The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1911-06-09

from a business standpoint the whole
proposition gave out the odor Of
mackeral thrown on dry land to die
In it's platform the Republican party
pledged the passage OF bill provid-
ing for a state binder Irvine plant and
it was a foregone conclusion that the
bill would go through, no matter how
bitterly it was opposed by the Demo-
Gratis
The assembly early in the session
talked itself cut on the bill to create
a teachers retirement and pension
fund and the oill was concurred in
without word of debate While this
is considered Republican measure it
does not have the support of all Of
the Republicans. Assemblyman Frye
of Eau Claire was among the progress
sives who were against the bill
Speaker Ingram has been special
izing in the role of peacemaker with
much success The assembly was in a
hopeless tangle over the Hanson bill
dropping the bars relating to the en-
ployment of child labor in canning
factories during the months of July
and Angus the rush season, when he
came to the rescue with an amend
ment that cleared the skies His
amendment provides that no child
shall be employed more than - hours
day and more that six days week
the total work for the week not to
exceed so hours, in the canning fac
tories of the, state during the busy
season of July and August Again
the speaker appeared as the peacema-
ker when the Democrats demanded
that the so-called 20 per cent law be
wiped out This law compelled can
didates in the primary to poll 90
per cent party vote in order to get on
the ballot Urde~ the Mary Ann or
second choice bill recently advanced,
the 20 per cent was reduced to 10 per
cent, but that was not satisfactory to
the Democrats. who charged that Sen
ator LaFollette had admitted in pub
lie campaign speeches that the law
was unjust Speaker Ingram poured
oil on troubled waters with an amend
ment providing that in order TO get
on the ballot at the general election
a candidate in the primary must re.
ceive votes double the number of
signers required upon nomination pa
pers That was satisfactory to the
Democrats, and the amendment was
adopted.
Two amendments to the Husting
bill relating to the election of United
States senators by the direct vote Of
the people adopted in the assembly
failed to make hit in the senate
The senate refused to accept the
amendments and SO informed the as
sembly in message. The lower
house however, refused to recede
from it's position and committee on
conference will be appointed to dis
cuss the matter One of the amend
ments really strikes at the very pur-
pose of the bill and defeats the d.
rect" election idea 1t provides that
candidate for the state legislature
shall retain the right to vote for a
party candidate even if the popular
choice of the people is clearly defined
at the polls 1t was impossible to get
this amendment tackled onto it. but
the senate promptly turned down the
bill in it's amended form
X \ J.
The bronze medallion of A R. Hall,
one of Wisconsin's pioneer reformers.
has been resurrected and will be hung
in the assembly chamber When the
dome of the old capitol was torn down
some workman who had not heard the
story of A. r. Hall ana his inspiring
leadership in the days when reform
was not winning issue in this state,
threw the medallion into the junk
pile It was saved in the nick of
time and the assembly has asked that
it be hung in a CONSPICUOUS place in
the legislative hall
4 X \
One of the few remaining excise
bills before the assembly is the Han
son bill providing that male students
entering the University Of Wisconsin
shall sign pledge to abstain from the
use of strong drinks during the uni
versity course. The penalty for vic
lating the pledge is expulsion from
the university, The bill was reported
out by the committee on excise and
fees. While the legislature may try
to have fun with the bill It Is a GER
tainty that the measure will be killed
Another and important bill relating 70
the liquor traffic has been killed Il
is the Gettle bill authorizing the ap-
pointment of special counsel to act in
the place of district attorneys who re-
fuse to enforce the excise laws
X X 4
The Mahon joint resolution calling
upon congress to make postmasters
act as censors to see that no cam
paign literature is distributed in this
state in violation Of the Wisconsin