Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-01-18

The governor urges the creation of
state highway commission TO supervise
and assist counties and towns in the
Wort; oe road building. He says:
1.-THE state commission should have
pie authority to protect the states in
terests, and should be provided with ade-
| quate funds so that all work done with
state aid may be properly inspected be-
fore it is finally accepted. The policy OF
state aid should be one Of real co-opera-
ton between the state and it's subdivi-
sions not only in financial way but also
in the matter of supervision and organi-
cation of forces in the actual construc-
ton of roads"
The value of the legislative reference
department Of the Free Library commits
| sion is pointed out and more liberal f1nan-
| cial support is urged.
The governor urges the passage of
| law authorizing the publication of the
revised statutes as soon after the close
| OF each session of the legislature as pos
sible
| On the subject Of public health the
! governor says:
/ Boards OF health, public hygienic lab
| oratores and other similar agencies
! should be so provided and equipped at
public expense as to give assurance of q
| high and steadily advancing standard of
| usefulness in the prevention of disease.
the study Of sanitation and the protec-
ton Of health and life.'
| Stock and Bond Law
''The stock and bond law enacted IL
! 1907 has been so construed by the SUI
preme court as to limit the scope of in
! quiry which the railroad commission may
! institute where public service corpora
| tons desire to issue stocks and bonds
| or other evidences of Indebtedness, for
money only, to an entertainment OF the
! legal capacity or competency of such cor
| poration to issue these securities. So con-
! strued, this law is of little value 1t
| should be amended without delay so as
| to give the commission the broadest pow
ers Of Investigation possible.
| cover capitalization of corporations.
! commonly called stock watering" is
most mischievous evil, with far-reaching
consequences. The manifest purpose OF
! the Legislature in enacting Chapter b76
| of the laws of 1907 was absolutely to
| prohibit it, so far as public service cor
porations are concerned This purpose
should be effectually accomplished now
! by the enactment of law which will
clearly define the powers of the commits
sion and extend its authority in the ways
| herein suggested
The governor points out that the en-
actment of an employees compensation
law will require the organization of Q
| state board or commission as tribunal
| to settle disputes in accident cases. This
board, he says, should be so organized
|
reau of labor.
| The creation of a state commission to
! investigate the marked increase in the
cost of living is one of the strong recon-
mendations of the new governor.
Amendment Of the law is urged to pre-
vent fraud in weights and measures now
| prevalent in the state.
Education.
The question of education is always
| one of fundamental Importance. 1t should
be broadly and literally considered. The
! various agencies and institutions now en-
| gagged in educational work in Wisconsin
are all parts of a single system. They
have nothing TO gain by dissention. Rival
| ry or jealousy between them is as 1llogl-
! cal as it will ultimately prove unproht-
! able. The common schools cannot De
! built up by tearing the university down
| any more than the university can be
| built up by tearing the common schools
down. And so of the relation of the high
schools to both the common schools and
| the university. And so of the normal
schools and the county training schools.
! They are all agencies of the same state
! having one great object and depending
! for financial support upon the same peo-
! pie.
! The common schools are now the weak
est part of the entire system. Country
schools. especially, have not kept pace
with city schools. The country schools
| need better attendance, better fnstruc-
ton and better supervision. Competent
| observers maintain that at the present
time, in about half the country schools
| of Wisconsin, all of these essential fac
tors are lacking and that in all of them
| supervision is far from satisfactory.
Consolidation of country schools has,
according to the governor. resulted In
! great Improvement in efficiency. Better
supervision and higher wages for teach
ers are subjects upon which the COVER
nor takes a decided stand. Liberal sup
port OF the university is also urged.
Financial Statement.
"T am Informed by the secretary Of
| state that at the end of the fiscal year,
| 1910, there was a balance on hand in the
| general fund of 1898, 06791 Two years be-
! fore this fund showed a balance of ST.
! 1856 291. 80 The receipts for the fiscal years
1909 and 1910 were $12 631, 1885, and the
disbursements during the same period
were sf2 $685. us. sc. The receipts from July
1st, 1870 to January 1st 1911. were 81
469 90 and the disbursements during
the same period were $2,773725.93. The
balance in the general fund. therefore on
January 1st, 1911, was $494057.90. 1t is to
be borne in mind that these figures re-
late only to the condition of the general
| fund.
at the close of the fiscal year June
Both, 1910, the balance In all funds In
the state treasury aggregated s1,541, 1924. 26.
Figures showing the balance on hand for
all funds on January LIST, 1911, are not
available at this time
Important Measures First.
| In concluding the governor says:
I'm the main the legislation here rec
| commended has already been overwhelm-
ingly approved by the voters of the state.
It's enactment, therefore, should not be
| delayed
Fundamentally this demand is for an
| increasingly enlightened appreciation of
the rights o. the average man. 1t is a
call for a return to the ideal of equity be-
! fore the law in both business and politics.
| In the final analysis all Of the things
! here urged upon your attention signify
| Just this and nothing more"
These suggestions come to you not
| as the personal views of any individuai
| or the perfunctory recommendations OF
| any department OF government, but in a
very real sense as a mandate from the
| people themselves and they should, so
/ far as possible, be 81 en- precedence upon
your calendars and in your consideration.
| Let other bills wait until the main busi-
| ness of this session has bee transacted
/ and these most important measures have
been heard upon their merits, free from
any interest or influence which may sur