Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-03-13
Madison. March 6.

senator 4arsn proposes that the de-
cisiop TO use white granite or marble
in the saperstructure cf the new cap
itol shall not mean an increase Of
more than a million dollars in tie
cost of the building. When the cap
itol bill came up yesterday as spc
cial order he onered an amendment
providing that nothing in the bat
should be construed to increase lie
limit of 40 cents per cubic foot Tor
the cost of the new capitol as set by
the legislature Of 1905, beyond the
sum of $lVJ,0G0 for each wing CT oil
81 100000 for the entire structure:
and this is not to include the cost OF
any land purchase for a separate heat
ing plant and warehouse.
Senator Whitehead said he vas not
able to say that the amendment
should not be adopted, but wanted
some time to Investigate the subject.
He suggested that such an amend
ment ought to include as an exception
from the cost limit the cost OF the
proposed separate heating plant and
warehouse &c I'll as the cost of lana
for that J ~. Without more dis
cussion the bill and amendment were
laid over for day and will be taken
up this morning as unfinished bust
ness.
Proposes Official Opinion
Senator Noble took the first step.
and then retraced it toward procur-
ing an official opinion as to the time
when the legislature should begin 10
ballot for a successor of Senator John
C. Spooner He introduced a Joint
resolution wherein the legislature
calls upon the attorney general 70:
an opinion Senator Whitehead az
gested that there was no official noti-
fication in the legislature yet that a
vacancy exists or is to- exist. ard his
thought was that it would be wise TO
refrain from adopting such a resolu-
ton until the official notification of
the resignation has come to the leg
1slature from the governor. This sag
gestion by Senator Whitehead came
after Lieutenant Governor Ccnnor
had declared the resolution priv
legged and that it could be acted upon
Immediately Senator Noble agreed
with Senator Whitehead proposed
that the resolution lie over and then
asked and received unanimous COP
sent to withdraw it. He will doubt
less introduce it again when the leg
islature is informed by Governor
Davidson of the receipt Of the resig-
nation.
Cost Enough Already.
The bill to appropriate not more
than $4,000 for use by the commit
tees on banks and insurance for she
purpose of securing attendance ant
services CT special counsel and OK
pert actuary during the hearings ~.
the life insurance bills came from the
assembly with request for concur.
renee. Senator Roehr, chairman Of
the committee on banks and insur-
ance and member of the legislative
committee winch investigated life
insurance, explained that the bill lad
been passed in the assembly under
suspension of the rules, that the ne I'd
of the proposed assistance was i'm
perative and asked that the rules be
suspended and the bill be immediate
~ placed upon its passage. Sanat-
or Hudnall objected to the suspension
of the rules. asking mere time in
1vl iol, to - he
ton. Senator Roehr explained that
the insurance interests were known
to be preparing to vigorously work
in the Legislature in connection WI il
the bills proposed by the committee
which made the investigation. lie
said that information was already at
hand to the effect that the insurance
corporations would be represented in
the hearings by the most skilled ex-
perts available and that it was the
thought CT the Investigators that it
would be necessary to have present at
the hearings an experienced and able
counsel and an actuary of ability. lie
said it was proposed to procure the
services OF ex-Attorney General J. /.
O'Connor Of Milwaukee, who was
counsel for the investigating com oit-
tee last year, and of Professor Glover
of the University of Michigan. who
also assisted the committee as actu-
arr.
Senator Hudnall said he was not
oppo ed to giving the committees all
the assistance they needed, but that
it appeared to aim to be an exceed
ingly dangerous precedent to e.aab-
fish. He referred to the fact that
the state already has an attorney
general and scye"1l assistants and
that the committee was composed OF
lawyers He also declared that tie
state paid $4,000 to make ehe inves-
t'gation which resulted in the pro-
posed new laws. Upon this point he
was cgfrectec with the information
that the cost to the state had been
$50 coo. He said he believed that If
the investigation and preparation Of
of the bills had already cost the state
$50. 600 1t ought not to cost another
dollar Of special expense to put The
bills through the legislature Seat
or Ruehr explained that the subject Of
Lfe insurance was a very technical
matter and that the attorL ey general
Mould Nardty avail