The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1911-02-10
Changes viii Have To Be Made
for New Building.
BLOW AT UNIVERSITY REGENTS
6iil to Abolish the Board introduced
in the Legislature by Assembly
man HuII-Currupt Prac-
tees Bill Submitted.

for building adequate to the needs
of the state. Less than $4,000 900 al
ready has been spent in the erection
of the great white statehouse, and the
legislature has gone on record that
the original plans will not do and
that changes will have to be made.
Wisconsin has adopted a system of
Joint hearings on all measures OF
large public interest and Importance.
These hearings are held in the assem-
bly, chamber With the members of
the lower house occupying their GUS
tomary places and the senators seated
in chairs in the main and side aisles
there is little room for visitors who
desire places on the main floor so that
they may hear the discussion and take
part in it if they see ft.
In fact, the assembly chamber is
not considered large enough, and it
also is feared that the senate cham
Der will likewise prove too small.
Both houses adopted a joint resOlu-
ton calling upon the capitol building
commission to provide more suitable
quarters for the assembly. 1t is pro-
posed to make the present assembly
the senate and to arrange for new
assembly. There is considerable dis
appointment among the members be-
cause the original plans were not so
drawn as to provide adequate legisla
tive halls. Some seem to think that
changes at this time may make a
botch job of the building.
+ i +
Assemblyman Hull stirred up
hornets nest when he introduced a
bill which has most important bear
ing upon Wisconsins educational sys-
tenn. The measure would abolish the
university board of regents, the nor
NAL school of regents and the state
mining board and substitute one cen
trail board of five members, the an
nual salary of each member to be S.
900. The administrative power of this
body would cover the entire educa-
tiOnal system of the state. Mr.. Hull
will present the theory that the regents
have become powerful political forces
in the state. Each board Is ambi-
tious for the growth and expansion
of it's particular department of the ed
vocational system. Large appropria-
lions are made and important taVors
are granted. The result is. ne says
that the real American school. rural
and graded, is all but lost sight of
and is neglected.
BY taking the board out of politics
and paying big men good salaries, he
believes the state would save money
and would add much strength to it's
educational system. President Charles
r. Van Hise is regarded as something
of a clever politician as we'll as a no
ted educator and he, 1t is said, will
oppose the measure. In fact there is
such influential opposition, poll
tical and otherwise, to such a bill
that only a man of Mr.. Hulls honest
convictions and courage would intro
duce it. He intends to make hard
fight on the floor of the house when
the bill comes up for discussion.
The income tax bill discussion is de-
veloping some interesting views as
to the administration of the income
tax if the proposed bill becomes a law.
Assemblyman Strouf of Manitowoc
has taken the position that the asses
sors to be appointed ought to be local
men, and he believes specific clause
to that effect ought to be written into
the bill. Nils p. Haugen and George
Curtis Jr., of Madison, members of
the state tax commission, who have
addressed the legislature at the joint
hearings, are strongly opposed to res
ldent assessors for the reason that To-
cal assessors have failed in the past
because of local influence and wire
pulling. 1t is quite likely that the
final bill will dodge this issue by Civ
ing the state tax commission certain
discretion in the matter of discharging
an assessor who does not seem to be
rendering the most efficient service.
Assemblyman Chris Hansen Of Mar
inette expressed the fear that under
: certain appointive power given to the
state tax commission in the present in
come tax bill that perpetual political
machines may be built. He said that
in time, perhaps, the tax commission
would be legislating for the legislature
instead of the legislature legislatiug
for the tax commission and the people
of the state. The hearings on the bill
will continue for several days. The
impression prevails that an income tax
law will be enacted, but it looks as
though changes will be made in the
bill as it has been presented.
4 \ !.
AS the days &c on a keener local in
terest is being manifested in the so
called workmen's compensation act.
The wide application of the proposed
act, not only to employees in the fac
tories but those on the farms and in
the homes, brings the proposed act di-
rectly to nearly every fireside. This
condition is said to have had some
what of an alarming effect upon citi-
zens of relatively small means, like
farmers, as a rule. The bill now be-