Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-01-27
STATE EYES
LEGISLATURE
One Effect OF Resolution by
Senator HnSting.
UNITED STATES SENATOR

Important Matter Now Before the leg
isiature for settIement-Attorney
General Gilbert Recommends a Leg.
lsiatiVe Investigation of the State In
surance Department--Senator James
Relates Some Thrilling Experiences
New Form of Government.
Madison. Wis. Jan. 26.--This is the
day when. under the constitution, the
two houses of the legislature must
begin balloti1g for United States SEN
ator. Under the practice each house
votes separately at noon the first day
and jointly at noon each day there
after until there is an election. In
Difference to the Democrats. both
houses met at o'clock this morning
that there might be some blowing of
OF steam on the resolution for an in
vestigation Of the amount of money
expended by the candidates in the sem
atorial primary election, which was de-
manded by the Democrats In joint res
olutlon presented last week In both
houses
This resolution was the cause of q
call of the house in the senate, brought
about by Senator Husting. and which
was in force for over twenty-four
hours, but failed to produce the result
desired. that of putting each member
Of the senate on record on the investi-
CATION proposition.
While Senator Husting did not 81 3
ceed in doing this. he perhaps acco,o
plished the end desired In creating a
dramatic situation ard focusing the in
terest Of the state upon the legislature
and the enormous amount OF money
expended in primary campaigns OF the
state at the present time 1t Is doubt
full II he hoped TO get the senate to
vote for an investigation. but wanted
TO have an opportunity to embarrass
the party in power and finding that
an opportunity for speaking would pre-
sent itself today thought the occasion
then as good as any. since there
seemed no apparent likelihood of there
ever being any serious danger to the
reelection Of Senator Stephenson.
insurance investigation.
In connection with this ubject of in
vesiigations It is interesting TO note
that Attorney General Gilbert has rec
commended legislative investigation
Of the state Insurance department, fol-
! lowing charges filed by M w Waite,
/ formerly deputy insurance commission
/ er, who was deposed by the selection
| of former Speaker II L. Ekern on
| January 1. Governor Davidson will
transmit the documents to the Iegis-
| lature later in the week in the form
| OF a special message.
EARLY this week Assemhlyman Frank
Hammil of Superior will introduce
| resolution for constitutional amend.
ment to limit the length Gf the ses-
sions TO one hundred days.
| As a result of an Investigation he
! has discovered that the members OF
the legislature do not begin active
work until spring makes fits appear
ance He abhors loaiing legislators,
and as an indication Of the amount OF
work that can be done in short time,
cites the fact that l25 bills were passed
! in two days at the session Of two years
ago Senator SanborE would limit ses-
| gions to one hundred days by legisla-
! tive enactment As n result of reso-
luton presented by him last week
/ Joint committee has been appointed to
| devise means to expedite business
The preliminaries Of this committee
| program provides that individual MEM
! bers cannot Introduce bills after Feb
| fuary G. Committee bills under the
! plan will be received two weeks later
| IL germane to the subject for which
| the committee was created. His plan
| would close legislative business April
g. A special session Of the legislature
is being already advocated The sub
jects Of industrial insurance, state aid
for highways and the income tax may
be Investigated by committees and con-
s.lered al a short session called by the
governor IN about year
Commission Form Of Government.
Among he lit bills already drafted
by the legislative reference library at
the request OF the legislators Is bill
to give Wisconsin cities the option of
adopting the commission form Of gov
ernment now In operation in nine diff
ferent states. So favorably has the
/ plan been received In Madison that
meeting Of citizens has been called for
this evening to banquet and discuss
the advisa ty OF asking the legisla-
| ture to pass such a law. The plan was
defeated two years ago when presented
by Senator Noble. but further expert
ence with the system in ths country.
and particularly at Des Moines, has
! created more sentiment for 1t.
Tire bill will provide for the aboli-
tion of the present common councils
and the election at large Of five COM
nnissioners gho act In both legislative
and executive capacities. It also pro-
yides for recall II any member is un-
satisfactory.
Jsmcp Tells His Experiences.
Anent his experiences in being con-
fned in the senate chambel under the
call Of the house last week, Senator
James had some interesting observa-
tions 10 make. Il was once confined
in Andersony yille," he said, "once
thrown in Jail and once arrested for
an anarchist, but to he locked NJ here