Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-03-05
H0USER REQUESTS
INSURANCE SUITS
FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE
WRITES TO LEGISLATURE ASK
ING IMMEDIATE ACTION.
NAMES DEFENDANT.TO-BE
Giljohann, Host, Beedle aud Their Bonds
men Mentioned for Prosecution
for Back Fees.
ASSEMBLY FOR SPECIAL SESSION.

MADISON. Wis, March ii Spe-
cial. l-SCoreS OF protests came into the
Assembly this morning. Former Secre-
tary OF State Walter L. HouSer sent Il
letter to the Legislature rehearsing nu-
merous efforts he has made TO have for
mer insurance commissioners prosecuted
Tor retaining fees.
i therefore respectfully request the
Legislature, CT either branch thereof.
that YOU direct your attorney general to
institute an action or actions against
Emil Giliohann as principal. Rudolph
b. Glljohann and c. II. KaveIage. as
SUretieS; Zeno NJ. Host, as PRINCIPAL
Aetna Indemnity company as surety;
George e. BCcdle. as principal. and the
National Surety company as surety, for
the recovery from them of all fees and
other moneys collected by the said in
surance commissioners and properly be-
longing to the state of Wisconsin, says
the letter.
Referred TO Committee.
And particularly the valuation fees
and fees for the examination of insur-
ance and surety companies, and retained
by said parties i'll violation Of the staff
ute or in the event that you do not SCI
direct the attorney general, to cause
such actions to be instituted, that you
grant me the use OF the name of the
state for the purpose of prosecuting
them"
One peculiar phase of the HOuser mat
ter lies in the contention that s. NJ.
Sturdevant, former attorney generalg
may be claimed to be liable for Il large
sum due the state as fees paid insurance
commissioners who served more than ten
years ago.
HOuser recites the fact that when
Sturdevant was attorney general, he
(Houser), as secretary of state. demand
ed that the attorney general sue all for
mer insurance commissioners for fees
due the state. Sturdeyant did not bring
the suits as requested. Now Mr.. Houser
IS said to make the claim that he can
hold Sturdevant liable for the sums of
money which might have been collected
at that time but which cannot now be
collected because Of the limitations
statute.
He is said to point to the fact that
Sturdevant as attorney general gave
bond for $4,000, and that this bond
still is in force. He intimates, in CON
clusion. that if the courts findings are
satisfactory, he will bring suit against
Sturdevant's bondsmen to make good the
sums which might have been collected
if Sturdevant had brought suit when
demanded to do so, but which cannot
be collected now because the claims are
more than six years old.
The Houser letter was referred to the
committee on finance, banks and insur-
ance.
Fight Over Special Session.
The Assembly engrossed 31SA, by
zimmerman, relating to fire and police
departments relief associations.
The resolution Of the steering commit
tee to have four special committees to
consider income tax, guaranty of bank
deposits, working mems insurance and
state aId to highways, appointed created
fight in the Assembly today.
Mr.. Ingram said that the state tax
commission had been investigating the
Income tax question for months and that
it was up to" the two houses to get
down to work on the system that has
been given approval by popular vote.
He declared that all the big issues pro-
posed for the special session of the Leg
islature should be passed upon in the
regular session.
Taking as an instance the highway
proposition Mr.. Ingram said he believed
special session would mean the alb
solute death of this proposition. It would
mean, he said, that all the available
funds of the state would be used in the
appropriations in the regular session,
and there would be no money left for
the state and for highways. In regard
to the income tax proposition Mr.. In
gram said that the tax commission had
for some months and approved of the
bill.
Mr.. Ingram also declared that the gov
ernor was not favorable to the PROPOSE
ton for a special legislative session. Mr.
Ingram also said a special session would
retard the building of a new capitol for
a year in that it would mean the south
wing could not be raised if a special ses-
sion was called for the reason the pres
ent legislative quarters cannot be used
for the state officers while a new south
wing is built unless the legislative quar-
tiers are used for temporary offices for
the state departments while the new
wing is being constructed. i
Z Thomas Reynolds of Door county folk
lowed Mr.. Ingram, directing his remarks
particularly to improvement of roads,
He agreed with Ingram that the Legisi
lature as a whole should take up the
''big bills"
, NJ. J. Cleary, chairman of the com
mittee which framed the plan to expe-
idite business, rose to the defense Of the
plan.
Ole Buslett of Waupaca spoke against
the resolution. J. E. Thomas of Wau-I
kesha wanted an opportunity to get in
touch with his constituents.
( Assemblyman OnStad offered an,
amendment to have no investigation on;
the highway matter. 1t was voted down.
BY a vote of u to 81 the Assembly
refused to postpone the resolution. u
Assemblyman Mcconnell then offered
an amendment to have no investigation
on bank deposits. Mr. EstabrOok |