to the assem-
bly,. there are twenty-siX farmers.
with few others running close onto
the industry. as canned goods manu-
facturer and grain dealer; while no
doubt some Of those marked ''re-
| tired and real estate keep in close
| touch with the soil. Of other occupa-
tions. there are bankers. quite num-
| Der of insurance men. a sign artist
| (Breitwisch Of Milwaukee,. merchants.
| etc.
Sessions Work Laid Out.
The new bills touch all possible top
| les even on" repeating NewtOn's law
of graytation. and Ito 60 into effect
after Woman's suffrage is enacted"
The increase OF the supreme court to
seven members is we'll forwarded the
people are to vote on the constitutional
amendment; and that body needs
more rOOm-it is even proposed new
building be erected for their use SO
much as been said of participation by
game WardenS. etc. i'll politics" and Of
federal officials in the same business.
that no less than two bills deal with
this topic, presumably from what was
once known as "the two factions"
There are bills to crush the trusts me-
chanicS liens bills, one bill to set I'D
S1OO,0OO home for cCnsumDtiycs. ard
another to give $4,000 to the Toma-
hawk health park for the same Dur-
pose. The Dill to allow divorce to the
partner of an insane mate has aroused
so much antagOnism that it can never
pass. The railroad employees have re-
neWed their cd bill aimed IT double
header freight trains: one bill allows
the shooting of live pigeons as target
practice: another bill regulates lying
i'll hospitals ;the result of the baby
farming exposures in Milwaukee,
cigarette bill compels Il $500 license to
deal in the coffin nails" Many bills
raise salaries and deal with railway
and city charter clauses in a way that
only the initiated can understand.
Death always comes to remind the
legislative thrOng of the nature Of life.
A Burnett county man. assistant to the
assembly sergeant-at-arms. died in our
Madison hospital of Il liver trouble.
and Senator KreutZer of Wausau was
called homo by the death of Il G-year-
old child. No one is more beloved than
this frank. cordial. wise young LAWYER
of the Northllnd
ORLANDO BURNETT.
Health Better Than Wealth.
Health and happiness ought to go
together. Have you ever reflected that