The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-01-17
MESSAGE IS SENT
TO LEGISLATURE
GOV. MGOVERN MAKES RECON-
MENDATfONS TO WISDOM
SIN LAWMAKERS.
MUCH SPACE TO INCOME TAX
Governor Urges Lawmakers to Pro-
coed Slowly in Any Proposed Re-
vision of Law-Mothers' PEN
sion Bill Given Approval.

Madison.-Gov. McGoyern's mes
sage to the Wisconsin legislature, in
part, is as follows:
Before passing on to a consideration Of
me purely public matters that l am about
~ present 10 you, permit me to greet you
warmly and in the name OF all our people
70 welcome you TO the capitol.
4 nave frequently commended the work
OF the last legislature and congratulated
the people Of Wisconsin upon the amount
nlgh quality and enduring character Of
the legislation then enacted. | have felt
and still feel that too much cannot be said
IA is praise.
LABOR LEGISLATION
No topic occupied more of the time and
thought cf the last legislature than the
rights OF labor. On this subject it took
advanced ground. 1t generously fulfilled
the platform pledge that in all matters ar
fecting workers Wisconsin should be plac-
ed in the lead. 1t enacted the first valid
workmen's compensation law ever put into
eject IN America. 1t regulated the hours
oI employi9ent OF women. 1t amended and
improved the statutes relative to child
TABOR and street trades Most imDortant
81 all 1t lifted the whole subject OF the
relation Of employer and employee to n
new and higher plane by establishing the
Industrial Commission modelled after the
WISCONSIN Railroad Commission that has
leserVediy won such widespread common
aatlon. Through this new commission as
onrougn lts prototype the public interests
ar no" auequately protected and the poor
are enabled TO get Justice without having
practlcaIiy to buy it in court in an un-
eqnal struggle with wealthy and powerful
edverSarieS
The Legislature of 1911 was rightly eau
nous in granting to the Industrial Com
mission very much discretionary power in
dealing with exceptional labor conditions
instead. rigid rules were laid down re
speeding child labor. womens hours OF en-
ployment, and other similar subjects. But
in tie administration OF these laws the
commission mas found variety of
ations in different industries that seem
to call for greater elasticity. In the en-
torcement Of the women'S labor law, for
instance, it has been found that there is a
wide difference between the light work on
a rural telephone with frequent periods
OF rest and the nervous strain at city
switchboard. IlharmOnOus provisions in
the law have also come to light, such as
an hour for dinner in the women's law
ana only half an hour in the children'S law
In respect Of these and similar matters
IT would seem to be advantageous to make
the law more flexible by authorizing ex-
ceptlons from the strict letter of the stat
ute as at present laid down in every case
where the Commission shall find on pub
nc nearing the requested notifications to
be within the spirit Of the law and not
prejudicial to the health of the employees
to be affected by it. The law may be
permitted to stand as it is but the iegis-
lature should now, in view of the known
methods of administration employed by the
has attended them, consider the wisdom
of authorizing greater opportunity for the
exercise OF discretion in clearly exceptional
cases. This principle of greater adapta-
biiity should apply to the laws concern
ing child labor, street trades, women's
hours Of employment. and possibly other
similar matters now committed to the In
dustrial Commission for enforcement.
workmen's Compensation.
The workmen's compensation act has
been fully indicated by experience. On
December Is, 1912, SCI employers and
about $1,000 employees had come within
its operation. During the month of No
reported to the Industrial Commission
were subject to compensation under this
plan. Thus nearly half of all industrial
hazards are already. covered by the act
When it was passed the defenceS of as
sumption of risk and the negligence of a
fellow servant were taken away from en-
ptoyerS who did not accept its provisions
Other states like Massachusetts, Kansas
Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, Rhode Island
and Illinois in legiSlating on this subject
abolished not only these two defences but
also that of cOntributory negligence. In
Surance rates in these states are now found
TO be about the same for those within as
for those outside the operation OF such
laws. and a marked tendency is manifest
TO come under them. With this object
c0ntributory negligence should be wiped
out here also. That hardship will re-
fact that among. all who accepted this
humane enactment only one employer has
thus far taken advantage of the oppor
tunity 1t affords to withdraw from the
operation of its provisions.
A number of states. including Michi-
gan. New Jersey, Massachusetts, and
Rhode Island, have made provision for
eompensating employees for specific in
juries such as the loss of eve or a hand
by requiring payment for definite time
On the basis of Il certain percentage of the
wage received when the injury occurred
Our law fixes the amount TO be paid on
The basis of actual loss of wages only
This is not always just and l recommend
an amendment which Will provide for the
adoption in such cases of the rule now
Followed in other states.
AS the law now is employer can be-
rome subject to its provisions without first
ahng with the Commission notice of his
acceptance. and after he has given such
presumed to accept the law unless they
specifically notify the Commission TO the
contrary. The rule applicable TO employ
RS should now be revised to har-
monte with the requirements imposed up
IN workmen. Al Il certain date fixed by
aw all employers in Wisconsin should
be deemed TO be within the scope and
operation OF the workmen's compensation
bet unless prior to this time they shall
save notified the Commission in writing
o the effect that they do not wish to
10 SO.
TAXATION
Taxation is one of the most important
subjects With which legislators have to
seal Whether heavy or light, the aver
age citizen Is ever sensitive TO its weight.
equalize the burden The demand of rural
communities for better roads and schools
The requirement OF rapidly growing cities
aor streets, sewers and sidewalks and for
more and better parks and Fairgrounds
Inevitably call for increased Expenditure
which must be met by increased taxes
The problem of distributing this burden
80 that each shall contribute his lust share
is by no means either simple or easy TO
tolve.
The Income Tax.
The Wisconsin method of taxing IRON
srty has long ranked among the best in
Ehe country, but it necessarily shared the
defects inherent in all systems of general
property taxation The selection of as
SCISSORS every year. the difficulty of val
ring many classes of property and the
soStiIe attitude of large numbers of peo-
sle well able TO pay, resulted in the prac-
deal breakdown of personal property tax
alton Thereupon the people of the state
demanded a substitute and the legislature
Of 1911 took long step in advance by
enacting an income tax law.
In the language of Chief Justice Wins
low who delivered the opinion of the court
IN the Income Tax case, this law marks
very important change in the taxation
policy of the state, and is but concrete
embodiment of i popular sentiment which
has been abroad for some time
As might be expected, so radical change
n our fiscal system aroused strong oppo-
sitlon. especially among those directly af-
tected by II. many of whom Had not borne
their fair share of the public burden un-
der the old plan. Notwithstanding this
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