Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-07-25
WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE

the electors OF the State will be called
upon at the next general election to vote
upon four proposed changes in the State
constitution. Three of these are OF con-
siderable Importance. The fourth sim
ply increases the number of days allowed
the Governor to sign bills, which lave
been passed by both houses Of the Legis-
lature. from three to six.
The other three questions relate TO in
come ta1, State aid for good roads and
TO the rights of suffrage.
The resolution to submit to the people
the subject of an income tax provides
that to section l Of article s of the
constitution shall be added: Taxes may
also be imposed on incomes, privileges
and occupations, which taxes may be
graduated and progressive, and reason
able exemptions may be provided" This
sentence is to be added TO the present
provision in the constitution that: The
rule of taxation shall be uniform, and
taxes shall be levied upon such property
as the Legislature shall prescribe"
The resolution to submit the PROPOSE
ton of State aid for good roads proposes
to change this section 10 of article ) OF
the constitution, which reads:
1.-THE State shall never contract any
debt for works of internal improvement,
or be a party in carrying on such works,
but whenever grants of land or other
property shall have been made to the
State especially dedicated by the grant
to particular works of internal improve
ments, the State may carry on such par
ticular works, and shall devote thereto
the avails of such grants, and may pledge
or appropriate the revenues derived from
such works in aid of their completion
The proposed amendment adds these
words Provided that the State may ap-
propriate money in the treasury or TO be
thereafter raised by taxation for the con-
struction or improvement of public high
ways"
Change Suffrage Section.
The proposed amendment relating to
suffrage will be added to subsection 2
of section l of article 3. That sub-sec-
ton enumerates one class of voters as
follows:
white persons of foreign birth who
shall have declared their intention to be-
come citizens, conformably to the laws OF
the United States on the subject OF nat
uralization."
1t is proposed to change this provision
so that it shall read as follows
'"Persons of foreign birth who PRIOR
to the first day of December, A. ID. l9oo,
shall have declared their intentions to
become citizens conformably to the laws
of the United States on the subject OF
naturalization, provided that the rights
hereby granted to such persons shall cease
on the first day of December, A. ID. 1905.
If the amendment is adopted by vote OF
the people, it will mean that foreign
born citizens who have taken out their
first papers will be allowed to continue
to vote until every one of them shall have
become qualified to take out his second
papers. or in December, 1872, but that
after that time only full-hedged citizens
shall be allowed the right of suffrage.
Resolutions that these proposed amend
ments be submitted to the people have
passed two successive Legislatures. One
of the last things done by the 1907 Legls-
lature was to pass a bill providing Tor
their submission to the people at the
general election to be held on the first
Tuesday of November, 1908. The form
of the ballot to be cast on the question
of adopting or rejecting the amendments
shall be respectively: 1. Shall the State
appropriate money in the treasury TOR
State aid for the public highways! =
For amendment authorizing graduated
income tax 3. For the amendment ex-
tending from three days to six days the
time allowed the Governor in which to
approve bills" 4. For the amendment
providing that after Dec. 1, 1872, cleo
tors shall be citizens of the United
States Opposite each of the questions
shall be two spaces over one OF which
shall be printed the word Eyes" and over
the other of which shall be the word
mo" and the voter may mark MS ballot
in the space under whichever OF said
words indicates his intention.
Important Measures.
The 1907 Legislature also started pro-
ceedings for the submission to the people
of other proposed amendments to the
constitution. These must also be adopt
ed by the 1909 Legislature before being
Az
the abolition of the State census every
tenth wear in view of the fact that the
federal government takes a census which
is much more reliable every ten years.
Another provides for increasing the min
imum of school age from years to 6
years.
The first step was also taken to in
crease the salaries of members of the
Legislature from $500 to $1,000 a sesl
sion.
These three propositions will probably
be submitted to the voters in 1910.
A number of propositions to amend the
constitution were killed by the 1907 Leg
islature. among them the following:
To authorize distinct form of gov
eminent for Milwaukee county. (Killed
by both Senate and Assembly,
To adopt the referendum as regards
laws passed by the Legislature. passed
by the Senate, but killed in the Assem-
Bly,
To change the system of circuit courts.
Withdrawn by Senator Whitehead.)
To authorize laws providing for the
recall of State officers by vote of the
electors. (Killed in the Assembly,
To authorize cities to acquire public
utilities without the cost of them being
included in the limit of bonded indebted
ness. (Killed in the Assembly,
To provide that an agreement by three
fourths of jury in any civil action shall
be sufficient verdict. (Killed in the
Assembly,
To provide longer terms and different
time of electing the Attorney General.
(Killed in the Assembly,
To make sheriffs eligible for reelection.
(Killed in the Assembly,
To authorize the establishment and
maintenance of a State printing plant.
(Killed by the Assembly,
To provide that appointments Of State
employees shall be made under civil ser
vice. (Killed by the Assembly. Civil
service is now provided for by statute.
It's friends desired to have it made a con-
stitutional provision.)
To limit the length of legislative ses-
sions to 100 days. (killed by the As
sembly.)
Wanted Constitutional Convention.
One Of the hardest fights of the ses-
sion was over the joint resolution to sub