Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-03-31
No Pension Bureau.

| Dill D0lnS revived anu TSlSTI0u 10 IuS
committee on state affairs
| 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 who enlisted or enrolled
| in the state one or more years prior
to May 1, 1865, and who received hon
orable discharges. The bill applies
only to those who were residents OF
| the state at the time of their enlist
ment and provides that the adjutant
general maintain as a part of his
Office bureau of pensions, the adju.
| tant general to be the state commits
sioner of pensions. He is to receive
in addition to his salary $1,000 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 $1,000,000 annually. Sur.
vivors of the civil war now receive
federal pensions and the state main
tains for old soldiers and their wives
and for widows of veterans com
Portable home at Waupaca- Senator
James himself would be benefited
by the passage of the bill but he
of the committee felt that the old
soldiers in this state are well pro-
vided for.
Senator Barker offered an amend
ment for his bed sheet bill. 1t pro-
vides that hospitals, sleeping cars
restaurants and steamships be in.
cluded.
A turning point in the progress OF
| Wisconsin legislation was reached
when the question of state control
was shown to have come in conflict
with vested rights. This conflict
was disclosed in a fight for and
against the right of the state to con
troll the water power of it's rivers
The committee on forestry has a bill
before it providing for limitations OF
the construction of dams. It's OBJ
ject among other things is to tax the
use of rivers for power purposes, ant
to reserve to the state a voice, di
rectly Or Indirectly, in the adjustment
! of prices on dam power or light thai
! the public may want to use. The
| question is to be referred to specia
committee which shall study the mat
| ter and make a report to the specia
session of the legislature planned fol
next year but a preliminary hearing
was had at the senate chamber last
night. Lawyers claim that ripariaer
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 gel
along with 80 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
vive voce vote.