Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-07-09
WOMEN'S MEASURE
WINS IN ASSEMBLY
Places Stamp of Approval on
Minimum Wage Bill.
WISCONSIN ACT is UNIQUE
State Gives Powersof Fixing Definite
Wage Scale TO the Industrial
commIsslon-sh Sharp Bill
Is Endorsed.

It's stamp of approval on a bill
to fix a minimum wage for women and
minors. The measure was passed by
the assembly. as the bill has al
ready received the unanimous in
dorsement of the joint committee on
finance and no opposition in the upper
house is anticipated. OF the score of
states which have passed bills for min
Imum wage during the present year
the Wisconsin law stands out unique.
Practically all the other measures in
other states fixed a definite minimum
wage. Wisconsin gives this power to
the state industrial commission. The
wage is to be fixed following an inves-
tigation into living conditions. The
wage may be increased or diminished
at any time by order of the commits
sion.
The assembly has Endorsed the
Sharp bill, which is the entering wedge
to break away from the contract sys-
TEN of charitable and penal institu-
tons. The action was taken following
disclosures made in an Investigation
conducted by the states of North and
South Dakota into contract prison la
Dor. The Sharp bill provides that per-
sons incarcerated in charitable and
penal institutions may, under direction
of the state board of control. be en-
ployed in the construction of high
ways.
Incidental to the engrossment Of the
Sharp bill, the assembly advanced the
Sawyer bill, which directs the state
board of control to employ certain
number of prisoners in the construc-
ton of highways in the state forestry
reserve. Wisconsin has approximately
a million acres of land in its forest re-
serve. The roads through this terri
tory are inadequate, and for this rea-
son communications between different
sections or the reserve are difficult. 1t
Is proposed under the Sharp bill to
construct highways In the form of
main thoroughfares within the forest
reserve.
The boxing bill has gone to the gov
ernor for signature. Close friends of
the governor say that he will sign It..
With only three dissenting votes, the
assembly concurred in an amendment
to the boxing bill incorporated by the
senate which prohibits the sale of
liquor within a building where box
Ing bout Is held. Assemblyman' He'd
ding, author of the bill, said that this
amendment would obviate the holding
- hn,,tn u fha haok ropDe re ainnuc
Or above saloons. He favored the
amendment. The assembly also con-
CURED in a slight amendment to the
Cannon bill, providing for o system of
plumbing inspection throughout the
state. General supervision is given
under the law to the state board Of
health The bill is applicable to all
cities with a population in excess of
5000.
There was a sharp debate over the
bill to transfer the attorney in the
state fire marshaPs Office to the attor-
ney generals office. In mordant words
Assemblyman Mahon denounced the
measure as an attempt to disrupt the
state fire marshaIs office. Assembly
man Charles d. Rosa Of Beloit thought
the bill should pass. He explained
that a separate department should not
have attorneys of it's own, but that all
prosecutions should be made under
the direction of the attorney generals
Office The motion to reconsider the
vote by which the bill was passed pre-
vailed, and the bill was non-concurred
In.
BY an overwhelming vote the assem-
bly, refused to reconsider the vote by
which it passed bill subjecting es-
tates transferred within six years of
the death of the owner Of the estate to
the terms of the inheritance tax law.
Assemblyman Kneen of La Crosse ex-
planned that In recent years large es-
tates have been transferred within
the six-year period by prominent men
In contemplation of death. This he de
clared was a clear evasion of the
spirit of the inheritance tax law
which would be circumvented by the
bill. The motion for reconsideration
was refused and the bill now goes to
the governor for signature. The vote
on the X. A. Johnson resolution to in
vestigate the problem of holding an
educational exposition in connection
with the state experiment station at
Madison was close. The bill was
killed. The plan proposed was to abol-
Ish tie state fair and to hold an ex-
position. The idea was suggested by
Secretary of State John S. Donald.
Articles Of Incorporation.
Articles of incorporation were filed
in the office of Secretary of State
Donald as follows:
WISCONSIN Talking Machine com.