Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-01-18
Assembly Committees Ap-
pointed and Bills Are
Pouring In.
new PROPOSALS BY GOVERNOR
Gave Data to Prove Need of
Railway Commission s.~.e
with Powers.
Civil Service To Be Pushed-Taxation
Scheme for Telephone and Tel.
egraph Companies in
the State.

Madison. Wis, Jan. 1.-THE legis-
lature will get down to work this week
for the committees on both sides are
appointed and the introduction of hills
may begin The two days of last week
were devoted to getting down to bust
ness. In the senate Lieutenant Gov
ernor Davidson made his speech OF
welcome, and Senator McGilliyray. who
for the third time was chosen preslo-
Ing officer, (when Mr.. Davidson is all
sent). thanked the senate. Both the
gentlemen are administration men. and
there was vein of reform legislation
in what they said The lieutenant gov
ernor has large general store at Sol
diers Grove, in the Kickapoo valley,
and Mae. as he is popularity called. is
an architect and contractor at Black
River Falls, where "Bill'' Price. long
dead land whose son. succeeding the
father in congress. passed away few
days ago) did his work, and the home
Of Byran I. Castle of the land Office
who is one Of the best campaign talk
ers in these parts
Services Run into Third Term.
A senator's term 10 for tive sessions
Or four years. and Mr.. McGillivray is
cne OF the few whose service runs into
q third term, which when concluded
makes twelve years. This is also true
or Julius e. Roehr Of Milwaukee.
chairman OF the committee on banking
and insurance Senator Stout and
Whitehead are also on their third term.
The Blue Book shows the term of serv-
Ice. and IL is somewhat surprising to
note how few have served six sessions
or more (until about twenty years 60
the sessions were annual. Here is the
further list of those honored by six
sessions service in the senate-most or
them are now dead or retired from
life: Blair Of Waukesha, William n.
Ainer. Fond du Lack: Lemuel w.
Joiner iowa county: William Ken
nedy Appleton: ~ NJ. Littlejohn.
Whitewater; Joseph Rankin. Manito-
voc: George Reed. Manitowoc: Will
fam W. Reed Jefferson: John A. Rice.
Merton. Waukesha: Hamilton Richard
son. GAINESVILLE: Adam Schantz. Addi-
son. Washington county; Frederick
Van Schaick, Denison Worthington.
Frederick A. Horn Of Cedarburg
served five sessions. one Of which was
in 1913 and the other forty-five years
later-1S93. Satterlee Clark Of Hori-
con served eleven sessions. yet the new
generation does not know the name.
r. j.. Davis Of Middleton. Dane county.
served eight sessions: Thomas r. Hudd
of Appleton seven sessions: lyman
Morgan. Orankee. ten sessions: VIII
lam T. Price. Plack River Fails. sew
en- sessions: Thomas r. Scott. Grand
Rapids. ten sessions. We would lie
wiser in Wisconsin to longer keep pub
lie officers in service. for thus they ac-
quire experience and confidence. The
new primary law has the effect Of per-
petuating men in office. If they be
worthy. But if serious charges be
lodged against a congressman. for in
stance. the voters have a remedy at
hand under either system.
The Governors Message.
Few governors can make a long mes
sage so interesting in delivery as Gov
ernOr LaFOllette. and once more the
remarkable spectacle of holding a big
audience for three hours was enacted.
He brought forward some new issues.
n n IN IF fn1
telephone companies al valorem. as are
the railway companies The plan is
to 60 out and value the plants. as one
would a house and lot: and the gov
ernOr had page after page of figures
to show the work that had been done
in an accounting way. Life insurance
taxation was given much attention.
Nothing is more important. however.
than the proposed Introduction Of civil
service which means that state. coun-
ty and city officials would take thei~
positions only after strict examina-
tfons, as IL the Roosevelt idea.
course. the plan 10 In operation In
Washington. but New York and Massa-
chusetts are the only states where the
thing is done in earnest The system
would apply to the state institutions.
As to railroads. the governor touches
on excessive rates. determinations i'm
favor of individuals. corporations and
places. He quoted rate sheets of this
and neighboring states
Other Matters Recommended.
Other matters in the message are the
recommendations for the continuance
of the state tax commission as a per-
manent branch of the public service:
the taxation of telephone companies.
nearly doubling the present tax if as
sessed on the same basis as are rail
roads assessed; the taxation Of foreign
life insurance companies on the same
basis as domestic companies are taxed.
regardless of ''retaliatory" taxation of
Wisconsin companies in other states
Reference is made to better protection
for employees and further antitrust
legislation. AS to incompetent and I'm.