Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-06-16
PERSPECTIVE OF $50 DAYS OF law
MAKING AND IMPORTANT RESUL is
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The forty-ninth regular session OF
the Wisconsin legislature closed its
business last night after exactly $50
days of session although the day OF
final adjournment is yet unsettled.
The receipt of messages from either
house and action upon the correc-
ton of bills, etc., are all that re-
main until the governor has had full
time for the consideration of bills
submitted to him and final adjourn
ment is reached. This legislature
passed few measures of statewide
Importance but the fever for inves-
LEGATIONS has grown until now, with
final adjournment almost in sight,
two special committees, representing
the senate and the assembly, are
preparing to enter upon further IN
vestigations of men. departments
and corporations and along widely
diverse lines. OF course United
States senator was elected.
OF the 1850 bills introduced over
half were killed by indefinite post
ponement in the house in which
they originated Inconvenience
weeded out many of the others and
of the acts which were left the bulk
will be found to be local or technic-
al in character.
The legislature was remarkable
really for what it did not do rather
than for what it did. It's members
were busy playing politics and the
great measures of the session were
all laid over to a special session
to be called in January next.
Investigations.
The legislature o. 1909 spent much
time in investigating republican pri-
mary campaigns, in passing appro-
priation bills and measures chang
ing the time of holding court in dit
ferent circuits. It's most notable
achievement probably was the re-
lection of the county option propo-
sition. 1t did nothing to modify
the liquor laws, by county option.
high license or the passage of the
Austin bill for the revocation of IL
cense by state commission. 1t with
held home rule from Milwaukee, de-
cided against non-partisan elections
and passed not a single Milwaukee
charter convention bill
1t did not pass a bill for separate
party primaries in accordance with
~ 1o.+ e+o+a ,1lotforYo and the rec
concentrations of Governor Davidson.
II did nothing in the direction of good
roads. of insurance of bank deposits.
of providing the state with a settled
policy relating to waterways and dam
franchises, of formulating an income
tax or providing for industrial acct
dent insurance. These big questions
all were put over to the special ses-
sion; but if some of them should fail
even then many good people would
rejoice.
Whitehead's Achievement.
In the line of achievement Senator
Whiteheads bill permitting cities OF
the state outside of Milwaukee to
adopt the commission form of govern
ment probably ranks first in the work
of the legislature. The Stout teach
ers' pension and retirement fund act,
the Sanborn uniform divorce measure,
the Martin bill providing for state ro-
tat'on of names on the ballot, the act
regulating midwifery, the Mcconnell
Damn coupon ballot bill and the Ingram
bill extending the powers of the rail-
ioad rate commission by providing
that no increase infreight rates may
he made by a railroad without 80
DAYS notice to the commission, are
among the other measures of state in
terest.
Milwaukee Measures.
The passage of the Milwaukee bill
providing for a hearing before finaf
discharge from the Milwaukee fire
and police department the passage OF
new tenement house act which is
expected to stand up before the SUI
preme court, the teachers pension
tund act for cities of the first class
which replaces that adjudged uncon
stitutional in Milwaukee. the creation
of county civil court and the prac'
-ical abolition of Justice courts in
Milwaukee county by limiting the jur
isdiction of justices and placing them
l,pon a nominal salary, the act IN
C. easing the rate for school taxation
and the bills giving Milwaukee the
submerged lands along its water
front on Lake Michigan. are chief IN
Importance among the hundred or sc
of acts relating particularly to Mil
waukee.
fractional Lines Tense.
The end of the session finds party
5 lines in a more chaotic condition than
por years past. even in Wisconsin
Factional'sm has been rife and bitter