Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-05-06
WISCONSIN SOLONS.

The report Of tire Assent biz branch of
the conference committee on the primary
bill was submitted TO the Assembly Fri
day morning 1t announces The fact of
the disagreement and declares thar the
Assembly members of the committee
were unwilling TO accept any compromise
which did not seek TO secure the cleo
non or the next Legislature under a pri.
mary system. Attention is called 10
the fact that no proposition was offered
by the Senate eonferees on the bill and
mat they simply chung to the bill as pass
ed by the Senate and would not recede
from their position. In closing. the com
mittee declared its belief no primary leg
islation can be obtained from this Leg
lslature. The report was adopted with
out comment by the Assembly and the
committee discharged Mr. Benson's bill
providing for the compilation of school
text books by the State superintendent
and their sale 20 pupils at cost. was in
definitely postponed by vote of Al ia
Al. Nine bills We're )assed. The Sen.
ate concurred in eleven Assembly bills.
-:
The Governor sent t%o veto messages
to the Assembly Monday night. one con.
corning Mr.. Rays bill providing for the
issuance of bonds to the amount of $780,
600 for the erection of new high school
building in La Crosse and authorizing
school boards to erect buildings in cities
of the third class. The Governor com
mends the purpose of the bill. but with
holds approval because it failed to pro-
vide for the submission of the bond prop
osition to a vote of the people. as requir-
ed by the statutes. lie recommends that
new bill be introduced. The second
veto related TO the bin authorizing courts
to take judicial notice of the public acts
of Congress and the statutes of other
States. 1t would result in great confu-
sion, the Governor says, and in many
cases hardship. Under the present law
in the absence of any proof the laws of
another State are presumed to be the
same as the laws of this State. The
Senate adjourned almost as soon as it
met without doing any business.
-
The Fleming bill. providing for the
purchase by Thomas j. Fleming of lands
adjoining the State fair grounds, pur-
chased from him by the State, but in
which he still claims an equity. was mp
in the Assembly Tuesday morning for
advancement to third reading. 1t was
NIAduceu ny Il NOle Ol VI 10 L he
Benson school bill. providing for the
compilation of text books by the State
superintendent, aud to be furnished pu-
pills at cost. came up again on the motion
to reconsider the vote by which it was
killed The vote was reconsidered 4S to
81, and after brief debate the bill was
sent to the claims committee. The bill
raising the Attorney Generals salary
fY,,y, 0l0 20 g. nl0 was Y1asea1 d
ed to require that officer and his assist
ants to devote their entire time to the
duties of the office. The bill appropriat-
ing $1,074.S2 to the Portage levee com
missloners, j. e. Jones. Byron Kinnear
and j. Powers, for expenses under the
levee law. declared unconstitutional by
the Supreme Court. was passed-aycs
80. noes 16. The Senate got through a
good deal of routine work
-
4 special message was sent to the Leg
islature by Gov. La Toilette Wednesday
advocating the establishment of a State
railway commission, with authority to fix
maximum rates, the bin providing for
which favorably reported by committee.
is a special order in the Assembly Thurs
day. The message consists in the main
of a reply to arguments presented by
railway attorneys. 1t is an exhaustive
document. comprising 100 pages of print
ed argument and seventy-two pages of
tables giving comparisons of rates in
Wisconsin Iowa and Illinois, showing
Wisconsin rates to be much higher on the
same classes of freight for the same dis
lance. Attention is given by the Cover
nor to commodity rates, on which the
main arguments of he opposition have
been based. The message is especially
severe on the lobby sent TO the Legisla-
ture by the rich manufacturers, who. the
| Governor declares, must not delude them
selves with the idea the people are not
interested simply because the rich man
| has been able to hire a lobbyist. The
| Merton resolution calling for a consttu-
tional convention to vote on an amend
| ment to the federal constitution proyid-
/ ing for election of United States Senators
/ by direct vote of the people was concur
! red IN by the Assembly, GO to 81. There
was little debate; none in opposition.
-
/ The fight on the bill for State rail
/ way commission was waged from 10
| o'clock Thursday morning until 1890,
/ when it was killed by a vote of 6S to "a,
| Before the debate opened an amendment
making the commission elective instead
I Of appointive was defeated by an over.
/ wheming vote. Mr.. Frear declared the
/ manufacturers meeting the previous
! evening was brought about by poiti-
/ clans who enlisted the aid of manufac
! turcrs Thursday evening Speaker Len
/ root took the floor and made the direct
/ charge that favored shippers are reeeiv-
/ ing rebates, basing the charge on adms
/ sions made at hearings before the com
/ mttee Mr. Leroy offered an amendment
/ attaching a referendum clause, which was
! defeated The roll was then called on
/ the committee substitute BILL and it was
| refused adoption-yeas "a. nays 80. The
! final vote was reached at midnight. when
I the bin was indefinitely postponed-tiS to
/ n. The woman suffrage bill met its BIZ
/ ennial death at the hands of tie Senate
! by vote of IL to II.
Bills Passed-Senate.
/ 351S committee on State affairs). au-
/ thorizing the commissioners of fisheries
( to remit damage for certain trespass in