The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-02-24

/
icine The editors are. as a rule,
against it. and d resolution to that eff
| feet was adopted.
The Biggest Bill of All.
The Hatten railway bill is the recos-
nized administration measure and as
J it becomes familiar is being discussed
| freely. Some are frank to say it is
| too radical-indeod, they call it the
most radical system ever proposed III
| a state: and all admit that it will be
changed in the course of passage.
| The feeling is that some commission
will be set up-and possibly an ap-
pointiye commission. now that APP
prevail by both branches of the legls-
| lature is conceded: but the question
of the powers to be conferred on this
| triumvirate is the uncertainty 1t IS
not forgotten that i'll many states III
| the course of time railway commits
sions are apt to pass into the hands OF
railway influences; land if power lodges
! in the commission rather than in the
| law itself. it might even happen that
| the commission would become an
agency of oppression. The bill per-
mits the commission to make differ
entail rates. in it's attempt to meet
i existing conditions, and some urge
that there is danger here.
Senator Hatten points out that the
commission shall have the power to
fix rates, not that it shs Il be their
duty to do so. He adds: ''The es-
sence of the whole bill is this: The
railroads are to make their own rates
and classifications, as now, and the
commission is to act as an arbitrator,
citing a company to appear and after
a hearing. correcting OF approving OF
a rate which had been thought to be
unjust, as the case may be-
Senator Hatten is not understood as
insisting on this or any bill; it is adj
mitted the auction is big one The
senate is constituted in a way to pass
a reasonable measure, but not more.
What may happen is, that the as
sembly will demand drastic meas
ure and the whole issue be left in the
air in order that ambitious men may
'go to the people"
The railroads have troubles enough
apart from this bill. Never. were
there more bills, big and little, de-
signed to correct points Of manage
ment. rates of fares, labor matters,
etc, than the railway representatives
have to talk out in committee this
year.
Damages for Injuries.
The laboring man IS looking for
more favorable law as regards recov-
cry in case of injury and the many
bills involving negligence actions indi-
cate that this legislature is regarded
as favorable The co-emplOye bill in
terests the engineers, who have Frank
w. Hall, the Madison attorney, at
work on it. Contributory negligence,
under which principle the employe
thinks he is too often shut out from
recovery of damages, is in peril, GER
tainly as complete defense set up by,
the employer, the jury being empow-
cred by some of the bills to determine
who was most to blame, and the dam
ages being figured out on that basis.
The bill to exempt from the cOllec-
ton of debts to the extent of $15 a
week is a measure which the retail
grocers of the state are contrasting.
The Socialists, as the champion of the
wOrkngman, make it their business
to further bills of this sort. This eff
fort to make the law shield in the
matter of bad debts is forever a sub
ject of legislation. This year there is
new phase in the attempt of the
blacksmith to be awarded lien on
the horse which he shoes until the bill
for the job is paid for. The builder of
a house has legal claim of this sort
and all along the line there is natur
ally desire to be protected.
University Ambitions.
The bill providing for the support
and improvement of the university is
introduced. Contrary to the old plan,
the new bill provides that two-fifth
mill tax be levied on all the taxable
property of the state for the support
of the university. President Van Hise
believes that this tax will be sufficient
to provide for all the future needs of
the growing IIIStllutlOH. II VI a HuuI-
Der OF years the university authorities
have gone to the legislature each SEES
sion and asked for $265,OO0 for annual
expenses and special appropriations
! for eachnew improvement. The change
Of system of appropriation was made
when Judge Philo Orion was In the
assembly, his idea being that by
biennial call for funds, the relation
between university and the people
would be more sensitive. The uni
versity people. of course. do not relish
this periodic attack on the legislature.
1t isn't pleasant to have to beg and
brag about how much the experiment
station has saved the state, etc. "A
sum automatically raised by taxation
and increasing with the prosperity Of
the state, is more reasonable and con-
genial. say the university people
Smashing the Trusts.
There will be more or less doing
no inst 1.-The trusts in this legislature.