Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-06-07
SENATE BEGINS
HOUSE CLEANING
STARTS TO DISPOSE OF NEARLY
300 BILLS.
GOVERNOR DEMONSTRATES
Executive Urges That Legislation Be
Enacted to Compel Railroads to
Produce Books to SHOW Rebates,
in Litigation for Recovery of Al
legged Unpaid Taxes.
Madison, June ?

Madison, June 2.
a strong special executive message
on the subject of providing machinery
for the recovery Of the $4,000 and
more due in back taxes from the rail-,
road companies, a veto message re-
turning bill to make an ill-adviseu
loan from the state funds, vigorous
debate on the policy OF the state
making valuable grants for water
powers for private use and gain ana
the beginning of debate on the pro
posal to restrict corporations in their
attempts TO influence and dominate
politics, were the features OF specias
interest at the first housekeeping SEES
sion of the senate Thursday morning.
Many Bills Killed.
All the remaining bills had been re.
ported the night before and the SEN
ate calendar was in two sections, one
containing some 10 bills and the
other about 100 others. The most
effective piece of housekeeping was
the adoption OF a motion by which Ii
senate bills were indefinitely post
poned. Among those were the Freal
bill TO require the railroads of the
state to establish the block system 50
as to lessen the PROBABILITY OF ac-
~idnntc tho NrhjtabeoJ biII ~ .~ao,,i,,
that certain promissory notes specify
the consideration for which they were
given, the Frear bill to perpetuate in
office the staff officers OF the state
militia, two capitol repair bills, mum,
Der Of fish and game measures the
meritorious provisions of which are
supposed to be incorporated in the
general fish and game provision bin,
and a number of duplicates of as.
sembly measures that have been acted
upon.
Message from Governor.
The message from Governor La
Toilette concerning the recovery OF
railroad taxes expressed surprise THAI
the senate committee had reported the
assembly bill for Inconvenience.
The bill requires the defendant cor
porations to produce the books ana
records which show the accounts of
their rebates and other repayments to
shippers and other items not reported
in their sworn statements of gross
earnings, upon which omitted items
taxes we're payable but not paid. The
governor expresses the assurance that
the committee did not act in full
pos ession Of the reasons for this
legis lation and he presents the facts
legal and otherwise why such a bill
should be passed in order to protect
the rights of he state Atsas go
The capitol bill was a special order
for 1920 but was laid over until 2:30
in the afternoon.
Against Bad Loan.
The governor also sent back the
bill TO authorize a loan from the
state to the Light Infantry company az
Ashland, being the bill introduced by
Senator Wilcox The reasons OF the
executive for Withholding his ap,
proval Oh this measure were stated as
the Insecure ana unwise character OF
the loan, the fact that a previous loan
of the same kind had not even haG
the interest paid upon it, and the gen
eral reason that it is bad pubic
policy to authorize such loans.
Frear Opposes Rich Grants.
Senator Frear made somewhat
lengthy objections to several bills to
authorize the construction OF dams at
various places. He argued that he
was opposed to the granting by the
Legislature of valuable franchises ana
rights permanently without the in
terests of the state being protected.
He said that estimates placed the
value of such rights granted in the
past at SIS, 100000 and that nothing
was paid for them to- the state. He
said the provision in these bills, ito
improve the navigation" was simply
a subterfuge, that me purpose of the
bills was to grant to private parties
aud corporations valuable rights ana
the power Of eminent domain for their
own private use and profit and not fol
public good. He declared that the
interest Upon the values given away
in this manner would be about $4,000
600, more than the taxes paid by all
the railrQad property.
Build Up the State.
Senators Sanborn and McGilliyray
replied that these granted rights had
onerated vaiuably to build mp the sta,e
and increase its wealth and pros
perity. They said the building oil
these dams had assisted wonderfully
III improving the navigation of streams
for the purpose OF making possible
the floating AID running of logs from
the forests 70 the mills and that tue
water powers had cost the state moth
ing, that the state really had NO
property insterest in the dams or the
dana privileges and that the water
powers, while they were rich grants
to the persoas and corporations re-
ceiving them were most effective in
attracting capital 10 the state. when
capital was scarce and most needed.
that they caused the building up OF
large industrial systems and made
cities and prosperous towns.
Some of the dam bills on the cal
endar for advancement were passed
under suspension of the rules. Sen
ator Hudnau warned the members,
however. that he was not going to re,
main silent if there was a disposition
rr-s-g