Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-06-05
REGULATION MEASURE COMES
INTO ASSEMBLY.
USE DEPRECIATION FUND
One Restriction Cut Out of Bill-Tele
phone Companies May Build Com
petine or Duplication Systems-MiI-
waukee Common Council Bill
Causes a Wordy Difference.
Mad son. May 80.

assembly reported Tor passage the
public utility bill, providing for supe..
vision of public utilities by the state
railroad commission. Water, power.
heating, lighting and telegraph com
panes are included within the provls
ions of the measure recommended ~
the committee.
In It's essential provisions the bin
reported by the committee differs lit
tie from the original Leroy bill CrI
from the substitute, ia the prepaia-
ton of which + NJ. Thomas and c. F.
Stout played a prominent part, togett
er with Chairman Leroy. None cf the
important differences embodied n the
democrat substitute is adopted by the
committee in its bill
One OF the material changes in the
new bill is an additional provisioA to
allow public utility companies to make
use of their depreciation fund to make
extensions and improve their plants.
Another provision gives the commits
sion the power to say on whom costs
are to be taxed in the case of hearings
and disputes The commission may
tax the public utility company with
the costs or it may direct that such
costs shall be paid by the state.
The section relating to uniform ac-
counting is retained but from it are
eliminated all specific provisions, so
that now the law simply provides FOR
a uniform system of accounting with
ont attempting to make any detailed
provisions as to what that system shall
De
Though telephone companies are
included in the operations of this bill,
the section relating to duplication of
service does not apply to them feie.
graph companies are to be regulated
in accordance with the terms of a
separate bill which will be reported In
shortly
The Anderson bill relating to th}
hours of labor of railroad employees
, came up for engrossment, but when
an amendment had been offered by
Mr. Thompson the bill was laid, over
until next week. The amendment
provides for an eight-hour day for
telegrahers The original bill pro-
vides for 10 hours of consecutive rest
after 16 consecutive hours on duty
for railroad employees, and for eight
hours of consecutive rest after an ag.
gregate of l6 hours on duty in every
! q hours. The original bill reguiat.
ed the hours of telegraphers by estab-
! fishing nine hours as the working
day in places open day and night, and
, IS hours in places open only during
the day.
The J. O. Thomas bill to reduce the
rates allowed newspapers for the pub
! LEGATION of notices of election was
ordered to engrossment after an
amendment establishing the old rate
was adopted The bin now simply
provides that such notices shall not
be published more than four times
Reporters Get Raise.
The assembly concurred in the sen-
ate amendment to the bill creating the
Office OF state fire marshal The
amendment provides that no expense
shall deyolye upon the state TO sup
port this office and that it shall le
supported entirely by tax on the
premiums of fire insurance companies
| The vote on the bill to increase tue
pay OF circuit court reporters was re.
considered by the assembly The
bill mad been killed, but after strong
speeches by Mr. Elyer and Mr., Ban
croft in behalf of the reporters tho
asserlbly reconsidered received an
amendment which raises the pay from
81, 900 a year to $500. and laid the
| bin over until next week.
| The transportation committee or
dered for killing the reciprocal denur
age resolution It recommends for
passage the bill to compel railroad
companies to print the value OF every
ticket upon the face Of the ticket
Assemblyman Thompson offered a
, joint resolution which provides for
the naturalization Of all trusts.
Several new bills came in. One
provides that counties may levy a
two-mill instead of merely a u mill
tax for road building Another pc =
| mits counties to raiHe the pay OF su.
/ pervisors- of assessment from 81 to
S6 per day A third provides that
the value Of the bank building shall
be deducted in assessing the stocAs
OF banks, provided that not more than
onefourth Of the value Of the stocks
| is thus deducted
Fight Among milwaukeesns.
The Roehr bill which provides for
radical changes in the organization Of
the Milwaukee common council. and
which had passed the senate, pro
voked quite a wordy war between AS
eeEblymen Estabrook Of Milwaukee.
chairman Of the committee on cities,
and c. d Thompson, social democrat.
ic member from Milwaukee. Assem-
blyman Thompson desired to have the
hill referred, because, he said. the
measure had been somewhat msunder-
stood. and had not received a "fair
hearing" Assemblyman EstabroOk
/ declared that he was about tired Of
having the five anointed high priests
Of virtue in the front row" pose as
monopolists Of honesty and charge al
other members Of the assembly with
sneaking through measures surrepti-