Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-05-26
GETTLE INITIATIVE
ACT PASSES HOUSE
Resolution Is Adopted by Assem-
bly, by Vote of SIS to II.
STATE ENTERS RISK BUSINESS
An Amendment to Enable Wisconsin
to Become An Insurance Agent
Is Introduced Into the
Senate.

Madison.-The assembly by q vote
Of So to II, adopted the Gettle initia-
tive and referendum resolution, which
authorizes the people to initiate bills
and constitutional amendments and
to reject any act Of the legislature.
While the resolution was not drawn
to suit the Democrats, several sup
ported it SO as to give the people the
right to vote On the matter.
The PloWman bill, authorizing the
purchase for $4,000 by the university
of two stump pulling machines to be
used in clearing northern farm lands,
and another relating to the manage
ment of the binder Irvine plant at the
Waupun state prison, were ordered
engrossed.
A movement has been started in
the assembly to kill the Gettle bill
providing for the appointment of q
special attorney to act for a district
attorney who refuses to act in excise
cases. This bill was ordered en-
crossed when the assembly, on motion
of Assemblyman Roessler, voted to re-
consider it's previous action.
A proposed constitutional amend
ment to enable the state to go into
the general insurance business-fre,
accident, life, etc.-Was introduced in
the senate this morning by the com
mittee on corporations Of that house,
in the form of a joint resolution.
Present prospects are for the adop-
ton of this proposed amendment by
this legislature, with little opposition.
The resolution specifically provides
that the state may grant annuities or
insurance upon such risks as are pro-
vided for by law and is sufficiently
sweeping as to permit state insurance
of all kinds. The state under statute
is now carrying it's own insurance
upon state buildings, and proposition
is pending before the legislature to
extend this privilege to counties, the
premiums being considerably lower
than those charged by the regular
companies.
The senate good reads bill was
advanced in the assembly by a
vote of ~ to % after Assemblymen
Gettle, Jones and Hull had used up
all their energy to defeat it and sub
stitute in its place the bill recently
put in as a substitute by Assembly,
man Jones of Monroe county, who
was a member of the special joint
committee Of the 1909 legislature.
The ears Of the stay-at-home voter
must have been set aringing by the
senate, which took up a weighty dis
cussion Of the problem Of making citi-
zens exercise their prerogative at the
polls. The debate came up on the
Bosshard bill fixing a poll tax Of So
to be assessed against all males over
the age of twenty-one years who have
failed to vote in the last election pre-
vious to the assessor ent. Most Of the
senators favored the enactment Of
some sort of legislation that would
inspire the Indifferent voter to go to
the polls, but there was a great diff
ference Of opinion as to the best
means of bringing this about. Sena-
tor Gaylord said that the Bosshard
bill was unjust; that it might work a
hardship where the laboring man was
unable to get away to the polls. Sen
ator Sanborn said that he and the
finance committee were opposed to the
bill because it gave a premium to the
citizen for doing his duty. Senator
n Lo4 L.. 81 ~
to bring about the result wished for
and suggested that there were COM
mittees that might deal successfully
with the problem. Motion was made
to rerefer the bill after Senator Blaine
and others had spoken on it, and it
was then laid over to later in the
week.
Under suspension Of the rules the
assembly adopted the Roycraft resolu-
ton directing the secretary of state to
tell the cost of the new capitol.
Notable among the bills passed by
the assembly was the committee bill
prohibiting children under twelve
from selling newspapers on the street
after s p. m. 1t also passed the gun
powder bill which regulates the manu-
facture and storage of powder.
In passing one of the more impor-
tant of the bills recommended by the
special banking committee of the 1909
legislature, the senate has declared a
new state policy of Importance. This
policy, strange as it may seem, takes
account of increasing efficiency of
state employees and contemplates ris-
ing scale of compensation for them.
Ever since the beginning of statehood
for Wisconsin it has been the policy,
in creating positions, to fix the salary
by statute. This rule has been
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