Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-12-12

sage to the special session of the Legis-
lature today and just before the an
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 anti-pass and
capitol commission laws; tax commission
to be empowered TO readjust the assessed
valuation of counties; ballots that will
make voters choose individually, not for
Marty 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 SIG, laws of 1908. 1t purports
to provide for the erection of a capitol
building by sections, as the needs of the
state may require. Examination of this
act makes it plain that several of the mn
portant features Of the law prescribing
the 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
Yolved 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 OF
the Legislature in January, 1907. Ihls,
however, was dismissed as untenable, for
the reason that the act itself was COM
mand of the Legislature upon the COM
mission to proceed as soon as the condl-
tons 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
peting 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 1mme-
date 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.
Section 4 appropriates the sum OF $lO,-
600 or so much thereof as may be neces-
sary in procuring plan for a new COM
petition for a state capitol. If the plans
submitted in competition were merely
sketches and drawings the amount appro-
priated 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
plans and detailed drawings must be Sc
cured, The usual charge for this, the
commission is advised, is 312 per cent.
Section Z of act authorizes the con
struction of one section on the westerly
side of the present building with a Gu
bical space of not to exceed 2.OOO,OOO
feet, and a second section, as well, pro-
vided the two shall not include more
than 100000 cubical feet If this au-
thorized structure cost the maximum
amount per cubic foot named in the act,
the total expense of erecting the one
wing would be SS00.000, and for the two
W ings 81 ,320,0O0. This would make the
cost of working plans and detail draw
ings for the one wing, $4,000, and for
the two, S46,200, The question has been
raised as to whether there is any apprO-
priation which could be drawn upon to
meet this charge.
There should be nothing in the act for
the commission or the court to construe.
The Legislature should make it all so
definite and certain that there will be no
occasion to question it's meaning.
Railroad Rate Commission Law.
| recommend amendments to chapter
362 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
362, 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
inter 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
l would recommend an amendment eX-
pressly permitting the sale of tickets at
reduced rates to companies of the Wis
cOnsin National guard when ATTENDING
the state encampment, inmates of sol
diers' homes, students in going to ard ra
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 s be enlarged so as to permit
railroad companies to issue free trans
pOrtatiOn to former employees disabled in
the service and to members of their fam
lilies, and also to The members of families
of deceased employees.
| recommend that subdivision b of see
ton u, chapter 362, be so amended as to
give the commission power in express
terms to investigate on its own motion ut
the same hearing, any or all of the rates
upon a given commodity or class of
freight upon a line of railroad from sta
tons designated by the commission.
! 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 pay the in
creased amount found by the tax COM
mission to be due. They then brought
suit again the state to enjoin the coliec-
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 S1144. 1890. | believe
that legislation can be framed which will
compel the railroads as condition
precedent to this right to go into court at
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 or
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 in the statutes governing the ac-
tons of the tax commission IN determIn-
ing the valuation Of the geS aral property
Of the state.
All doubt in the present law as to the
authority of the commission to assess
the property not upon the local tax rolls
should be removed. But it is manifestlv
unjust that the commission, when in
creasing the valuation of the property of
the state should, by so doing, impose ad-
ditional burdens upon classes of property