The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1907-07-19

OF the assembly, all old soldiers, have
made long fight for the passage Of
the BILL A committee will be ap-
pointed at once by the governor to
look over the grounds and select
spot for its location.
Although most of the members of
the legislature returned to their homes
Friday morning the session was not
formally closed until Monday noon A
few of the members had to remain
over to receive messages from the
governor.
TO Regulate Insurance Companies.
The senate concurred in all tn, so
called radical insurance bills of the
assembly, with the exception of two
With these measures Wisconsin is
about to enter upon r new era in
the control and regulation of insur-
ance companies. Some of the CON-
panies threatened to leave the state if
these bills were passed, but as yet
nothing has been heard from them.
The six measures passed were:
The bill regulating the election in
mutual life insurance companies so
amended as to abolish voting by
proxy.
The bill limiting the amount of COM
pensation that mutual companies may
pay to any officer or employe to $25,-
600 year.
The bill limiting the expense for car
rying insurance to one-third of the
premium.
The bill limiting the loading to
conform to the expense charge.
The bill defining insurance terms
and phrases and providing for an an
nuai apportionment Of the surplus.
The bill requiring the accounting on
all deferred dividend policies carried
in Wisconsin.
Owen Leads Fight for Bills.
The fight in favor of the bills was
led in the upper house by Senator
Owen. Speaker Ekern, Of Trem-
pealeau, forced the bills through the
assembly and spent most of his time
this winter attending personally to
the drafting of the measures.
The assembly has slain the scheme
for charging the capitol park by the
purchase Of the six business blocks
between the present park and Lake
Monona, This would involve an eX-
penditure of over $1,500,000 in the
purchase Of the lots alone and would
probably involve the state in numer.
Gus suits, having some Of the lots con
demned. The scheme will probably be
revived at the next session of the leg
islature.
The legisla ture has passed resolu-
ton to appropriate to the state board
of control $4,000 to aid the sufferers
in the cyclone which swept Wisc0n-
sin July 3, killing score of people,
doing millions of damage to crops
and buildings. Some of the inhabitants
Of the path of the storm, which
reaches across the state from La
Crosse to Koro, Green Lake county,
are in poverty and this aid will be Of
great assistance. The bill proper will
fail in passage because of a lack Of
quorum.
Pass Stocks and Bonds Bill.
Another scene at the closing day Of
the session was the enactment Of the
stocks and bonds bill Friday, which
provides heavy penalty for the
watering. This bill had passed the
senate, but failed in the assembly
Thursday. While the argument was
going on, the Milwaukee Traction
Railroad company and gas light cor
poration of that city filed with the Sec
rotary of state an amendment to their
articles, increasing their capital stock
$3S,OO0OOO. A few days before the
Madison Gas and Electric company
mad also attempted to increase its
bonded indebtedness $1S5,OOO.
When Speaker Extern saw these at
tempts to evade the proposed legisla-
ton he Immediately sent out fifty-two
kilograms for absent members to re
turn. The stocks and bonds bills was
then passed and an amendment was
tackled on. which makes void the is
suanceof all stock which has not been
delivered. 1t will be body blow to
the Milwaukee corporations, viii, h at
tempted the evasion. The legislature
adjourned sine die Monday noon.
ALBERT O. BARTON.