Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-03-12

Madison, March 5.-In the senate a
resolution was offered by Senator
Hatten, to provide for conference at
Atlanta, Ga, next July, for the pur-
pose of considering the negro prob
lem. 1t went over according to rule.
If the resolution passes the governor
of Wisconsin is to call the confer
ence, select 10 Wisconsin members
of the conference and invite the gov
ernors of each of the other states to
send an equal number of delegates
from each state. No appropriation
is provided for and the delegates
would have to bear their own ex
penses. The senate had the longest
debate Of the present session on bill
of minor and sectional interest, that
introduced by Senator RiOrdan to de-
tach the counties Of Oneida and Villas
from the 10th judicial circuit and at
tach them to the 10th. Senator Hud-
nall stated his reasons for opposing
the change, saying that the PROPOSE
ton was one to give the 10th circuit
104 900 population and leave the 18th
with $4,000. The vote was close, de-
feating the bill by IA to Is. The Bar
ker bill cutting off the fees of the
state insurance commissioner in con-
nection with the examination Of the
policies of life insurance companies
came back to the assembly from the
insurance committee with an amend
ment which deferred the application
of the act for two years or till after
the expiration of Mr.. Hosts term.
Mr. Barker attacked the change as
needlessly postponing what he term
ed a wrong. In the last eight years,
he said $3S,41S in fees had been paid
to and retained by the insurance COM
missioners, the amount last year
alone reaching $6,206. This ought
all to go into the state treasury, he
thought, and Mr.. Fricke had so urged
in his reports The fees of $4,000 last
year. all came from the Northwest
ern Mutual of Milwaukee. Mr.. Os-
born expressed the fear that, unless
the fee matter was settled right, 1t
would veX the republican party as did
the treasury matter a few years ago.
He was in favor of threshing the
of Mr.. Baker, was referred to the
judiciary committee. The assembly
passed the Dahl bill for a $4,000 ap-
preparation to finish and equip dormi-
tories, administration and other build
ings at the Chippewa Falls home for
the feeble minded. The home is now
accommodating over 500 patients and
there are 400 more in the state
needing care. When the buildings
already up are finished and equipped
some $50 more can be accommodated
Other assembly bills were passed re-
curing toilet rooms on interurDan
cars where the cities or villages arr
more than Is miles apart; giving all
high schools the use OF Camp Randall
and other like state property free 1or
athletic contests: authorizing counties
to pay rattlesnake bountes; and
amending the law permitting cities
and villages to establish deaf and
dumb schools. Senate bills were con-
Cured in. one to give married women
the right to assign their interest in
life insurance policies and another
amending the charter Of Ripon col
1ege.
Madison. March 6.-In the senate
the tax committee introduced bank
stock taxation bill which provides
that the shares Of stock of all state,
national and private banks shall be
assessed and taxed in the localities
in which they are situated. The
shares are to be deemed personal
property. Upon the demand OF the
assessor the bank is required to fur
nish verified statement Of the value,
amount and owners of the stock as OF
Nav 10. in each year. The statement
of a private bank must set forth the