Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-01-22

Ger temporary arrangements pending
legislative action In the absence of
such action it is probable that the
board of control will enter into new
contracts under the most favorable
terms and conditions possible"
Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
Governor LaFollette says that the
work of this department has been con-
siderably extended within the last two
years, and that the report of the COM
missioner has become valuable pub
lie document. He then says:
''The commissioner suggests some
changes in existing laws which in his
opinion are essential to their better
enforcement and the accomplishment
of the purpose for which they were
originally designed To mitigate the
evils of child labor in factories he
favors compulsory attendance Of chill
dren at school during the school year,
a change in the present method of issu-
ing certificates to make it possible for
INSCRIPTIONS parents to profit by false
affidavits, and a repeal Of the permit
system which operates to the evasion
of other provisions Of the law. Better
enactments to regulate sanitary condi-
tons in factories are called for. Bills
for laws covering all of these subjects,
and many others through which or
ganiZed labor seeks a betterment OF
conditions, will be presented. | hope
and believe that they will receive that
careful consideration at your hands
which is merited by the material in
terests of so large proportion of our
people as is represented by wage earn
ers.
''The value of the work of statis-
tician depends upon the accuracy and
rapidity with which that work is per-
formed and the skill or capacity eXer-
cised in interpreting the data after it
has been secured. Training is of the
greatest Importance. 1t would be de-
sirable indeed if the entire civil serv-
ice of the state could be removed from.
the realm of political spoils and placed
under the control of commission
where appointments would be based
upon merit Until such a system is
established, services Of the expert char
acter competent to conduct the bureau
of statistics should be placed where
members of the legislature, state officials
and the public can rely upon their not
being sacrificed with the changes fol-
lowing biennial elections. For these
reasons | recommend that the statute
fixing the term of the commissioner of
labor and statistics be amended so that
the term shall be for six years instead
of for two"
Protection to Railway Employees.
The governor recommends more eff
ficient protection to employees of rail-
road companies who may be injured
in the discharge Of their duties through
carelessness or negligence of other en-
ployes or agents of the company. He
says the present law was enacted in
the interest Of the railway companies
and should be repealed and section 1916
of the statutes of 1878 be re-enacted.
Dairy and Food Department.
IN discussing the dairy and food de-
partment the governor says:
"Provision should be made au-
thorizing the dairy and food commits
sioner to publish a bulletin for dis
tributon among the dealers in food
products in which there may be print
ed, at least quarterly, list OF the
condemned foods ascertained upon
analysis to be adulterated. 1t is fair
to dealers that they should be notified
il scasonable time that foods officially
found to be adulterated must not be
offered for sale. The expense for such
publication can be provided for in the
same manner that the publication of
bulletins from the agricultural expert
mental station is now authorized
Fish and Game Protection.
During the last year there have
been 27O arrests for violation Of the
fish and game laws; the sum of near
ly $4,000 has been collected through
fines and by sale of confscated fish
and game. The balance on hand to
the credit of the department is sufti-
cient to ensure an enforcement of the
laws until the period when hunting
licenses again become due. Every
dollar of receipts is accounted for on
the records, and every dollar of ex-
penditure has been paid upon sworn
vouchers on file with the secretary
of state The department has become
more than self-supporting and, in the
Judgment of those who long have in
terested themselves in this work, it
is providing the most efficient protec-
ton to fish and game ever known in
Wisconsin.
Il believe with the proper protection
of fish and game creating new interest
in this form of recreation in Wiscon-
sin, it is reasonable to expect some
increase in the amount to be derived
from hunting licenses. l therefore
recommend that the salary and eX-
penses of the game warden, amount
ing to $1,SO0 annually, be paid out of
the hunting license fund. 1t is now
paid from the treasury and is the only
expense connected with the depart
ment which is a tax upon the people.