Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-10-28
VOLUME LII
Three Amendments

Three amendments to the c0nstltu-
tiOn will be submitted to the voters OF
the state at the November election, one
to do away with the decennial census
and providing that the apportionment OF
legislative districts shall be made upon
the basis Of the enumeration by the
national government; one providing that
The compensation Of members OF the leg
islature shall be ST ,OOO instead Of $500;
and a third which authorizes the state
to appropriate moneys for the purpose OF
acquiring, preserving and developing the
waterpOwers and for forests Of the state.
The constitutional provision for the
enumeration of population requires that
1t be made every ten years, and the ten
wear periond fails just five years after
the decennial census by the national
government.
The original constitutional provision
for the compensation OF members OF Ihe
legislature was that each should receive
$3.50 per day and 10 cents per mile, going
and coming by the most usual route. LII
1867 the constitution was amended pro-
viding that the pay should be S3oh per
wear with the 10 cents per mile. In 1881
the pay was again increased to 500 per
year.
The third proposal to be submitted Is
to amend section 10 Of article VIII OF the
constitution This provision is in effect,
that the state shall contract no debt for
works of internal improvement or TO be
a party to the carrying on of such work,
etc.
The legislature of 1908 adopted reso-
luton providing for an amendment TO
allow appropriations for the purpose OF
acquiring, preserving and developing the
forests of the state.
This last proposal was not passed upon
by the last legislature, it being left over
to the special session which 1T was sup
posed, would be called sometime during
1910. No special session has been called,
but Attorney General Gilbert has held
that the question should be submitted
as originally contemplated.
IF no special session of the present
legislature is called then, no matter
what the vote is upon the question, the
amendment fails. If there should be a
special session after the amendment Is
approyed. then it would be a question
for the courts to say whether the adop-
ton by the people should stand.
The first amendment to do away with
the decennial census, is in the interest
of the taxpayers, and the appOrtionment
of legislative districts can be made upon
the basis of the enumeration OF the fed
eral government, and those favorlng the
adoption of the amendment, can make
cross after the words: "FOr the Amend
ment."
The second amendment providing for
the increase of salary of members of the
legislature from $500 to $1,000 is as un-
necessary as it is foolish and extrava-
CANT and should be defeated by very
decisive majority. There will be no
difficulty in securing members OF the
legislature at the present salary, and
should it be doubled, it will not result
in more honest or intelligent men being
chosen as representatives. LII opposed
to the adoption of the amendment, make
cross after the words: Against the
amendment"
The third and last amendment, to
amend the constitution so as to permit
the legislature to make appropriations
of money for the purpose OF acquiring
preserving and developing water powers
and for the forests of the state, will open
the state treasury for an extravagant
use of the peoples money and but feW
will be benefited. 1t looks like gl-
gantic scheme and should be defeated,
and every taxpayer should vote against
it.