The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-01-12
Ing Imprisonment and disqualification o.
candidates for public office"
Workmen's Compensation Act.


candidates for public Office
Workmen's Compensation Act.
The executive declares that demand
has grown up for a more enlightened and
humane system of compensating work
men injured in the course OF their en-
ployment, He says:
LOSSES due to Industrial accidents to
workmen now fall in the first instance
on the injured employee or in case or
death upon his widow and orphan chill
dren This burden can be shifted to the
shoulders of the employer and thus upon
society as a whole only by means OF a
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 defeate by showing that he was
guilty OF contrlbutory negligence no mat
ter In how slight degree. that the accl-
dent was due to the ordinary risks of the
employment which the law says he as
sumed when he went to work, or that 1t
was due to the fault of fellow servant.
Tested by these rules probably In not
| over fifteen per cent. Of these personal
| injury cases does valid right Of action
exist.
THE present system which bases the
right or recovery in these cases upon
abolished altogether and system or
just, prompt and certain compensation
| OF all wage-earners injured In the course
of their employment should be subsu-
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-
quires no contribution from employees In
| accident cases. SO long as the constitu-
| lions Of the state and nation remain as
| they are, any system OF workmen's com
| pensation established here, unlike that OF
! Germany, cannot be compulsory, but must
| be optional or elective. l have faith that
| even with this exception and In the race
OF constitutional difficulties. the tnsenu-
! ~ OF the Legislative mind will find a way
for the enactment of a statute which
Will do for us substantially what the
| German law has accomplished
Conservation Of Natural Resources.
"The conservation of the natural re-
sources Of the state Is a question Of vital
public interest 1t is a comparatively
new subject, having received but little
attention until a few years ago The
general movement in favor of COnserva-
| ton nationwide and all-embraclng as 1t
now is has found expression in this state
| in a more sober and sensible attitude rel
| alive 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 a 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
,,,, tI.s., tgh
| confers on congress the power to enact
an income tax law, be approved. and also
! that a state law taxing incomes be en-
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-
! lions 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 IL,
probably time alone and experience In
! the administration of such a 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 Redistribution 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-
! cd 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,
! says the governor. The mineral wealth
! 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 levylng 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 fiftv-
| eight companies paid no tax whatever
| last year. while forty-fve 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 advalorem 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 will be taxed
upon a basis just and fair TO all and
MANY thousands of dollars will 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
/
| comprising this result, says the COVER
nor They have engaged the thoughtful
attention OF the entire country. and in
! the recent campaign In this state receiv-
| ed the endorsement OF all political par
| ties.
Concluding an exhaustive discussion Of
| these measures, the governor saws.
These measures intended as they are
! to bring the government closer to the
| people and make It a more flexible i'm
strument in their hands for the promo
| ton OF the public welfare cannot be in
| troduCed in Wisconsin by mere legisla-
| tive enactment. Under the constitution
OF this state. all legislative power is
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 7 do
In the wisdom and practicability Of these
reforms, ! most earnestly urge the pas
sage OF a Joint resolution by this legisla-
ture for the submission to the people OF