Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-06-13

people and keep pace with the chang,
of conditions but such changes SHOULD
be made slowly and only when the
people demand changes. Many o
the proposed amendments are simply
the suggestions of individual mem
bers. He said that in this day of in
creased cost of living if there was any
amendment that ought to be made
it is one to raise the compensation o.
the governor, but that has never ever
been considered.
After some discussion the roll was
called, resulting in non-cOncurrence
by the following vote:
For submission of the question OF
holding a constitutional convention
Senators Barker. Browne, Fridd
!Froemming, HazelWood, Husting,
Lockney, Marsh, Martin, Morris, Owen
Sanborn, Wilcox-13.
ADMINISTRATORS Bird Bishop,
Brazeau, Burns, Fairchild, Hagemeis-
ter. Hudnall, Munson, Page, Pearson.
Randolph Smith, whitehead, Wolff,
Wright-15.
The joint resolution to appoint a
commission to investigate the sub
| ject Of simplifying the system of trans
| fer of land titles was adopted The
committee on roads and bridges re-
| ported the Sheridan drive bill for in
| definite pOstpOnement. Farmers in
Racine and Kenosha counties OBJ
jected, declaring that it was a propo-
siticn to tax them for the convenience
Of Milwaukee and Chicago automobile
owners. The bill proposed a good
road from the Illinois state line to
Milwaukee.
The assembly after a debate of two
hours adopted the committee substitute
for the bill to regulate public utilities.
The vote was "A to II. The original
bill had been remodeled by the com
mittee on transportation and a sub
stitute prepared which represents ten
weeks work on the part Of the sub
committee consisting of Assembly
men c.. F. Stout, T. NJ. Thomas and
D. c. Coolidge. The action of the
assembly were merely to adopt the
substitute The bill was then sent
to the committee on claims Assem-
blyman Bancroft offered an amend
ment providing that where there is
telephone plant already in operation
no additional plant shall be installed
without the permission of the rail
road commission. After a sharp de-
bate in which Assemblymen Stout
Ingram and Coolidge opposed the
amendment Mr.. Bancroft withdrew
it with the understanding that his
amendment was to be incorporated
into a bill which was now in course
of preparation by the committee to
provide for physical connections. An
other amendment was offered by AS
semblyman Hughes of ReesYille. 1t
was in the form of a substitute and
was identical with the substitute pre-
pared by Senator Paul o. Husting
providing for municipal regulation Of
public utilities instead of for state
regulation as is provided in the com
mittee bill. This proposal was lost.
16 to II. Democrats and socialists
supported it. but of the democrats
present, AssembIymen Cernahan,
Douglas and Fred Peterson against
the amendment When the vote on
the committee substitute was taken
most democrats voted for it, but the
five social democrats voted solidly
against it. The sixteen who voted
against it were Assemblymen ALI
bridge, Bauer. Berner Bichler, Brock
harsen. DetIing, Rollman Thompson
and Weber. When the bill came up
Mr.. Stout explained its provisions. He
telephone companies out of the sec
ton prohibiting duplication OF plants
and regulating competition because
he said that would be Of no effect as
the telephone companies received
their authority to construct their
plants from the state and not as a
franchise from the municipalities as
other public utilities did. Assembly
man Burke of Green Bay spoke for
the bill, advocating the adoption Of the
substitute without change. He said
that back in 1895, when he was in
the legislature befC e, he had been
among the first to favor regulation of
railroads by commission. Chairman
Leroy closed the debate with a force |
full speech on the general purposes of
the bill, comparing the committee bill
with the Hughes bill of New York
and quoting Allen R. FoOte a noted
of Columbus, Ohio, as say
ing that the Wisconsin bill was far
superior to the New York bill.
Madison, June 6.-The senate devOt- !
ed itself seriously to the question Of /,
divorce. Senator LOckney made a Wig !
Orus speech against the Sanborn bill ,
to provide for divorce laws uniform .
with those Of other states. He wanted !
the bill killed. arguing that Wiscon-
sin has now a good system of divorces |
avs and there was no necessity for !
such radical changes as proposed in
the bill. Senator Sanborn spoke in
favor OF the bill showing how it would
protect society. would prevent ques-
.iOnable status of innocent children !,
md would clear up many unwhOlesome
features Of the present divorce laws.
The vote on advancing the bill was