Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-06-05

will be met, however, If the next legis-
lature and the people pass fayorably
on the proposed constitutional am. nd
ment increasing the salaries of legisla-
tors TO $1,000. Objection to long ses-
sions Is made on the ground o. ex-
pense TO the state. yet it is a question
II short sessions would not cost the
state more and be of more injury than
long ones.
Important legislation requires much
time and opponents OF the short ses-
sion idea show that twas only through
a long session that the railway com
mission bill became a law two years
ago. If there had been a time limit
on the legislature. they say, this vaIu-
able piece of our enactments would nor
have been upon the statute books. In
similar vein they urge that had the. e
been limit on this years session only
an imperfect and inadequate, lerhap5
unconstitutional. public utilities b Ii
wouid have resulted
New Capitol Building.
That Wisconsin will have a grand
new statehouse in the course of a half
dozen years or more seems assured.
The senate has passed the bill appro-
priating 100000 year for nine years
to meet the expenses of construction
and the assembly will not oppose tie
proposition. Work ON the construction
of the main walls of the west wing
for ifh g.,
will begin about July l. The struc-
ture will be of Bethel vermont gran
tie. Secretary Porter of the capitol
building commission says it is expect
ed that by the end of the year the
wing will be enclosed so that inside
work can be carried oni cold weather
From the foundation walls tosthe top
of the fourth story will be about 80
feet The Bethel quarry company is
working hard to meet this new de
mand and expects to have its first
consignment ready for shipment In
about month. The contract calls for
having the wing enclosed by the end
of the year. 1t is expected eight years
will be consumed in the construction
OF the capitol and that two more years
will be required to complete the in
terror decorations.
As to Apportionment.
But little has been said or heard of
the question of apportionment, but the
subject is one that is causing the
standing committee some concern
now. 1t Is generally thought there will
not be much recasting of legislative
districts, but there will be some pull
ing and hauling on the part of men,
bers to shape up districts agreeable to
them. Some will want their districts
left intact; others will want to reach
over into some other mans preserves
for a slice to make his own more Re
publican or Democratic, as the case
may be. AS there cannot be more
than thirty three senate districts and
one hundred assembly districts, and as
the apportionment is made on the
basis of population the southern coun-
ties will suffer at the profit of the
more rapidly growing northern coun-
ties. Dane county, the second largest
in the state will retain its three as
Semblymen, but Rock county, which
also has three, will undoubtedly have
to forego one.
There is also much sentiment in the
legislature IN favor OF changing tae
present county board system 10 the
commissioner system. The board sys-
TEN Is an expensive and cumbersome
one Thus Dane county again has SIN
ty-four members in its board, with
prospects of soon having over seventy,
a body approximating towards the
size of the assembly, and as each
member gets some $50 year the cost
makes no inconsderable item. 1t is
urged that a commission Of three OF
five members would be a more effect
i've and economical governing b rl.
Torrens Tranfer System.
The Torrens land transfer system
seems to have thorny road to travel
towards the Wisconsin statute books
Session after session bills to establish
it have been introduced. only TO be
voted down, and now the senate has
repeated history by killing the Ston-
DAN bill providing for it's establish
ment. A resolution for an investiga-
ton of the land transfer practices in
the state Is, however, to be acted upon
and may receive more consideration.
A bill of much interest to newspa-
per publishers was the Thomas bill to
reduce the rates to be allowed news
papers for the publication of election
notices SO much opposition was ex-
pressed against such reduction that
Mr. Thomas finally amended the bill
SO as to retain the old rates hut pro-
yidlng that such notices shall not be
published more than four times. and
In this form L bill was advanced by
the assembly
Little Enjoyment This Session.
The session this year has been
marked By little levity or the enjoy
ment Of tine lighter sides of life. There
was no inaugural! or legislative ball;
there have been no banquets or con-
certs such as were pleasant incidents
i'm past sessions. AS there are scarcely
any of the common old-style saloon
FOUNDERS among the members this
year, there is also noticeable absence
of the dandy and debonair type to pro
mote the social amenities.
On the whole 1t Is an honest, clean
sturdy, plolding legislature, which