Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-06-04
SENATE.
MAY -.

Il to 13.
FRIDAY. MAY 2S
The special order, the Chapple bill, for
the local assessment CT ore docks TAX
en- up on motion Of Senator Randolph
On motion Of Senator Page speeches were
limited to fifteen minutes. The bill was
passed. Senator Whitehead opened In on
position to the bill. He believed the present
bill endangered tie whole fabric of ad
ya!orem law fer rCiuoad taxation. He re
he9rSed the passage of this law, paying
tribute il the course Of his remarks 10 a.
r. Hall, and said the law had been the re-
suit of too much effort. expense and delay
to be icopardizcd 1T this time. The su
prone court had sustained the law. but il
this algcndmGut were grated upon it. It
and fatal step tOwari the destruction of the
al valorem law. Senator Sanborn in sup.
port of the bill sara when there was moth.
ing else to he said on question the con
stitutonality is a'WayS argued. To that
down ad valorcm law Scuattr Sanborn
he would be the trS' to oppose the hi.n
Bur he had 10 such fear. The very TrgiS
laturc of 1901 n&Ct exemptions of certain
railroad property. lie aid not believe tiiI,
because an amendment might be unconSti
tutionHI the Whole saw which had been Is
.ah.ishcd wou be SO held He held it IA
fair that the state received all the tax on
property Which Municipalities had TO pro
tees.
TUESDAY. JUNE l.
Sweeping reforms in primary and general
leCtions are made in the four bills which
were introduced in the Senate today upon
the recommendation of the Senate investi
eating committee which has for many
weeks been probing the recent primary and
general election of United States senator.
The principal bill has to do with the spend
ing of money. Money can be spent only by
candidates themselves or through author.
lied managers and only for rentals. clerical
help at headquarters or homes of candidates
or managers; the printing and distributing
of campaign matter; newspaper adYertis.
ing and travelling expenses.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE >.
Without debate or comment the Senate
cOncurred in the Assembly amendment to
the Randolph joint resolution fixing the
time for final adjournment June l.. All
work must therefore be completed by
about June 6. To hurry legislation a res
OlutiOn by Senator Sanborl was adopted
requiring all committees to report out all
bills within twenty-four hours, except
those in the committee claims. that all
blllS and messages acted upon he Immc-
dlately meSSaged to the Assembly and that
rules interfering with such resolution he
suspended for this session. A new bill
was brought in from the committee on
claims creating the office Of public printer
at Il salary of $1,000 ana providing for Il
clerk at $1,000. The printer shall do much
of the work now done by the commission
ers of printing and shall put all state re
ports in final shape. Instead of the state
commissioners. The bill prCScribeS the
number of blue books and state reports
that shall be printed and cuts out of the
blue book JcferSOn's manual, the lcgiSla-
tive rules and the diagrams of the legis-
lative chambers. After a little debate the
Senate sent to third reading the Neon
nell bill, providing for the adoption by
counties. if they choose, of the so-called
Dunn pocket ballot. Senator Lehr did not
believe in mixing things up. Senators Nor
rts and Martin believed there would be no
hardship in trying it. Senator Hudnall
said the people once rejected it. to which
Martin replied all counties did not. Sen
ator Burke thought it should be first tried
IN the national experiment station of
Oklahoma"
ASSEMBLY.
THURSDAY, MAY o.
By a vote of G3 to 20 the Assembly de-
nvered slap at Gov. Davidson this morn.
ing by overriding his veto of the insurance
committees bill providing for the disposal
or the surplus funds of farmers mutual
fire insurance companies upon dissolution
of the comnanies. The bill was the out
growth of Herman L. Ekern's fight to make
these mutual companies report and also to
provide for division of funds among policy
holders upon dissolution, with interest at
per cent. Any surplus then remaining is
to revert to the state. Assemblyman f. w.
Kubasta of Merrill chairman of the com
mittee on banks and insurance, made a
speech on the veto. Mr.. Kubasta made
crisp, concise arguments that impressed his
hearers, and the result was the governors
veto was ignored for the first time in
years.
FRIDAY, MAY %.
This morning the binder Irvine bills as
passed in the Senate last night were re-
ceiyed in the Assembly. The lower house
received the veXing proposition with aviditv
and made 1t a special order for the after
noon. Parliamentary complications occu-
pied lot of the AsSem5lys time this morn
phases of tho annexation bill. The measure
finally was defeated after the Milwaukee
members had talked AL around the bill, for
and against. Mr. Estabrook chairman Of
the committee on cities, made n brave fight
for passage OF new amendment and for
passage Of the bill. His amendment was
accepted. hut afte- an extended debate in
which the house became involved in diff
culties, the bill was indefinitely postponed
Milwaukee members who spoke on the bill
We're Estabrook, Brockhausen. Brew, Disch
and Dorner, Messrs Brew and Disch speak
ing against the measure The vote by
TUESDAY, JUNE /.
The Milwaukee fire and police bill was
advanced by the Assembly this morning
This means that Chiefs Thomas A. Clancy
and John T. Jansen and the Merchants
and Manufacturers association have lost
their fight. Among the winners are the
nine firemen who were discharged from the
city's service last year and, incidentally
Henry F. Cochems. Adolph J. Kannenberg
and HUH Ryan. The bill, which is a Sen
ate committee substitute for the original
Kleczka measure, was ordered to advance
ment by the Assembly in exactly the same
form as passed by the Senate. In two
three days it will be up for final passage.
There is no absolute assurance that it will
get bv the governor. More amendments
were offered to the bill when 1t came up
this morning as unfinished business held
over from last Saturday but the amend
ments were voted down, the significant vote
being Sc to %, for indefinite postponement
of the amendment.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE ,.
Home rule for Milwaukee was the pass
word in the Assembly this morning and the
bill framed by the charter convention was
advanced 30 to SO. The corrupt practices
act also passed As to 80. An unsuccessful
attempt was made to reconsider the vote
by which the nOn-partiSan election bill was
killed. Both the home rule and the cor
rupt practices bills have passed the Senate
and as soon as the Assembly has taken
final action upon them they will 20 to the
governor. The home rule bill gives Mil
waukee power to adopt or alter regulations
relating to it's own government. The regu
lations are to be enacted by resolutions
adopted by at least twO-thirds of the com
mon council and approved by the mayor,
and then submitted to a vote of the people
at the next municipal election If the
question is adopted by the majority it
takes effect the same month superceding
any conflicting provision Of the law. 1t
on a question submitted to q referendum
must be more than half the total vote at
the last preceding election The initiative
is provided for in the bill, it being set
forth that where petition containing sig
natures Of ) per cent. of the voters on II
resolution is filed with the city clerk the
council may submit the question to the
people. If the petition contains the sigma
lures of 70 per cent, of the voters it be-
comes mandatory upon the council to sub
nit the matter to a vote