Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-06-16
BILLS BEFORE
THE GOVERNOR
CONTINUED FROM FIRST pAGE)

kion form OF munIclpaI government, ,
/ the bill making possible teachers re.
tirement fund. which includes an ap-
| preparation of SS0,000 from the gener.
al fund of the state: the measures
which define the functions and duties
Of trust companies doing business in
/ the state; the measure giving larser
powers to the railroad rate commits.
sion; the bill regulating the building OF
tenement houses.
A large number of measures affect
I ing Milwaukee, were introduced and
while a great number of them We're
enacted into law. the most important
I ones We're rejected by the legislature.
The usual discord between the mem
beers of the Milwaukee delegation
caused the defeat of the so-called
charter convention bills. the measure
for home rule, the bill for nonpartisan
/ municipal elections and the corrupt
practices act, which were drawn up by
the official Milwaukee charter eonven-
tion and which were favored by posi-
bly, an overwhelming majority Of NH
Yankees citizens.
Bills That Were Killed.
OF chief interest among the bills
killed was the so-called Marsh coun-
ty option bill. On the whole the ex.
else bills or measures affecting the
saloon question in the state took up a
large part of the time of the legisla.
ture. The opposing sides on the sa-
loon question. the temperance people
led by the Anti-Saloon league. and the
brewery interests, submitted two big
bills TO the Legislature, namely the
county option measures and the bill for
state commission for the revocation
OF saloon licenses and for the general
supervision of the liquor trade in the
state, Both bills failed OF passage.
Other important bills rejected were:
The bills for the completion of the
binder twine plant in connection with
the state prison at Waupun, which
caused one of the greatest fights be,
fore the legislature; the so-called re-
call and the initiative and referendum
bills, which had for their chief advo-
Gates the Social Democratic members
of the legislature; the bill for a refer,
endum on the question of woman suf-
frage; the Twesme bill for a closed pri-
mary.
One important measure was de
feated through the veto of the gov
ernor. This was the so-ca;led Chapple
ore dock bill, which proviyed for
local taXtion Of railroad ore docks.
The argument used against this meas
ure was that it was an assault on the
ad valorem system of state railroad
taxation.
Closing Sessions Lively.
The closing sessions Friday even.
ing were marked by many dramatic
and melodramatic Incidents In
spirit of fun the senate adopted a reso-
luton introduced by Senator J. W.
Thomas, of Chippewa Falls. calling for
a joint legislative committee investl-
cation of the means, pecuniary and
otherwise, by which was accomplished
the defeat of the state prison binder
Irvine plant bills" The resolution was
defective formally, but Speaker Ban
at length. for" said the speaker,
these senate messages and resolu-
tions have a certain literary value"
Then Speaker Bancroft with feeling
denounced the senate for the insult it
had handed out to the assembly for
sending resolution practically ac-
cusing a coordinate branch of the
state government of bribery and dis
honesty On motion of Assemblyman
Cleary the resolution was returned to
the senate without action.
In similar spirit the assembly killed
the senate resolution providing that
the governor discharge or demand the
designations from all state employees
shown by the senatorial primary in.
vestigation to have taken or used cam
paign money.
On this measure Assemblyman Cleary
remarked that the corpse of investiga.
ton had been stalking around the leg
islature long enough. Assembly Bray
said such a resolution would work an
injustice in some cases. AssembIyman
Hambrecht declared that the senate
ought TO know better than to propose
such action after all the evidence had
been certified to the attorney general
and governor and civil service com
mission with full power 10 act and
deal out justice. Speaker Bancroft
referred to the resolution as plain I'm
pertinence on the part of the senate.
Conference committee reports on the
fish and game bills were adopted and
also on the inheritance tax bill the
on the latter measure Civ
ing the counties 71k per cent of the
tax collected.
Got Its Bills Back.
After the assembly had voted TO re.
fer the bills OF the senate investigating
to the special session of the
legislature in the senate substitute
embodying the provisions Of the inves.
tigating committees bills was intro
duced in the form Of committee bill
and referred to the senate invest'-
eating committee. In this way the
senate got its bills back despite the
Of the assembly to return the
bills. Without opposition the assem- |
bly, voted to refer the bills of the in
vestigating committee TO the special !
session. after joint resolution nv
1ir. Bray, former chairman Of The joint |
committee. had been con.
Cured in by the senate. providing that |
The entire subject Of the investigation. !