Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-07-12
SOLONS CARRY OUT
PLATFORM PLEDGES
Legislature Has Redeemed, With
One Exception, Every Promise.
WOMAN LABOR BILL SIGNED
Governor Mceovern Approves of Meas
ETE Relating to the Hours of
Work for Women-No Pro-
tests Are Made.

Madison.-The legislature must be
credited with having made good" on
all the platform pledges with one ex
ception, that of the non-partisan bill
All that was done in that line was to
provide for nonpartisan judicial and
school directors elections in Milwau.
kee.
At one time it began to look as
though. in slang parlance, the lsgisla-
ture had bitten off more than It could
chew" Many time did members
express the wish that the platform
had not been SO prolific in promises.
But they We're there and kept plug
ging away and in the end met all,
though 1t took until near the middle
Of July to do it, and the legislature
was in session more days than any
legislature before In the history of the
state
The Fl st thing to pass was the
workmen's compensation act. The bill
prepared by the committee was
pushed through whatever else was on
the boards. Then Mary Ann" had her
inning and sailed through both houses
successfully. Hereafter it will take
week instead of two days or less to
find out who has been nominated at
the primary elections. Then the good
roads bill was crowded through,
though ii had narrow escape in the
assembly.
Then came long delay and the
binder Irvine bill, throwing $780, 900
down a hole, was passed. The home
rule bill followed after a hard fight.
Whether it will hold water or not is
another question. The courts have
the last word on that measure. The
child labor bill was another measure
which had some bad knocks before it
was put in such shape as to be salts
factory to the majority of the men,
bers
The income tax had the harde-e
shedding of all and barely escaped
falling by the wayside. 1t will become
law and it remains to be seen
whether or not it will rSn the gaunt-
let of the courts and what the people
will think about.
The recommendations of Senator La
Toilette and Governor McGovern re-
garding an investigation into the high
cost of living found expression In the
bill providing for the creation Of q
board of public affairs. This bill was
shorn sadly in its passage through
the two houses, but still retains the
feature permitting the board to make
investigation into the cost of produc-
ton and the cost to the consumer
Governor McGovern signed 1042A,
relating to the hours of labor for
women. This bill provides for eight
hours work at night and ten hours
work for days. The governor expect
ed delegation from Milwaukee to ap-
pear before him against the bill, but
the delegation failed to show up and
the governor was forced to sign or
veto the bill, as the limit for execu-
tive consideration of this measure
was up.
Senators Kleczka. Bodenstab and
Weigle of Milwaukee, Republicans,
came to Madison and urged
Governor McGovern to veto the bill
passed by the legislature reapportion
ing the state into senatorial and as
sembly districts. They told the gov
ernor that the reapportionment. so far
as Milwaukee was concerned, was
clearly a gerrymander and they de-
clared that they did not believe the
bill would be constitutional If it be-
came 2 law.
The governor would not say what he
would do regarding the bill, as it had
not yet reached him. He told the
Milwaukee senators that he would
have to be convinced that the bill was
clearly unconstitutional. else he would
sign 1t.
The Legislature may be unable to
adjourn sine die until some time next
week, as the indications now are that
fifty bills may not reach Governor Nc
Govern in time. The governor has six
days after bill reaches him in which
to decide whether he will sign it or
not. He is disinclined to pass the
bills now to come hurriedly.