Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-05-24
WHELAN MEASURE
KILLED IN HOUSE
Bill That Might Protect the
BLACK Hand" Defeated.
TO DECREASE FOREST FIRES
Joint Resolution May Be Introduced
in the Assembly Calling for a
Legislative investigation Into
the Dietz Episode.

Madison.-The specter Of the BLACK
Hand" society caused the lower house
o. the Wisconsin legislature to kill the
Whelan bill, making it a criminal Of
tense to publish tha secret ritual or
work of any fraternaI organization.
Assemblyman NeWcom Spoor of
Green Lake county, who lives near
granite quarries where hundreds of ST
cilians work, said the Whelan bill. if
it passed, would practically prevent
the authorities from getting any infor-
nation about the operation of the
Black Hand" in Wisconsin.
A bill introduced in the senate pro
hibits setting any fire in the northern
part of the state, except for warming
persons and cooking food, between
April 1 and November /, unless per
mission is given in writing by the
county fire warden, the fire patrol. or
a justice of the peace, The bill is in
tended to protect that part of the state
against forest fires. Another bill re-
quires locomotives and engines of all
kinds to be equipped with spark ar
rosters, closed freboxes and ashpans.
A third bill appropriates $3.50, 900 an
nually for ten years for the purchase
of additional forest reserve Ian3.
Bills were recommended for passage
requiring hotels, railway companies
and proprietors of other public places
to furnish their places with cuspidors
and Individual towels
Assemblyman Thomas Mahon intro
duced a bill for a commission to super.
wise the state labor department, and
all industrial agencies in the state and
administer the industrial accident law
recently passed. The bill permits
girls sixteen years Of age and over to
work in factories. The minimum age
limit now is eighteen years.
The income tax bill. pending in the
assembly, is to be amended so as to
tax corporations at the same rate as
private persons, and to allow taxes
paid on personal property to be Offset
against an income.
There is a possibility of the
introduction in the assembly at an
early date of a joint resolution calling
for the legislative investigation into
the Dietz episode. from the time
Dietz's troubles first began and in
Guiding his trial and conviction on the
charge of murder.
The matter has been discussed by
Social Democratic members, and the
representatives of that party here will
confer soon on the adyisability of
seeking probe.
Individually, many members of the
house, particularly those in the So
cialist fold, feel that Dietz's guilt was
not conclusively established at the
trial, and that he was virtually rail.
roaded." 1t is also believed by some
members that Dietz is mentally unbal
anced and that if given an opportun-
fly, properly qualified counsel could
secure a new trial in which insanity
might be pleaded.
Two years ago. a joint resolution
calling upon the officials of Sawyer
county to dismiss the indictments and
withdraw the warrants against Dietz
was introduced by Assemblyman Daub
( of Eau Claire, a Republican. This
m aasure was defeated in the lower
/ house by close vote of AZ to 40.
Since that time much has happened In
the 0ietz imbroglio.
Aihering TO their platform pledge,
the senate Republicans advanced the
Mcconnell second choice primary bill.
known these many years as the Mary
/ Ann" bill Three members made
! speeches, Senators Whitehead. San
/ born and Gaylord. In the end the
vote was Is to . for the bill, the cp-
| ponents being Albers. Burke. Gaylord,
! James. Randolph, Shower, Thomas.
Whitehead, Zophy and Lyons.
The senate passed the assembly bill
| limiting the hours Of work on public
| buildings to eight except In extreme
emergencies such as fire, food or
war. Senator Sanborn presented the
/ resolution for advancement OF bust
ness and It was referred to the calen-
dar. The senate passed the bill ma
/ king the insurance commissioner an
appointive officer. the vote being ~
4 20 10.
Troop A of the Wisconsin National
Guard may get an additional appropri-
alton of $500 after all The bin
which has had such hard shedding for
two months came up in the assembly
again, and was advanced, the decisive
vote being Al 10 IS. Roessler led the
fight against the bill on point Of or
der. Brockhausen and Weber, Social
/ Democrats. oppo ed reconsideration Of
Z he