The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-03-18
LEGISL AZURE MAY
NOT QUIT TILL MAY
HUNDRED DAY SESSION IDEA I'M
POSSIBLE, WITH TASKS
AHEAD. ..
INQUIRY ONE HINDRANCE.
Also Committees to Consider Special
Session Subject Won't Be Named
Until Near Adjournment.
LEGISLATURES SLOW PROGRESS.

MADISON, Wis, March 10 Spe-
cial. lit is just two months since the
members of the Legislature answered to
their names and signed the oath of Office
on the opening day of the session of
1909 On that day it was the expressed
hope of members, old and new. of the
Senate and Assembly, that the middle
of April would see the business of the
legislative body 50 well along that they
could adjourn in record time. All the
talk then was of n To-day session. That
was the keynote of the address of Judge
Levi II. Bancroft when he took the AS
sembly speakers chair after his election
to that Office.
Adjournment Still Far Away.
Today the "1oO-day session slogan"
has been lost in the shuttle. Things de-
veloped that We're of greater Importance
and members are going through the daily
grind of sessions and committee meet
ings without much hope of having more
than Il few left of the $500 they received
the opening week of the session when
they go back to the office or the plow.
1t is a fact that some of the mem.
hers are working hard to rush business
and get away from Madison Their
plan, as it came to light this week, is
10 have the big measures considered by
special joint committees during the sum
mer and fall and then report i'll full next
January, at which time the governor
is expected to call special session. But
even with these big measures put out
Of the way, Sidetracked, as it were,
there is little hope that the present SEES
sion will come to an early close.
All Watching Investigation.
The chief factor in the long delays of
course. is the investigating committee.
This body of eight men is the exposure
Il. -l... 1 LAM
is in session it will get the lions share
of attention. Members are forced to
watch it ut the expense of general legls'
lati0n Now the investigation has been
continued until April 10, without any
definite understanding that the commit
tees report must be made by that date;
and there are indications that when
April 10 comes around there will be an
appeal for still more time. If the com
mittee does finish its labors by April
10 it is certain that not much import,
ant legislation will go through until
after that date This fact makes it APP
pear that the session will not come to
an end much before the middle OF May
and even then there will remain for
final action four important subjects Ill
the hands Of special committees.
Makeup of Big Committees.
II is the general understanding that the
committees which are to work tins com.
ing summer and fall will not be named
until things begin 10 look as IL adjourn
ment were near. The reason is obvious.
If the committees were to he named
Immediately there would he an immediate
scramble for places on the four bodies,
with consequent neglect of pending
measures. So it has come 10 be under
stood that the makeup of the commit
tees will not be taken up until some time
in May.
Since Senator +. f. Browne began
work to have his good roads bill put
! through without delay, the subjects to
be considered by the special joint com
mittces have been revised. The topics to
he taken up are aS follows: banking
! laws. guarantee of deposits and other
phases uf the statutes, insome tax. In
duStriai insurance ard state waterways
Why Waterways Were Added.
The addition of waterways to the list
of big subjects to be considered results
from the report of the state conservation
| commission and the unceaSlng efforts OF
several members to point out the value
/ to posterity of these water powers of the
| north In years gone by, dam privileges
| have been given for the asking, PRIV
| lcges worth millions of dollars. Now the
| state is waking up 10 Their real value
! and the danger of tremendous loss WITH
! out lllltlll-tll super ASl'll anu N''''''' 80
! ton.
1t is a fact that DR. McCarthy's ref
erence bureau is busy looking into the
legal phases of this big question and
when a special committee begins its
work the reference library will be wei
! stocked with legal information. Other
/ data on the subject has been gathered
together by the geological survey ano
! the conservation commission.
This uueStiOn of adjournment and q
! snecial session will come up again II
| the Assembly next Monday, the Senate
! having amended the resolution by tax
ing out the highways question and put
| ting in waterways. Under the rules the
amended resolution must lay over tol
! forty-eght hours Until the Assembly
! actually acts upon the resolution there
can be no absolute certainty that the
plan will be carried through, AS out OF
! the hundred members there are many
who do not relish the prospect OF com
ing back without pay in January