The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-06-18
BILLS BEFORE
THE GOVERNOR
Six Days to Pass on Work
of the Legislature.
SESSION IS DISAPPOINTING

In Spite Of the Fact That Nearly Six
Months Time Was Consumed Most
Of the Measures of Large import
ance Were Put Over Until the Spe-
ciaI Session-Over 400 Bills Were
Passed, but Were Mostly of Minor
Importance.
Madison, Wis, June 15.-Leaving a
large grist of bills on the hands of the
governor for his final action thereup-
on remnant of each house Of the leg
islature is left in the city marking
time awaiting the disposition of the
executive on the measures passed. The
fact that the governor now has six
days in which to consider bills makes
it necessary for the two houses to keep
up a form of session about a week
after the real work has been finally
completed. Final and formal adjourn
ment of the legislature will take place
Friday at least of this week or before
if the governor acts on all bills be-
receive executive action within the
six day limit become laws without the
Governors signature.
In the main the session has been
disappointing one from the standpoint
of large results achieved. In spite Of
the fact that nearly six months were
consumed most of the measures of
large Importance were put over until
the special session which, it is eX-
pected, the governor will call for next
winter. These measures have to do
with the general propositions of state
aid in road building, inspection and
examination Of school systems, taxa
ton of water power franchises, guar
anty of bank deposits, taxation of in
comes, industrial insurance and pri-
mary and election reforms as sug-
gested by the developments of the leg
islative senatorial investigation. While
none of these propositions received
final legislative action many of them
were given much individual and COM
mittee study and were subjected to de-
bate so that the time spent on them
cannot be said to have been wholly
wasted, as the light thus brought out
ton next winter.
Special Committees to Sit.
These subjects will be further
studied during the summer by special
committees appointed by the two
houses, which will report their find
ings and conclusions at the opening of
the special session. At the conclu-
sion of last weeks session Speaker
Bancroft was not yet ready to an
nounee the assembly membership of
these committees, but Lieutenant Gov
ernor Strange announced the member
ship from the senate as follows:
Industrial insurance-Senators San
born, Fairchild and Blaine. Banks.
Owen, Wright and Martin. Income tax
Marsh, Kleczka and Hardwood.
Roads-Browne, Burke and Donald.
Water power Bird, Husting and
KruInreY. Education-Stout, Pearson
and Gaylord.
By the action of the assembly the
various election reform bills intro
duced by the senate Investigating
com mittee and passed by the senate
were also referred to the special ses
sion, so that the subject of ballot and
election reforms will also be consid-
cred at that time. On top of the in
vestigations and hearings on the big
legislative questions by the special
committees the senate investigation of
the primary campaign and election of
a United States senator will be going
on during the summer, the senate hav
ing granted the wish of the commit
tee members for the extension of time
beyond the regular session of the leg
islature. Furthermore there will be
an investigation of the state depart
ments by separate committees of both
houses. In the closing days the as
Sembly voted to have a special com
mittee to make an investigation OF the
state departments, especially of the in
surance and game warden depart
ments, and as a countermove the SEN
ate passed a resolution extending the
power of the senatorial investigating
committee SO as to give them the right
to also investigate the state depart
mentS.
In this connection here it can be said
THAT IDS IdCl IuetI TIC ISSullS Ol lu6
session were so largely negative was
due to the jealous feeling between the
two houses caused by the investigation
of the senatorial primary and cleo
ton The assembly as a body was
friendly to Senator Stephenson while
the senate majority was hostile.
Over 400 Bills Passed.
Tho measures of general imnortance
enacted by the legislature of 1909
makes shorter story than those that
failed of passage. The present legis-
Iature passed in all somewhat over
400 bills, of which possibly not over
a dozen can be classed as big legis-
lation. The session derives it's sig
nificance from the fact that not any
new or original ideas were enacted in
TO law, but that the statutes received
ouorhou1ipo opd hot manu- IF