Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-12-14
LA TOILETTE TO SENATE.
Governor Accepts Toga and De-
livers His Message.
SCORES THE RAILWAYS.
Wants Insurance Investigation, Readjust,
ment of County Tax Valuations
and New Election Laws.


nouncment read his long message.
Many Recommendations.
This recommends strict laws to COM
pei the railways to pay taxes levied by
the state, they to have redress If they
win in the courts; insurance inyestiga-
ton; strengthening Of the anu-pass and
capitol commission laws; tax commission
10 be empowered to readjust the assessed
valuation of counties; ballots that will
make voters choose individually, not for
party candidates, and other matters.
The Capitol Building.
. 1t is in part as follows:
OF the several acts requiring revision
at your hands, one Of the most important
is chapter SIC, laws of 1905. 1t purports
TO provide for the erection Of capitol
building by sections, as the needs OF the
state may require. Examination of this
act makes it plain that several Of the i'm
portant features Of the law prescribing
Che powers and duties Of the commission
ARE Of very uncertain meaning and nee
essarily require construction. Nothing
should be left to conjecture or be IN
Folved in uncertainty. The question was
raised in the commission as to whether
the matter might not be permitted to lie
over until the regular biennial session or
The Legislature in January, 1907. This,
however, was dismissed as untenabie, Tor
the reason that the act itself was COM
mand of the Legislature upon the com
mission to proceed as soon as the condl-
fions imposed upon the city OF Madison
had been complied with.
Strictly construed, the third section
confines this commission to the adoption
of one of the plans presented by the COM
Deting architects, and seems to enforce
upOn them the duty of proceeding to
build in accordance with such plan with
out material change might lead to the
construction of a building far from the
best which could be obtained for the
same expenditure of money-the imme-
diate needs of the state for capital
building. The room space would be en-
tirely inadequate.
The space allotted, including approach
es, is not more than is required for floor
space. Anything short of that space
would be inadequate. o
Section 4 appropriates the sum OF SlO,-
900 or so much thereof as may be neces-
sary in procuring O plan for a new COM
petition for q state capitol. If the plans
submitted in competition were merely
sketches and drawings the amount appro-
Driated would be ample to secure the
necessary competition and pay for the
sketch or plan adopted by the commits
sion. In addition thereto the working
cured. The usual charge for this, the
commission is advised, is 49, per cent.
Section Z of act authorizes the con-
etruction of one section on the westerly
side of the present building with a Gu
bcal space of not to exceed 100000
feet, and a second section, as we'll, pro-
Tided the two shall not include more
than 100000 cubcal feet. If this au-
ThOrizcd structure cost the maximum
amount per cubic foot named i'll the act,
the total expense of erecting the one
wing would be 100000, and for the two
wings $1,320,000. This would make the
cost of working plans and detail draw
ingS for the one wing, $4,000, and for
the two. $40 200. The question has been
raised as to whether there is any appro-
lrlatiOn which could be drawn upon to
} ct this charge.
,Therc should be nothing in the act for
{ commission or the court to construe.
e Leg.Sla ture should make it all so
iHitc and certain that there will be no
.:sioa to question its meaning.
Railroad Rate Commission Law.
! recommend amendments to chapter
862 of the laws of 1905 in the following
respects:
The commission should be authorized
TO prescribe a uniform system of keeping
accounts of business transacted i'll Wis
consin by carriers and other persons and
corporations amenable to said chapter
3G2, and such carriers and corporations
should be required to file with the COM
mission, whenever required by it, reports
of their income from operation from in
ira state business as distinguished from
snter state business, and the expense of
conducting intra state business for any
designated period; and these reports
should be given in such detail and in
such manner as the commission shall
prescribe.
| would recommend an amendment ex-
pressly permitting the sale of tickets at
teduced rates to companies of the Wis
conSln National guard when attending
the state encampment, inmates OF sol
dlers' homes, students in going to and re
turning from educational institutions
and bona tide homeseekers, provided.
however, that such tickets may be sold
without discrimination as between per-
sons or classes applying therefor under
like circumstances and conditions.
In this connection | would also recon-
mend that the exceptions enumerated in
section be enlarged so as to permit
railroad companies to issue free trans
portation to former employees disabled in
che service and to members of their fam
tiles, and also to the members of families
of deceased employees.
! recommend that subdivision of sec
zion u, chapter 362, be so amended as to
give the commission power in express
terms to investigate on it's own motion at
the same hearing, any or all of the rates
upon n given commodity or class of
freight upon a line of railroad from sta
tons designated by the commission
l recommend that the law be so amend
ed as to authorize the commission to pre-
scribe reasonable regulations in refer
ence to dangerous grade crossings.
Railroad Taxes.
After escaping their just taxation for
many years, the railroads violated their
promises, and refused to paw the in
creased amount found by the tax com
mission to be due. They then brought
suit again the state to enjoin the collec-
ton of the tax. Beaten in the circuit
court, they have appealed to the supreme
court of the state, and announce their
determination to protract the litigation
by ultimately carrying their cases to the
supreme court of the United States.
The railroad taxes now due the state
and tied up in this litigation amount to
the large sum of 81 Liza, $1,000. I believe
that legislation can be framed which will
compel the railroads as condition
precedent to this right to go into court al
all, to first pay the taxes assessed
against their properties. The state has
already authorized the railroad com
panies to sue and recover any unjust OF
unlawful taxes levied and collected from
them. This should be a sufficient pro
lection to their interests.
Authority of Tax Commission.
Your attention is called to manifest de
fects i'll the statutes governing the &C
tons of the tax commission in determin
ing the valuation of the general propert!
of the state.
All doubt in the present law as to TIN
authority of the commission to asses
the property not upon the local tax rolls
should be removed. But it is manifest,
unjust that the commission, when in
Al e &bo