River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-12-27

investigating committee, to be con-
sidered by the next session of the
legislature, among other important
the taxation of trust companies, an
other to erect a part of the university
at Platteville in the way of a college
of mining, a system of state insurance,
like that advocated by Governor
Broward, of Florida, and a measure
requiring chauffeurs. operating tour
ing cars of more than 25 horse power,
to take out license which will cost
500. These proposeu measures and
many more have been suggested by
legislators who are daily visiting the
capital At the present time the state
requires trust companies to pay a
license fee of $500 annually and a
tax of three per cent on their net
income. The measure will provide for
the taxation of these companies on the
basis of banks-capitaliza and
stock invested. The bill is the result
of agitation on the part of the bank
ers, who allege they have been dis
eliminated against. One of the mem
bers from the southern part of the
state will ask for large appropriation
to erect college of mining at Platte
vile, which will be ranked as part
of the state university. This proposal
promises to meet with bitter opposi-
ton at the hands of the university,
whose officials have always suggested
that such a measure would destroy
the present concentration and would
ultimately lead to the disintegration
of the whole university system. The
plan suggested has been tried in Mich
igan and Colorado and been success
full, although on the other side it is
asserted the results have not been as
great as at Columbia where the whole
university has been held intact. Be-
sides the fight for system Of state
insurance, which is backed largely
by the socialists, one of the greater
contests will be over the taxation of
insurance companies. The companies
want the present system changed to
the taxation of surplus. 1t has been
so difficult task to define what sur
plus" is that in all probability large
number of the legislators will stand
by an ad valorem system of taxation
suggested in previous message by
Senator La Toilette.
A contest is promised between the
Bell telephone company and the indie
pendent lines. The railroad rate COM
mission compels the railroad company
to carry the cars of another company
over it's lines at a reasonable charge,
and on the same assumption the Bell
company will ask the state to lend it's
assistance in compelling the independ
ent line to connect with the Bell to
give the public better service. The
labor commission will ask for re-
vision of the child labor law, claim
ing that as the measure stands many
of the clauses are contradictory.
The civil service commission will ask
slight changes in the merit law which
will lead to closer and more accu-
rate classification Of positions in the
capitol and the bureau of vital stats
tics connected with the state board of
health, will ask for a more efficient
law for the reporting of deaths and
births, with detailed information. A
heavy fine will be provided for all
who refuse to obey the provisions of
the law.
The agitation for good roads and the
proposed change in the system of city
and county government at Milwaukee
will bring the solons face to face with
the question of a constitutional con-
vention. The state is unable to give
assistance to internal Improvements
under the constitution and Milwaukee
cannot change the system of city and
county government from the uniform
plan" The increased demand for the
passage of these measures will lead
to the Introduction of resolution for
calling a convention. Several of the
members have already given encour-
agement to such an idea.
The socialists will again urge the
8-hour day law, especially as applied
to labor on public works and persons
engaged in the telegraph service and
train dispatching. A bill lowering the
wage exemptions will be introduced
and another providing for the initia-
tive and referendum. The increased
death rate from tuberculosis has re-
suited in the drafting of a measure
for the careful inspection of sweat
shops and tenement houses. 1t is
possible, as suggested in the measure,
to lessen the evils by giving police
powers to factory inspectors or some
medical officers to carry on tuber-
cular inspection wherever the rate
seems high. The measure is drafted
on much the same lines as the Massa-
chusetts law.
1t is also proposed to inspect cattle
for tuberculosis at state expense and
to compel cheese factories and cream
cries to heat the by-products as whey