River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-07-24
M'COVERN SIGNS
NEW BOXING BILL
Contests Limited to Ten Three
Minute Rounds.
WATERPOWER BILL N HOUSE
Passes Senate After Thirteen Hours
Debate-StiII Fighting Over Walsh
Saloon BiIl-The Lost New Party
PIank-Gubernato Candidates
Banking Relief Bill Passed.

Madison, Wis, July 22-The end of
the long legislative grind is in sight
The senate has at last. argued and
fought out the waterpower PROPOSE
ton, and it has been passed along to
the house for the final war of
words and shower of amendments. In
the measure that was passed in the
senate after thirteen hours of debate
the progressives of the Republican
and Democratic parties see a notable
victory. With some changes, which do
not tend to weaken the bill to any
material extent, the bill that stood the
test and won the votes in the senate
is the substitute measure that was
| recommended by the special commit
tee on conservation, the theory of
which was given the personal o. K of
Senator La Toilette, Louis Brandeis,
and others in Washington, D. C.
Senator Husting, who shouldered the
major burden in making the debate
for the bill, is optimistic as to the
fate of the measure in the house. He
feels that the bill stands an excellent
chance of being passed in the same
form that it was acted upon by the
senate. If an attempt is made to seri-
Ously modify it, the senate is not like.
ly to submit to the new amendments
That fact is pretty generally under
stood in the lower house, and as
everybody is tired of working here and
anxious to return home, the bill seems
to have fair sailing.
Provides for Thirty-Year Franchises.
One amendment favored by the wa
terpower people met with no opposi-
ton from the friends of the bill The
amendment provides that when the
state decides to take over a water
power property that it shall include in
the compensation that it pays to the
company the price that was paid for
the site, even if the figure is consid-
cred excessive. The waterpower men
maintained that such a provision was
but matter of fair play to the inter
ests which are willing to spend large
sums OF money to develop WATERFOWL
ers in Wisconsin, and the senate took
that view of the matter.
No attempt was made to tamper
with that section which classifies wa
terpower concerns as public utilities,
and as public utilities they come I'M
der the direction of the state railroad
commission. The bill also provides
for thirty year franchises, and gives
to the state the right to take over wa
terpowers when it sees fit upon the
payment of a just compensation. In
the other respects the measure is sub
|stantially the same as the bill offered
by the committee on conservation, the
details and sections of which were
recently published in this column.
The New Boxing Bill.
Wisconsin, for many years the scene
Of many boxing contests, has placed
the manly art of self-defense" upon
a business like basis. The Hedding
bill legalizing ten-round no decision
contests passed by the legislature has
been signed by Governor McGovern.
This law is to be administered by a
commission of three members appoint
ed by the governor. The commission
selects it's own secretary, who is to be
paid $1,000 a year and is to be the
only salaried officer created under the
act.
Boxing contests are to consist of
ten three-minute rounds, with one
minute intermission. Clubs are IL
censed on the basis of population of
the city in which it is proposed to give
shows. A sliding scale has been ar
ranged for license fee, the amounts
ranging from $25 for the smaller cities
to $500 for a city the size of Milwau-
kee. The state also takes per cent
of the gross receipts for each show
that is given. An annual appropria-
ton is provided for the commission
and out of this sum it must meet the
salary of the secretary and the ex-
penses of the administrative board.
All contestants must submit to a ply
steal examination before entering the
ring, and contests cannot be held in
any hall where liquors are sold. Mil
wauke will secure at least two of
three commissioners, and the commits
sion no doubt will select Milwaukee
as it's headquarters. A Milwaukee
man will probably be chosen secre-
tary. Violation of the law by any
club means forfeiture of its license
to do business. This restriction is
considered severe enough to make all
clubs live up to every provision of the
act.
AS boxing bills go, it is generally
agreed that the bill passed by the
legislature and signed by the governor
| Is good bill" Governor McGovern's
approval of boxing will win for him
many friends in the city of Milwau-
kee. Politically, the signing of the
Hedding measure will reinstate him
with many who failed to support him
in the last campaign. There isn't any
question about that, for few towns in
this country are as fond of the game
as Milwaukee, where many important
tights have been staged
Anent New Party Plank.
As pointed out by Governor MCCOY
ern In his message to the senate, Wis
/. consin has little missing plank mys-
terry all of its own. The governor is
full of questions as to what became Of
the plank in the Republican platform
which pledged the party to change the
election laws so that new party may