Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-01-21

/ ever THAT viii De ab,v 20 carry on
| the work Tor not III excel i've per cent
/ of she cost of construction. should this
percentage seem reasonable TO the leg s.
| iature the law should be amended accof +
| jngly so as to obriate the necessity of
| changing the amount to be allotted for
this purpose each session OF the leg $
| lature.
| Some states are now employing their
| prison eonvicts in building highways
Colorado has been especially successful in
| the development of this idea. II II be pcs
| sible to apply il simultaneously in Wis
consin, il is highly desirable; but befo re
| finally deciding the matter preliminary ex-
recommend therefore that the hoard Of
| control and the Highway Commission De
| given authority and a limited appropria-
| ton to carry on a joint investigation Of
| this subject by the use of a limited mum
| Der Of convicts in road work in the north
! ern part Of the STATE. preferably on lanis
| reserved for reforestation. and that they
| be required to report to the next legis1a-
| lure the results of ne experiment, toget u
err with their recommendations.
There is some criticism of the lack Of
continuity in the stretches of road new
being built by mems OF state aid and
many suggestions have been made for the
more rapid completion of the main lines
OF traiflc. One way in which this object
may be promoted is to change the auto
mobile license tax from uniform sum
per car as at present 10 q reasonable mini
nun; charge for the lighter cars. with a
proportionate increase for the larger auto
mobiles, depending on horse power or
weight. The proceeds of this tax instead
the counties where it is frequently fritz
| tered away without any permanent i'm
proyement to show for it. should be used
under the direction of the Highway Com
mission IN the maintenance and construe
ton of the lines of traffic which connect
the prlncipal cities and villages of the
state.
CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RE
SOURCES.
In my message of two years age I call
ed attention TO the disparity which eX
lists between taxes OH mineral deposits and
on timber Standing timber is taxed every
year under the general rule. Minerals. be-
ing under ground and not readily open
TO view, almost Invariably escape This is
true of all the important minerals of tile
state. whether iron. lead or zinc The
facts in detail for each piece of properly
IN explored areas both as regards quan-
tlty and quality of ne deposits should be
ascertained in Michigan and Minnesota,
and the land taxed the same as other
property
Aside from these discovered iron ore
| bodies, there are extensive areas in the
northern part of the state, some of which
are known to contain iron bearing forml-
tons. The mineral rights are partly own
ed by those in possession of the land
and partly by great lumber companies
that reserved title to thera when they sold
their cutover holdings to settlers These
companies now pay no taxes on these I'M
developed properties. l am told it is en-
tirely practicable quite accurately to de
nmlt these mineral areas and to ascertain
their value for purposes of taxation. This
should now be done. All such property
should be made to bear its just proportion
OF taxes.
Water Powers.
At the special session of the legislature
less than a year ago | called attention
hn slaf hat Inf atrn
concerning water powers there had come
substantial consensus of opinion that
water power Legislation is desirable for
the accomplishment of at least three prin-
cipal objects and / then recommended the
enactment of bill that had been care
fully prepared by the Joint Committee on
Water Powers and Conservation.
As no law upon this subject was passed
at the special session, the problem re
mains to be dealt with by you and. feel
that / cannot do better than renew the
recommendations / then made.
In addition, permit me to say that so
tar as hydraulic energy is required for
public purposes the state should reserve
the right to compel the maximum develop
ment of the water powers for which fran
chises are granted. In all authorizations
TO build dams il should also require in
within the state or outside it's borders that
its own citizens shall be given the pref
erence.
Forests.
F. Inc general SITUATION concerning the
forests of the state has not changed great
ly since my message two years ago. In
addition to the customary appropriation
for the maintenance of the forestry board,
the legislature of 1911 appropriated $50
900 year for five years for the purchase
of forest lands. All of this money has
been spent or contracted for, to block up
the forest reserves heretofore acquired.
During these two years about $4,000 acres
have been purchased. and at the present
time the total area of the state forest re
are several times this amount of land
in the northern part of the state better
adapted to forestry than to agriculture.
Much of it is increasing in value, and the
large holdings especially suitable for for
aStry purposes are being cut up into small
er ones and sold piecemeal If therefore,
the legislature wishes to increase the for
est reserve 1t should act promptly by pro
viding at this session sufficient funds to
acquire the necessary lands.
But if we are to retain wood using In
duStries in the state we cannot afford to
depend wholly on the state forest for ma
terial Here. as in Europe. private enter
prise also mast be enlisted. IL is clear
however that this can be done only after
a change has been made in our method
of taxing standing timber. Private own
ers cannot pay the regular rates of taxa
ton imposed each year upon the full value
of a growing forest and still secure fair
return on their investments. This crop.
because it takes so long 10 raise, should
be taxed more moderately than other forms
of real estate.
Concerning the subject of reforestation
therefore | respectfully recommend con
the levy of fraction of a mill tax for Il
period of twenty years for acquiring land
to complete the forest reserves in the
northern part of the state; and that bet
ter method of taxing TIM err land be de-
vised so as to enable private owners to
hold growing timber on land that is bet
ter adapted to this purpose than TO agri-
culture.
MININVM WAGE
The Supreme Court of the United States
, and several state courts have repeatedly
| recognized that inequality of bargaining
power constitutes reasonable ground on
which the state may aid the weaker party.
For example. in the execution of judg
ments. Wisconsin was theNfirSt state to
adopt wage exemption providing in its
constitution of sixty five years ago for pro-
lection of the working mans necessary
comforts of life" At that time the law
was generally regarded as an infringement
of the rights of property and was denoune-
ed as class legislation. But Wisconsin was
soon followed by nearly every other state
in the Union, and the courts everywhere
| eventually came TO recognize wage exemp-
tons as matters of sound public policy,
| justifying broad and liberal Interpretation.
Modern 1ndustrEll conditions have
| Sary comforts of life to- the front iii q new
| form. Great corporations employing hun
| have superior bargaining power that is
| already recognized by the state in its law
| prohibiting the employer from sending cut
| work to tenement house that is not Ii
| cenSed for if he be permitted without reg
| ulation or control TO send out work to the
homes. he can secure free light. rent and
| heat besides the advantage of defenceless
| competition among out-workers and the
! opportunity to evade the women's aud chill
| dren's hours of labor law by adding the
| time at home TO the regular period of EN-
| ployment in the factories. Undoubtedly
| there are other like cases of depressed
wages which investigation win in time Re
| veal.
| A bill providing for minimum wages
| was introduced in the legislature of this
| state two years ago but failed of passage.
| This class of legisa while reported to
| be wholesome and effective in Australia
and England is SO novel 10 our system Of
| Jurisprudence and involves such difficult
| problems of administration that the legis-
| iature should proceed with caption respect
| ing It, But we SHOULD not again fail to
| do ANYTHING what ever in the matter
| MOTHERS PENSIONS.
| The platform II the majority party in
| this state pledged its members to the en-
actnlent of a law for the establishment OF
| mothers pensions The fundamental idea
underlying this proposed reform Is that
| the home is a otter place for children
| than a public institution, and that the