The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-03-03

Il lily Years ago Ill WIS lHc pEdCllCe OIL
these companies to divide it's surplus
every few years and the legislature
passed the present law in order to en-
coura &c companies to secure a surplus
and SO strengthen themselves The
fear then was that the companies
would become too weak and not too
strong.
Attorney General Sturdevant will
endeavor to open up the case again,
though it is something that a supreme
court rarely does. The case has at
tracted national attention. Everybody
feels that these big cor 0panies need
looking into although down east the
point mostly raised is that their mil
lions and even billions of assets may
and do exert too much power in the
world Of investment and speculation.
ReoairS Nor - New Capitol
The latest phase in the new capitol
building agitation is a disposition to
cut out 'he proposed new edifice and
patch M the present building. Sen
ator Smith of Green Lake county, has
AZ ''''' ~ ~ LIlS ciItt anu 1IOl
few MADISON people approve it. as they
conceive that thus this question of
possible removal might be squelched.
The north ard south wings and the
dome Of the present building are CON
coded to l'e beautiful. even by artists.
and by building higher and building
anew tie east and west wings. prac-
tically ruined by the fire, q present
able and adequate structure could be
effected that would last for twenty
yea :. But some of the most influential
men Of the Legislature believe that the
time has come for a new structure.
They want it done right and want Cass
Gilbert TO be i'm charge. The commits
sion. including Supreme Justices Mar
shall and Wins1Ow and Governor La
Toilette met all Corners In the public
hearing along this line. 1t was unusal
to see wearers of the ermine meeting
plain citizens on a plane and getting
a crack now and then in the joint de-
bate. and it is likely enough that SUI
preme court judges will be missing OH
the commission finally in charge of the
erection or the rehabilitation Of a
statehouse.
Brides Must Re Advertised.
Marriage bills always attract inter-
est and the measure designed to make
instantaneous unions possible is far
ing hard. although it came from the
assembly judiciary committee favor
ably The present law compelling five
days notice was passed to remedy the
scandal caused by "whaleback" mar
riages in Milwaukee. In the good old
days that steamer brought a process
sion of young people (some of whom it
was said never met until they boarded
the craft to the doors of a certain
parsonage in Milwaukee. These mar
riages not unfrequently turned out I'M
happily with newspaper explorations;
and the present plan of compelling a
man and woman who wish to wed in
Wisconsin to file notice of intention
with the county clerk five days in adj
vance OF the ceremony was enacted.
~ There is bill to permit counties as
such to vote mo license" which is re
ceiving attention. The brewing in
legisla ture. made up in considerable
part of earnest people from small
towns. affords the most favorable
arena for reform measures that the
state has known in late years. 1t is
urged. with some show of reason, that
I,o &1n 70 Of
county in a majority to saddle mo
license" on large city within the
county where the sentiment might be
adverse. But the bill to permit resi-
dents of wards or of any given dis
trict to vote out saloons savOrs strong
Of home rule. ever popular cry with
Americans.
Limiting Work to 65 Hours Week
1t seems strange to ask for such
law when men generally work only
sixty hours per week. and in many
trades only forty-eight. But over A.
900 employees in Wisconsin work in
factories. where conditions are such
that they are willing to work sixty-five
hours per week. but are compelled to
work from eighty-twO to eighty-fOur
hours per week on the average, many
working 102 hours each alternate
week. though the laws of Australia
limit similar work to from forty eight
to fifty-two hours per week.
A large part of their employers
would gladly grant their request, if all
eOmDetitOrS did likewise MANY did
so for two years. In one large factory
careful account proved that they
manufactured as much goods in these
two years as in the previous two years
with the same number of men work
ing seventy-two hours per week. Yet
because they agreed to resume the long
hour schedule. unless all. other like
mills, reduced their timesto >sixty-eight
hours. they were compelled ito fulfill
their contract to their own serious
damage.
The ONLY way to protect the en-