The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-06-08
THINKS BILL CONSTITUTIONAL
Provisions of the New Law Which Will
be Published Today Make it Most
Stringent Passed by Any State in
the Union.

announced that Governor f. E. Nc
Govern has affixed his signature to the
Kenosha county bill providing for the
regulat ton of the manufacture of pow
der in the state and the bill will become
a law by publication this afternoon
The bill has been in the hands of the
governor since it was passed by the
assembly two weeks ago and he has
been carefully considering the bill
along lines of constitutionality and he
is now of the opinion that the bill will
stand the tests of the courts. Before
it received his signature it was sub
mitted to his attorneys and they have
passed Oh it as good law.
The bill has been changed but little
since it was sent to the state legisla-
ture by Attorney A. E. Buckmaster of
this city who acted for the county
board of Kenosha county and it is de-
clared to be the most striking bill for
the regulation of explosives ever pass
ed by any legislature in the union.
The law provides not only for regula-
ton of the storage of powder at plants,
but provides for reports to be made
monthly of the amount of powder on
hand. These reports must be made I'M
der oath and one copy Of the report
must be filed with the clerk of the
county i'll which the plant is located
and one with the town clerk of the
town in which the plant is located. The
law positively prohibits the storage Of
powder at any plant which may be To-
Gated within a quarter of mile of any
church, school, railway depot or other
semi-public place where large crowds
may congregate. The matter Of inspec
ting TIE plant is left with the officials
of the town in which it is situated.
1t provides that the town chairman
may visit the plant once each month
for purposes of inspection, but does
not make this inspection a part of the
duties required Of the town chairman.
The last sections of the law make it
exceedingly binding as any violation of
the act may result in punishment of
a fine of not less than two hundred dol
lars and in default of payment of the
fine the official who may be negligent
in the observance of the law may be
sent to jail for term of from two to
six months.
The portion of the new law that is
especially to the point is that relating
to the amount of powder to be stored.
This section of the laws follows:
cit shall be unlawful for any per-
son, firm or corporation engaged in the
manufacture of gunpowder or black
blasting powder, to store or to keep
in storage or permit to be stored or
kept in storage, at any plant where
gunpoWder or black blasting powder is
manufactured, more than one hundred
twenty-five thousand pounds of gun
powder or black blasting powder in any
building or storage magazine at such
plant; and all magazines or buildings
where gunpowder or black blasting
powder is kept in storage at such plant
shall be located not less than one thous-
and feet from any building in which
the manufacture, or any part of the
manufacture of gunpowder or black
blasting powder is carried on, and shall
be effectually screened from all build
ings where the manufacture, or any
part Of the manufacture, of gunpow-
der or Black blasting powder is carried
on, and from any occupied dwelling
house or any church, school house. town
hall, depot, or other place in which
people are accustomed to assemble. ex-
cept necessary openings for transpo1ta-
tion facilities, by natural barricades
or by an artificial barricade consisting
Of mound or properly reverted wall
of earth, of a minimum thickness Of
not less than three feet, of such height
that any straight. line drawn from
the top of any side wall of the building
in which the manufacture, or any part
of the manufacture Of gunpowder or
black blasting powder is carried on, TO
any part of the magazine or building to
be protected viii pass through such in
tervening natural or artificial barri
eade; and no magazine or building
where gunpowder or black blasting
powder is stored or kept in storage at
any such manufacturing plant, shall be
nearer to any other magazine or build
ing where gunpowder or black blasting
powder is stored or kept. in storage.
than i've hundred feet; provided that
whenever a magazine or building in
which gunpowder or black blasting
powder is stored or kept in storage as
efectually screened from any other
magazine or building where gunpowder
or black blasting powder is stored or
kept in storage by natural or artificial
barricade as hereinbefore described
and of such height that any straight