Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-03-03
LEGISLATIVE INFORMA=
TION FROM MADISON

L
last week in the legislature was the
hearing before the committee or
capitol and grounds on the selection
OF Cdss Gilbert, the New York man
as architect of new capitol or the
reconstruction of the old one.
For three hours aud half a dense
crowd OF spectators. including officials
and Others prominent in capital
life, listened To arguments, of lawyers,
architects, supreme judges and Others
on this important measure Even
Governor La Toilette took part.
The principal argument of the two
| Milwaukee architects and their
supporters was that the plans of
Architect Gilbert did not follow out
the specifications laid down in the
program as prepared by the capitol
commission. They claimed that
where the ground floor space was not
to exceed 10000 square feet Mr. Gil
bert's plans provided for 7O,0Ot feet
of space. This, they pointed out, was
only one of numerous instances in
which Mr.. Gilbert had not followed
the program, whereas the Milwaukee
architects had drawn their plans to
accord with every specification SO far
as possible.
Justices Marshall and WinSlow
defended the decision of Expert
Architect EameS, of st. Louis, and
the capitol commission favoring the
Gilbert plans, and the further recon-
mendation of the capitol and grounds
commission that Mr.. Gilbert be
employed to plan and supervise the
construction of new Capitol.
The hearing ended with an i'm
FASHIONABLE speech by Senator Nc
Gillivary on the difference between
Mr.. Gilbert'S plans and the Specitica-
tionS in the program prepared by the
commission. The speaker said that
DIS near Dis he could compute, the new
capitol, II prepared according to the
Gilbert pians, would cost, before COM
-pieted, $l5,OO0,OOO.
The railway bill is making slow
progress, but it will be further
considered this week in committee.
A number of the railway companies
will be heard through their attorneys.
There will be stirring times this
Waak in tho nf ha
insurance bills introduced. H. G.
Fricke, former insurance COM
missioner Of Wisconsin, will appear
before legislative committees in
behalf of couple of big eastern
insurance companies, against the
passage of stringent legislation aimed
to curb the power of these and other
companies in this state.
The assembly committee for
indefinite pUStpOnement the bill
making mayors Of cities members of
The board of education, without power
to vote, but with veto power.
The committee on manufactures
introduced a bill authorizing cities to
order oil tanks 10 be kept outside of
of the city limits.
The assembly committee on manu-
factures decided to recommend for
indefinite pGStpOnement number Of
bills introduced by social democratic
members of Milwaukee, aiming to
effect radical improvements in the
hours and work of labOrerS in various
industries. This decision was reached
after spirited argument along
socialiStic lines, in which the rights
of the labOring men was the principal
theme.
The following bills we're killed:
Making election DAY legal holiday;
relating to county lax for old soldiers:
relating to tax on gifts, Inheritance,
etc; making Abraham Lincoln'S
| birthday legal holiday
The first hearing of the North
patent medicine bill will be held this
Tuesday afternoon This measure,
No. 108S.. provides that list or the
ingredients contained in each patent
medicine shall be printed on label
on each tO.tle. Several lmrortant
F, interests in the state are opposed to
the bill. including the patent medicine
companies. wholesale and retail drug
gist and newspapers. One Of the vital
arguments against the measure is
| that the manufacturers. of these
medicines would have to make public
the formulas for concocting their
medicines, for which many have paid
| fortunes or which are the result of
years of experiment. The passage of
the bill, it is claimed, would uiti-
mately result in a complete with
drawal Of patent medicine business
| from the state,
| Gov. La Toilette will take his time
in qualifying aS United States senator
| He has stated that he will continue
Ii in the executive office until the
legislature is through with it's work
ii. s. FAIRALL.