Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-03-31
No Pension Bureau.

No Pension Bureau.
Madison. March 22-The senate went
on record as being opposed to grant
ing state pensions to veterans Of the
civil war by refusing to engross Sen
atOr. Lehr's bill. This measure
provides for the payment Of pensions
to persons VINO enlisted or enrolled
in ne state one or more years prior
to May l, 1865, and who received hon
orable discharges. The bill applies
only TO those who were residents of
the state az the time Of their enlist
nlent and provides that the adjutant
general maintain as part of his
Office bureau of pensions, the adju-
tant general to be the state commits
sioner of pensions. He is &c receive
in addition to his salary 1000 a year
and employ such help as may be ne
cessary. In explaining the action of
the committee on military affairs SEN
ator James said that the establish
ment of a bureau of pensions would
mean an expenditure to the state Of
at least $1,000, 900 annually. Sur
vlvors of the civil war now receive
federal pensions and the state main
tains for old soldiers and their wives
and for widows of veterans a COM
Portable home at Waupaca. Senator
James himself would be benefited
by the passage OF the bill but he
said that he and the other members
of the committee felt that the old
soldiers in this state are well pro-
yided for.
Senator BaIke offered an amend
ment for his bed sheet bill It pro-
yides that hospitals, sleeping cars,
restaurants and steamships be in
cluded.
A turning point In the progress or
Wisconsin legislation was reached.
when the question of state control
was shown to have come in conflict
Will vested rights, This conflict
was disclosed in a fight for and
against the right of the state to con-
troll the water power of its rivers.
The committee on forestry has a bill
before it providing for limitations on
the construction of dams. It's OBJ
ject among other things is to tax the
use of rivers for power purposes, and
to reserve to the state a voice, d.
rectly or indirectly in the adjustment
of prices on dam power or light that
the public may want to use. The
question is to be referred to special
committee which shall study the mat.
ter and make a report to the special
session of the legislature planned for
next year but a preliminary hearing
was had at the senate chamber last
night. Lawyers claim that ripariaen
owners absolutely control the water
on their properties. subject to naviga-
ton and fishing rights.
For County option.
The committee on state affairs of
the senate consisting of Senators
Page. Burke. Marsh, Pearson and
Barker will report favorably the
Marsh county option bill an exhaust
i've hearing upon which was held to-
day before the joint committee OF
the two houses On state AFFAIRS.
The Hammill resolution for an
amendment to the constitution limit
ing legislative sessions to 100 days
was advocated by the author who
thought that If Minnesota could get
along with 90 days and before with
40, certainly Wisconsin ought to be
able to with 100. He alluded to the
dangerous custom of rushing through
100 or more bills In single day to-
ward the close of the session. The
bill was laid over.
For the Initiative.
Mr.. Towne made a plea for his pro-
posed constitutional provision estab-
fishing the initiative and referendum.
but the house exhibited an adverse
spirit, and the resolution failed by a
viye voce vote.