Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-01-18

S4A0uiNNAS VI 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
OF the employer. Even then his action
may be defeated by showing that he was
sullty OF contrlbutory negligence no mat
yer IN now slight degree, that the acct
tent was due to the ordinary risks of the
employment which the law says he as
suIhed when he went to work, or that it
vas que TO the fault of a fellow servant.
TESTED by these rules probably in not
over hfteen per cent. of these personal
injury cases does a valid right of action
THE present system which bases the
iiSht or recovery in these cases upon
HlGaton should so far as possible be
apohshed altogether and a system Of
JUST, prompt and certain compensation
OF al wage-ea1ners injured IN the course
OF their employment should be subsi-
tuted for it.
1T seems to me that of all plans thus
far put in operation, the German system
Is the best. 1t is compulsory and re-
cures no contribution from employees in
accident cases. So long as the constitu-
uons OF the state and nation remain as
lhey are, any system of workmen's COM
pehsatfon established here unlike that of
De optional or elective. I have faith that
even with this exception and in the face
OF constitutional difficulties, the ingenu-
" or the legislative mind will find a way
lot the enactment of a statute which
VIII do for us substantially what the
German law has accomplished"
Conservation Of Natural Resources.
1.-THE conservation of the natural re-
sources Of the state is question of vital
public interest 1t is comparatively
new subject, having received but little
attention until a few years ago. The
general movement in favor of conserva-
ton, nationwide and all-embracing as it
now is, has found expression in this state
In a more sober and sensible attitude rel
ative 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
islation 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
acted. The enactment of such a law,
the governor says, will compel men Of
great wealth who now in a measure es-
cape performance of their public obliga-
tons to contribute their just share to-
ward the support Of the government. Con-
Guiding this subject the executive says:
ITO what extent an income tax may
become substitute for our present per-
sonal property tax, or any part Of it,
probably time alone and experience in
the administration Of such q law can
tell Until we have had such experience.
it 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
advalorem taxation is not adapted to
them. Instead, there should be provid-
ed a 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,
of the state under the present law prac-
tically escapes all taxation. This situa-
ton may be met by taxing the lands as
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 amount of ore removed.
Telephone Companies.
The state treasurer reports that under
the present method of taxing telephone
companies on their gross earnings, fifty
i
last year. while forty-five other com
panies paid less than one dollar each
The satisfactory results obtained by the
taxation of railroads, street car and tele-
graph companies on an advaIorem 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 viii be taxed
upon basis lust and fair to all and
manv thousands of dollars viii 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 initia-
tive. the referendum and the recall have
been proposed as effective means for ac-
complishing this result. says the COVER
nor They have engaged the thoughtful
attention of the entire country and in
ed the endorsement of al! 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 it more flexible in
strument in their hands for the promo
ton of the public welfare cannot be in
troduced in Wisconsin by mere legfsla-
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 I do,
in the wisdom and precticability of these
reforms I 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 4. of
the constitution OF this state, so drawn
as to permit the exercise by the people
Of the powers 10 which have here re-
ferred.'
The governor next takes up the subject
of home rule for cities. On this subject
he says:
Every consideration of good citizen
ship. efficient local administration and
wise public policy suggests a change in
this regard. and the enactment of Iegis-
lation which will confer upon cities full