Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-05-05
WISCONSIN SOLONS.

Without dissenting voice the Senate
on Thursday confirmed the nominations
IF Harvey Clark as member of the board
of control and L. d. Spencer as member
Of the State board of health. The ad va
loren taxation bin. 600 A. with several
amendments, making the bill almost iden-
teal with the measure emanating from
the tax commission. was concurred in by
Senate without & dissenting voice. The
Milwaukee school teachers pension bill
was withdrawn in the Senate this morn
ing by Senator Reukema by unanimous
consent. The motion TO reconsider the
vote by which the Assembly killed the
bin aboEishing contributory negligence as
a defense in personal injury cases
brought out sharp debate. The As
sembly refused, At TO 43, TO reconsider
the vote killing the bill. The vote BY
which the Assembly concurred in the
Senate amendment to the marriage Ii
cense law allowing judges fee of 81 for
issuing order setting aside the hve-day
limitation. was reconsidered and the bill
sent to the Judiciary committee on motion
of Mr.. Cady, who said some errors had
been found in the amendment.
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The report of the Assembly 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 that the
Assembly members of the committee
were unwilling to accept any compromise
which did not seek to secure the cleo
ton of the next Legislature under a pri-
mary system. Attention is called to
the fact that no proposition was offered
by the Senate eonferees on the bill and
that 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
islature. 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
aud their sale to pupils at cost, was in
definitely postponed by vote OF Al to
Al. Nine bills were passed. The Sen.
ale ooRcurred in eleven Assembly bills.
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The Governor sent two 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 a 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 reQuirs
ed by the statutes. He recommends that
n new bill be introduced. The second
veto related to the bill authorizing courts
to take judicial notice of the public acts
of Congress and the statutes of other
States. 1t would result in great confuc
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 l.
met without doing any business.
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The Fleming bill, providing for the
purchase by Thomas ]. Fleming of lands
adjoining the State fair grounds, pur-
chased from him by the State, but in
which he still claims an equity, was UP
in the Assembly Tuesday morning fog
advancement to third reading. 1t was
advanced by a vote of 81 10 30. The
Benson school bill, providing for the
compilation of text books by the State
superintendent, end 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 As to
81, and after brief debate the bill was
sent to the claims committee. The bill
raising the Attorney Generals salary
from $4,000 to 5000 was passed, amend
ed to require that officer and his assist
ants to devote their entire time to the
duties of the Office. The bill appropriate
ing $1,074S2 to the Portage levee com
missioners, ]. E. Jones, Byron Kinnear
and J. Powers, for expenses under the
levee law, declared unconstitutional by
the Supreme Court, was passed-ayes
SO, noes IS. The Senate got through 4
good deal of routine work.
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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 bill providing for
which, favorably reported by comnittee,
is a special order in the Assembly Thur
day. The message consists in the main
of 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 rhe
main arguments of the 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 constitu-
tional convention to vote on an amend
ment to the federal constitution provid-
ing for election of United States Senators
by direct vote of the people was concur
red in by the Assembly, 60 to %. There
was little debate; none in opposition.