River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-01-23
RECESS BY UPPER
! AND LOWER HOUSE
General Assembly Adiourns Until
Monday Evening.
REAL WORK STARTS TUESDAY
For First Time in History Of State
Committees Will Start Hearings
Within Two Weeks of Organ-
zatlon Of Legislature.

Madison.-For the first time in
the history of the Wisconsin legis-
lature committee hearings will be
under way within two weeks of the
organization of both houses. Next
Tuesday the committees on judiciary,
agriculture and elections will begin
hearings on all the bills thus far pre-
sented and that have been referred
to them. The committee on educa-
ton will begin it's work on Wednes-
day. Speaker Hull declared that
this Is the first time committee hear
ings have been started so early after
the converting of the legislature. He
said that every method to facilitate
the immediate handling of bills would
be used this year, and that the tenor
Of the legislature is not for the recon
sideration of bills several times after
their slaughter, as in past years, no.
tably in the 1911 session.
Plan April Primaries.
A plan to hold the primary election
at the time of the spring election in
April was embodied in bill present
ed by Assemblyman Rosa of Beloit-
At present the Wisconsin primaries
are held the first Tuesday in Septem-
Der. Judge Rosa says the farmers
are especially busy at the time of the
fall primaries, and in many communl-
ties less than ten per cent. of the
voters take time to attend. He says
that spring elections are always un-
usually we'll attended and that bet
ter expression of the popular will
could be obtained were the primaries
held in April.
signed to consolidate the state park
and forestry boards and creating the
office of state Inspector Of apiar1es;
and in the assembly bills extending
the provisions of the workmen's COM
pensation act to all employers except
those filing written notice of contrary
Intention forbidding marriage of first
cousins; eXempting $1,000 taxes on
homesteads; repeating the law proyid-
Ing for the publication Of state pri'
mary and general election pamphlets,
and providing an adequate remedy to
allow wife to assert her right to
support without beginning an action
Of divorce.
Both houses of the legislature ad-
3ourned until Monday evening.
Wants Joint Guardianship.
If the bill to be introduced by As
semblyman Rosa of Beloit passes, the
father and mother will share joint
guardianship over the child. The
guardianship of a child in Wisconsin
is now vested in the father and comes
to the mother only in case of the
death of the parent. Under this same
law the father has power to will his
guardianship to another person to the
exclusion of the mother. Assembly
man Rosa, who has been judge of the
municipal court at Beloit, believes
this law works many hardships.
OF great Importance to labor were
two bills introduced in the assembly
by Assemblyman Fred L. Holmes.
One bill provides that employers
shall be considered to be operating
under the workmen's compensation
act until such employer shall have
filed with the industrial commission
a written statement to the effect that
he elects not to come under the pro-
visions of said sections" The other
bill introduced by Mr.. Holmes abol-
ishes the defense of contributory neg
ligence Assemblyman Holmes be-
lieves that these laws will drive all
employees of labor under the work
mems compensation act.
Aims at Bank Cashiers.
The wealthy bank cashier who uses
his position to loan his own money
! by first declining to extend the credit
Of the bank to customers, will be liza.
BILE to jail sentence If Assemblyman
Hurlbut of Winnebago county can
convince the other members of the
legislature Hurlbut is the floor
leader of the house and it seems like
ly his bill will pass. The measure
will be introduced next week Mr.
Hurlbut claims that often a man will
borrow money at a bank on good Sc
curity and when the note falls due
will ask for an extension on the same
security, only to be refused in many
cases by "a wealthy cashier" Then
the cashier will make the proposition
to carry the note himself. 1t is this
sort of practice that Hurlbut's pro
posed law would put an end to.
Because the state university is 10
Gated in the city of Madison, the tenn
perance people will ask the Legislature
to vote a five-mile dry zone around