Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1911-01-13

ptogifaehI lie says.
Losses due TO industrial accidents to
workHen now fan in the first instance
on the injured employee or in case of
death upon his widow and orphan chill
dren. This burden can be shifted TO the
shoulders of the employer and thus upon
society as whole only by means of
lawsuit As the law now stands, in order
to prevail In such an action. the plaintiff
must show that the injury for which he
seeks redress was due to the negligence
or the employer. Even then his action
fnay be defeated by showing that he was
guilty. or contriputory negligence no mat
ter In how slight degree that the acct
dent was due to the ordinary risks of the
employment which the law says he as
sumed when he went to work, or that II
was Due to the fault of fellow servant
Tested by these rules probably in rot
over fifteen per cent of these personal
injury cases does valid right of action
exist.
The present system which bases the
tight OF recovery IN these cases upon
litigation should so far as possible be
abolished altogether and a system of
| Just. pronpt and certain compensation
OF all wage-earners injured in the course
or their employment should be substi-
tuted for it
1T seems to me that of all plans thus
far put in operation, the German system
- NtiC btSNs II Is compulsory ana TE-
quirss no contribution from employees in
accident cases. So long as the sonstitu-
uoits of the state and nation remain as
thsy are. any system of workmens COM
pehsation established here unlike that of
Germany, cannot be compulsory, but mus
/ be optional or elective. I have faith that
even with this exception and in the face
or constitutional difficulties the ingenr-
" OF the legislative mind win find way
| Tor the enactment Of a statute which
! VIII do for us substantially what the
German law has accomplished"
Conservation of Natural Resources.
''The conservation Of the natural re-
sources of the state is a question of vital
! public interest. 1t Is a comparatively
| new subject having received but little
attention until few years ago. The
| general movement in favor OF conserva-
| ton. nationwide and ai-embracing as 1t
Row is, has found expression in this state
In more sober and sensible attitude rel
alive to the preservation of the fertility
Of the soil. the care OF our forests and
the utilization of our water powers. The
time has come. therefore, for the adop-
ton of definite general policy in Wis
consin concerning these subjects to take
the place of the special and sporadic leg
isiation characteristic of the past
Income Tax.
Governor McGovern recommends that
the proposed sixteenth amendment to the
constitution of the United States, which
confers on congress the power to enact
| an income tax law. be approved. and also
| that state law taxing incomes be en-
! acted. The enactment of such law.
the governor says, will compel men of
great wealth who now in a measure es-
| cape performance of their public obliga-
/ ffODE POOfVfhfsfa 4trcf oh to
ward the support of the government. Con-
| Guiding this subject the executive says:
To what extent an income tax may
become a substitute for our present per-
i sonal property tax. or any part Of it,
| probably time alone and experience In
the administration of such a law can
| tell. Until we have had such experience.
| 1t may be well to proceed with caution
in the matter of the immediate abolition
or Reconsideration of the present personal
property tax"
| The present method of taxing auto
mobiles is. according to the governor ut
terly Inadequate The present plan of
adYalorem taxation Is not adapted to
| them Instead, there should be provsd,
| ed license fee based upon weight or
/ horsepower OF these cars and the rev.
enue should be applied to highway pur-
| poses.
Minerals.
! The taxation of minerals Is a subject
/ which should receive attention and the
| laws relative thereto possible revision.
says the governor. The mineral wealth
of the state under the present law prac-
| tfcally escapes all taxation. This situa-
ton may be met by taxing the lands az
we now do without regard to their min
| eral deposits and then levying Upon the
latter an occupation or privilege tax
when they are mined. proportionate in
value to the emount Of ore removed.
Telephone Companies.
The state treasurer reports that under
the present method of taxing telephone
companies on their gross earnings ffty-
eight companies paid no tax whatever
last year. while forty-flve other COM
| panies paid less than one dollar each.
| The satisfactory results obtained by the
| taxation OF railroads, street car and teIe-
| graph companies on an advaloreIn basis
seem to the governor TO Justify an ex-
| tension of the advalorem system to all
| telephone companies in the state In
| this way these companies will be taxed
| upon a basis just and fair to all and
many thousands of dollars will be added
to the public revenues.
Initiative and Referendum.
| The great task of the time is how TO
make and keep the government really
| representative Of the people. The fnit,a-
| tive, the referendum and the recall have
| been proposed as effective means for ac-
| comprising this result, SAYS the COVER
nor. They have engaged the thoughtful
attention of the entire country. and in
| the recent campaign In this state receiv-
| ed the endorsement OF all political par
! ties
| Concluding an exhaustive discussion OF
these measures, the governor says:
| These measures. intended as they are
| to bring the government closer to the
| people and make II a more flexible in
| strument in their hands for the promo
| ton of the public welfare. cannot be in
| troduced in Wisconsin by mere legisIa-
| tive enactment. Under the constitution
| of this state all legislative power is
vested in the senate and assembly, and
any attempt to confer such power or any
part of IT. upon others. even upon the
! people themselves without an appro-
| pirate amendment to the constitution
would be Intellectual. Believing as 7 do.
| in the wisdom and practicability OF these
reforms most earnestly urge the pas
sage of a Joint resolution by this legisla-
ture for the submission to the people Of
an amendment to Section 1. Article I. Of
the constitution Of this state so drawn
as TO permit the exercise by the people
of the powers to which I have here re-