The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1911-06-30
RECORD SESSION
IS IN PROSPECT
Legislature May Not Adjourn
Until After July 4.
AT SEA OVER INCOME TAX
Apportionment Bill Will Likely Cause
Big Difference of Opinion and
Long Debate-Board of
Public Domain.

Madison, Wis, June 27.-(SpeciaD-
All records for the length of legisla-
tive sessions may be broken by the
Wisconsin legislature now in session
here. Hope has been held out that
the legislature would adjourn sine
die by July 4, but indications are that
the session may last much longer. The
record session which lasted until July
Is stands a good chance OF being bro
ken. The legislature is at sea over
the income tax bill, and the appor-
tionment bill doubtless Will cause q
big difference of opinion and long de-
bate. All of the large appropriations
are yet to be acted upon. While these
are expected to go through in accor-
dance with the report Of the legisla-
tive committee on finance, there is
some grumbling among the country
| members because the university is
getting so much money This indi-
| Gates the possibility of delay over the
large appropriation bills.
The lower house is all confused over
! the income tax bill series of Re-
publican meetings have been held on
this measure.
1t is the purpose of Speaker Ingram
to have the Republican members ad-
just their differences of opinion on
this bill before the bill reaches the
floor of the house. An Indication of
the approach of the end of the session
is the fact that members of both
houses are packing their plumber
boxes with their files and other legis-
lative data and are sending them
! home Some of the members say they
, will go home for good if the session
is not over by July 4.
The Bichler automobile bill passed
the senate This bill increases the Ii
cense for automobiles to SIS and the
license for motor cycles to ST. The
bill fixes the speed limit in cities at
IS miles an hour and at Is miles in
the country The bill covers the en-
tire subject of regulation Of the auto
mobile traffic.
The senate passed a bill creating a
board of public domain composed of
five non-salaried members. This board
! will have charge of the forestry de-
partment and the fish and game de-
partment, each one of which will con-
stitute separate division. An at
tempt to abolish the state game war
den department and shift the duties Of
that department to the fish commits.
sioners. failed The creation Of a
board of public domain it is thought
will save the state money and will
strengthen it's system OF policing.
The assembly passed the big water
power bill relating to the granting of
franchises and the state ownership OF
waterpowers. The waterpower people
| regard the bill as unconstitutional and
will Sake the matter into court. In
order to get an early decision on the
law the bill was amended so that ex-
listing franchises will be repealed six
months after the enactment of the
bill.
/ The Yockey bill to furnish 60 cent
gas to the city of Milwaukee hit a
snag in the assembly the other day
while the author of the bill was out
of the city. Because the railroad COM
mission was created to investigate the
question of rates it was argued that
if Milwaukee wanted cheaper gas it
ought to take the matter up with the
commission 1t was pointed out that
an application already had been made
to the commission to investigate the
business affairs of the Milwaukee Gas
Light company with view of lower
ing the rate in the Cream city. 1t
was contended that until the commits
sion has had opportunity to pass upon
this application and conduct an lnves-
tigation it would be reflection upon
that body for the legislature to pass
bill lowering the rate. The bill was
killed, but MIR. Jockey says he will
ask to have the matter reconsidered.
= x
After a long, hard fight the bill to
lower the taxes paid by the North
western Life Insurance company was
killed in the senate. Friends OF the
bill charged that the company was be-
ing held up, but the senate failed to
| view the matter in that light. While
there was some disposition on the
part of several members of the upper
i house to lower the taxes of the COM
| pany, the bill failed because the legis-
lature has appropriated such large
sums that it was not considered good
business judgment to make any reduc-
! tons in the source of income.
\ X
Wisconsin is going about the estab-
Iishment of a forest reserve in con-
servative manner The bill to ap-
propriate 100000 annually for ten
wears to purchase land for forest
reserve received rough treatment in
the lower house, Speaker Ingram lead
ing the fight against the proposed ST.
O0O 600 appropriation. When the as
! con,hlv finally got through with the