River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-08-07
B|CHLER BILL
CHANGES PLAN
Town Meetings Must Use Official
Ballots.
TO USE AUSTRALIAN SYSTEM
Tonpkins Bill Is Vetoed by the Gov
ernor on Ground That It Is Un-
constitutional-Many Acts
Signed.

Madison.-A complete reformation
of the method of conducting town
meetings in Wisconsin will occur next
spring as a result of the passage
of the Bichler bill, to which executive
approval was given. Since the or
ganization of the state in. 1848,
town meetings in Wisconsin have been
plan No official ballots were used. All
business was transacted by acclama-
ton. The Bichler bill provides that
the electors of any town or village
shall hold a caucus at least seven days
prior to the day of holding the cleo
ton. Candidates for office are to be
nominated by the caucus or by nomina-
ton papers signed by the electors,
equal in number to ten per cent. of all
the votes cast in such town or village
for all candidates for governor at the
past preceding election. From the eau
Gus records or official nomination pa
pers, the town or village clerk shall
make up printed ballot, and the cleo
ton shall be conducted under the Aus
tralian system. The new law provides
that both the nominations and the cleo
ton shall be conducted by the official
ballot system. In reality, 1t applies the
general primary election law to town
meetings
The bill marks the most radical de-
parture made in election laws since
the primary election principal was
adopted when Senator La Toilette was
governor of the state
Governor McGovern has signed the
Manning bill providing for a liberal
construction of the statutes giving
powers to cities. This bill is meant to
increase the measure of home rule in
the city of Milwaukee.
The Holmes bill also was signed,
providing for the establishment of
camps for victims of tuberculosis in
the forestry reserve in northern Wis
consin.
Other bills signed were:
The Martin bill, providing for the
regulation Of automobiles, and making
changes in the law. Automobiles must
stop while street cars are loading or
uHludulHB passengers.
The Hoyt bill, for the sterilization
of insane, criminals, feeble-minded and
epileptic in state and county institu-
tons. The law is not compulsory.
The Axel Johnson bill, providing
that new party may get the names of
its candidates upon the primary and
general election ballots under it's own
party designation.
The bill appropriating 100000 to
purchase a site and erect building
for new home for the feeble-minded
The institution will be located in the
southeastern part of the state at a
point to be designated by the state
board of control
The Don c. Hall bill providing
method for the regulation and organi-
cation of cooperative credit societies.
This law is framed after the famous
German system.
The McComb bill increasing the
number of industrial schools to As.
The governor sent veto to the SEN
ate on the TompliRs bill legalizing the
organization of the towns of Draper
and Winter in Sawyer county on the
ground that it Is unconstitutional. The
objection to the bill, which is a local
one, is that 1t embraces more than one
subject neither of which is contained
In the title.
Approval has been given to Senator
Burkes bill directing the governor adj
jutant general and chairman of the
Civil war history commission to inves-
tigate the propriety and reasonable
ness of erecting appropriate monu-
ments to the soldiers of the Civil war
on the battlefields of Antietam and
Gainesville. The committee is direct
ed to make a report to the next legis-
lature.
He has also approved Senator
SCOTS bill appropriating $4,000 for an
investigation of the best methods of
eradicating grassphoppers and white
grubs. The investigation will be made
by the state nursery department.
The legislature of 1913 will adjourn
sine die on August Z. Both houses have
adopted the Nye resolution for a recess
until that date. The cause of the delay
is in the difficulty in getting the bills
to the governor for action.
Speaker Hull has announced that he
will not appoint the legislative com
mittees until the legislature recon
venes next week. The three impor-
tant committees to which appoint
ments are to be made are forestry. oc-
cupational diseases and vice. These
committees are directed to report to
the next legislature.
Wisconsin Patents.
Matthew A. Anderson. Dallas wa.