Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-02-12

come in in Texas and Kentucky, and
now the legislature is disposed to get
after the Standard Oil company in a
manner perhaps more effectual than
has been hit upon by any other state.
The program is to have an investisa-
ton which will show the exact cost to
refine petroleum and furnish it to the
people of this state at a reasonable
profit. 1t is expected that this inves-
tsgation will show that the father of
all trusts" is heavily taxing the people
of Wisconsin in order to help make
some 100000 900 dividends a year on
wateTed stock. The next step, it
seems, is to regulate the prices of oil
IN this state or else bar the trust out.
Assemblyman Dudgeon of Madison,
took the first step in the program in
Producing in the assembly a Joint
resolution providing for the proposed
investigation. Mr.. Dudgeon also in
troduced a bill which, if passed. he be-
lleyes will correct many of the evils
OF monopolies and trusts in this state.
According to his bill the author would
have such power vested in the attor-
ney general that that officer would
Keep a sharp lookout in the state for
the baneful influences of trusts and
combinations, and when he discovers
conditions which seem to indicate to
MIN that a trust or combination is
opratlng in Wisconsin in restraint of
trade or to work an unnecessary or
improper hardship to the people. he
snail make a full and searching in
Vesugatlon and determine the exact
SITUATION so lar as possible. A bill
designated to put an end to the "per-
nlclous activity of federal Office hold
ers' was introduced by Assemblyman
Z. b. Whitson OF Lincoln county. 1t
provides that it shall be an offense
for any postmaster, internal revenue
collector, United States district attor-
ney or any other holder of office of
any kind under the constitution or
government of the United States to
primary election system (Dresumine
that the election plank of the republi-
can state platform will be honestly
carried OuD, to solicit funds for a
political campaign, to lobby in the
state legislature or in any way work
for the passage of the bills or for their
defeat The bill provides a penalty
or fine of from $1,000 to $4,000 or i'm
prlsCnment in Jail not to exceed one
year. Assemblyman Whitson Of Tomar
hawk introduced d bill which if enact.
ed into law will create state Jobs to
the aggregate of $4,000 a year. The
bill also creates the department of
vital statistics and creates the office
OF vital Statistician. This officer is
to be appointed by the state board OF
health and he is to receive a salary of
81 500. Assemblyman H. l.. Ekern OF
introduced a bill which
has for it's purpose the eliminating Of
all party politics from campaigns for
school officers as we'll as for Judge
ships. The bill makes it unlawful
for candidates names to- be placed OH
election pallOts as the nominees of any
political party. To allow cities to
establish and maintain lighting plants
for the purpose of furnishing lights
for mercial purposes in COMPETE
ton with private lighting plants is the
purpose of bill introduced by Assem-
blyman E. w. Evans. The part
of the statute which the bill would re-
peal states that no city shall at any
time establish a lighting plant to do
privte lighting in competition with the
plants of private corporations or
private individuals. The only method
by which a city can establish a light
ing plant under the present law is to
plants already existing in
the city.