Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-01-21

ing of it. | believe the time has come
when a limited expenditure of the funds Of
the State should be made in aid of build
ing permanent highways If judiciously
expended, tie benefits derived from the
outlay viii be more than repaid by the
aid, convenience and saving to the people
incident to such work, but when the State
shall determine TO assist in this work it
should be done under some system careful
ly worked out and of Statewide applica-
ton.
Primary Election.
Our statute. providing for the nomina-
ton of candidates for Office by direct vote
of the people. has passed the experimental
stage. and steadily gained in public favor.
The application of the law to primary
elections. and the experience in applying
1t, has. from time to time, revealed imper-
fections which have already received the
attention of the Legislature at former
sessions.
1t is matter worthy of consideration
whether some remedy should not be at
tempted to minimize the advantage to a
nominee, which he sometimes derives from
the alphabetical arrangement of names,
now provided for on the primary ballot.
The position of name on the ballot
should not. and does not. affect the result
when a man votes intelligently, but as to
the careless, Indifferent, or uninformed
voter, he is quite certain TO vote for the
first man in order on the ballot for a
particular Office, thus giving an unfair adj
vantage to that candidate on account of
the position of his name. This result
might be minimized by providing for a
rotation of names for each given number
of ballots printed.
In view of the large sums of money
which the official statements of candidates
show were expended during the last cam
paign preceding the primary, it is well to
consider whether there may not be some
way devised by which expenditures by
candidates for Office may be limited.
Industrial Accidents.
The problem of how to deal with the
multitude of personal injuries incident
to our industrial life challenges our at
tention. 1t is of such vast Importance
as to equal any subject dealt with by the
law-making power in recent years, or
waiting for legislation. The present sys-
TEN which casts the entire burden upon
the employer and relegates the injured
to the courts for redress seems Unadapted
to modern conditions. Should not losses
by personal injuries be laid, by some
workable plan of mutual contribution,
upon the whole body of the employers,
the employees, and the public, thus repair
ing to the maximum of practicability,
the individual misfortune, and minimizing
the individual loss? If that should be
done, then how best to do it, under our
wise constitutional system, is the most
inviting field for legislative study and ac-
ton of the day. Humanity, and economic
prosperity, as well, appeals for the best
efforts of the best minds on this ques-
ton. | most earnestly commend it to
your consideration as a question of first
Importance. }
Land Title.
In my message to the Legislature of
1907 | called attention briefly to the
Importance of taking some action to sim
plify our complex system of transferring
titles to lands. Our system is cumber-
some and burdensome in requiring all
conveyances to be recorded at length in
books of record, in the ever-increasing
cost of abstracts of title and lawyers
fees for examining them; in the delay
in passing title on account of these labori-
Gus examinations made necessary as con-
veyances multiply; and in the insecurity
felt by the sellers and purchaser largely
due to the fact that upon each transfer
the title must be searched back to the
government patent, with the attendant liza
bility to error in making such examina-
ton.
The so-called "Torrens System" has been
in operation in some parts of Europe for
several hundred years. - Where it has been
adopted it has given general satisfaction
Under this system a title Is carefully eX-
amined once for all, a decree obtained con-
hrming it, then the registrar issues the first
certificate Of title in duplicate. The original
is retained by the registrar, and the other
delivered to the owner. All transfers there
after are entered upon the original certif-
cate. Under this system official ex-
animation is substituted for an unofficial
one, now necessary a t each transfer Of
land. When title is ascertained, it is given
conclusive effect as against all the world
l earnestly commend the ma tier to your
consideration.
Charitable Penal and Reformatory
Institutions.
The State board of control. having charge
= of the various penal and reformatory insti-
to be in a very satisfactory coalition, and
economically managed.
Department of Banking.
Since the reorga MIA ton of the depart
ment in 1903, there has been much i'm
provement in the business of banking, and
greater confidence on the part of the pub
lie in the stability and safety of State
banks. Although, during the past year the
country has passed through what threat
ened to be panic, involving serious con-
sequences to financial and public int rests
yet only three banks in this State were
taken in charge by the commissioner of
banking, and were soon re-opened and are
now doing business without loss to depos-
itors.
In a former message l called attention
to the inconsistency of our laws. which do
not provide the same protection for savings
deposits in our commercial banks as is pro-
vided when savings are entrusted to a mu-
tual savings bank. These deposits are uSu-
ally made by people of limited means, and
in small amounts, and the loss of them
does serious harm in discouraging industry
and thrift. and in shaking the confidence
of the people in the stability of the banks.
Since commercial banks are permitted to
establish and conduct savings departments.
these funds should be kept separate from
commercial deposits aud be protected by
prescribing the character of the securities
in which they may be invested.
Consideration should be given to ex .es-
sfve loans to officers and directors of banks,
are financially interested This practice
in recent years has caused the wrecking OF
many banks in this country. How to deal
with this matter is not easy of solution. II
a definite limit is placed on such loans, it
would work injustice, in some cases A
remedy might be afforded by giving the
commissioner greater discretionary powers
respecting this class of loans when he finds
them reaching a dangerous limit.
As the security of banks is a matter of
first Importance, the State can do no great
err service for the people than by strength
ening their stability in every legitimate
way.
Forestry Department.
1t is useless to eNpend the money of the
State in attempting to preserve our timbe.
lands and to refOreSt cut-over areas, I'M
less means are employed by the State to
minimize the destruction almost annually
caused by fire. The immense losses of 1905
show that unless our State is to be entirely
denuded of timber and the young growth
which must furnish the lumber of the fu-
ture. concerted and energetic steps must
be taken to prevent the deadly destruction
which we have witnessed.
For many wears logging companies in cut