River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-06-29
TAX FERRET BILL
KILLED IN SENATE
Measure Is Defeated by Vote of
TWenty-three to Eight.
PLAN FOR SALARY RAISES
Mahon Joint Resolution for an Investi-
CATION Of the School Book Prob
lem Is Adopted In the
Assembly.

Madison.-In view of the largest lob
by that has ever invaded the legislative
halls, the senate killed the tax ferret
bill. The senate gallery was we'll
filed with lobbyists, many of whom
have been here for several days, while
each of the two little doors leading
into the chamber was crowded with
perspiring lobbyists who hung on to
every word Of the debate and carefully
kept tab on the roll calls. Little
mercy was shown this bill intended
to catch tax dodgers" The measure
got only eight votes. Here Is the
roll call:
For the bill: Bosshard, Gaylord,
Husting, Martin, Owen, Randolph,
Sanborn, zophy-S.
Against the bill: Alberc. Bishop,
Blaine, Bodenstab, Burke, Browne,
Donald, Hoyt, James, Killeen, Krum-
rey. Linley, Lyons, Perry, Scott,
Shower, Teasdale, True, Thomas,
Weigle, White, Whitehead, Wright
%.
Absent: Kleczka, Lehr-2.
The joint finance committee report
few state departments. The bill con-
tains clause permitting the govern
nor, secretary of state and state
treasurer to pass upon emergency
cases where extra help is needed for
short period. 1t also reported in
the industrial education bill. This
bill has been combined with the other
bill for the acceptance by the state
of the Stout school at Menominee. For
the coming year 100000 is appro-
priated for state aid in the industrial
educational schools wherever located,
while $135,000 is given for the sue
ceeding year. The same committee
recommended for passage the public
domain bill for merging Of the state
forestry and fish and game depart
ments.
Despite efforts to kill it by amend
ments, the Mahon joint resolution for
an investigation of the school book
problem was adopted in the assembly.
The resolution creates commission
vestigation into the question Of school
book prices in Wisconsin as compared
with prices in other states.
The assembly non-concurred in the
BOdenstab optometry bill without de-
bate and adopted the Roycraft substi-
tute to Senator Martins general nom
partisan election bill. Richler, Schwel-
bach and Kahn opposed the provision
for the calling by the governor of a
primary in case of the sudden vacancy
in Wisconsin's representation in the
senate. The vote by which the bill
was advanced was on strict party
lines, the final vote for advancement
being 46 to 8. Senator True's bill
placing the dairy and food commits
sioner in charge of the inspection Of
weights and measures was engrossed.
The senate coup Of last week by
which the upper house passed a bill
calling for a statewide referendum on
the subject of a bank deposit guaran-
tee law was overcome in the assembly
when it refused by a vote Of AZ to 33
to concur in the measure.
After cutting down the appropria-
ton from 100000 per year for ten
years to $4,000 for the same period,
the assembly advanced the senate bill
providing for the purchase of lands in
northern Wisconsin for reforestation
purposes. The speaker, aided by a
number of northern Wisconsin mem
bers, fought down an amendment re-
stricting the amount per acre that
might be paid for lands for the for
est reserve for four dollars.
The assembly smothered the COM
panion bill by the special committee
on forestry and water powers, provid-
ing for the burning of slash under
supervision, and this gives an indica-
ton of how the lower house is likely
to treat the other bills relating to
forest fire patrol which have just
passed the senate.
In passing the bill to permit local
taxation of railroad dock property in
the great lakes cities, measure de-
sired principally by the city of SUI
perior, the senate duplicated the ac-
ton Of a previous legislature and
probably settled for the first time a
controversy that has ragged ever since
the law providing for the lad valorem"
taxation of railroads by the state was
passed. This action marks the first
real inroad upon the policy of Wiscon-
sin to consider railroad property as a
unit, a policy which long has been re-
garded as part of Wisconsin's pro-
gressive idea. The bill was passed
by a vote of IA to 8, all of the senators
from the lake port districts except