River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-01-16
DELIVERS MESSAGE
TO BADGER SOLONS
Gov. MCGOvern Makes Recon-
mendatiOns to Legislature.
MUCH SPACE TO INCOME TAX
Governor Urges Lawmakers to Pro-
coed Slowly in Any Proposed Re-
vision of Law-Mothers' PEN
zion Bill Given Approval.

Madison-Gov. McGOvern's message
to the Wisconsin Legislature in part is
as follows:
Before passing on to a consideration of
the purely public matters that | am about
to present to You, permit me to greet you
warmly and ia the name Of all our people
to welcome you to the capitol.
[ have frequently commended the work
Of the last legislature and congratulated
the people Of Wisconsin upon the amount,
nigh quality and enduring character Of
the legislation then enacted. ( have felt
and still feel that too much cannot be said
in its praise
LABOR LEGISLATIC.S.
No topic occupied more Of Ire time and
thought Of the last Legislature than the
rights Of labor. On this subject il took
advanced ground. 1t generously fulfilled
me plaIIofm pIeqge mat IN an matters af-
Iectlng WORKERS Wisconsin gEnuld be plac-
"a ~ the lead 1t enacted che first valid
WoFkmen's compensation laP' ever put into
effect In America. Il regulated the hours
of employment Of women II amended and
improved the statutes relative to child
labor and street trades. Most important
or all, it lifted the whole subject OF the
relation of employer and employee to a
new and higher plane by establishing the
Industrial Commission modelled after the
Wisconsin Railroad Commission that has
deserYedly won such widespread common
datiOn Through this new commission as
through its prototype the public interests
are enabled to get Justice without having
practically to buy it in court in an I'M
equal struggle with wealthy and powerful
adyeTsaries
The legislature Of 1911 was rightly eau
tiOus in granting to the Industrial Com
mission very much discretionary power in
dealing with excpDfionaI labor conditions
Instead, rigid rules were laid down re-
speeding child labor, wOmen's hours of en-
ployment, and other similar subjects. But
in the administration of these laws the
Commission has found a variety Of con
ditions in different industries that seem
to call for greater elasticity. In the en-
fOrcemcnt of the WOmens labor law, for
instance, it has been found that there is a
wide difference between the light work on
rural telephone with frequent periods
of rest and the nervous strain ut a city
switchboard. Inharmonious provisions in
the law have also come to light. such as
an hour Tor dinner in the Women's law
and only half an hour in the children's law.
In respect OF these and similar matters
il would seem to be advantageous to make
the law more flexible by authorizing ex-
Cepti0ns from the strict letter of the stat
ute as at present laid down in every case
where the Commission shall find on pub
ne bCarlng the requested notifications to
be within the spirit Of the law and not
prejudicial to the health of the employees
20 be affected by it. The law may be
permitted to stand as it is but the iecis-
lature should now in view of the known
methods Of administration employed by the
Commission and the marked success that
has attended them. consider the wisdom
Of authorizing greater opportunity for the
exercise of discretion in clearly exceptional
cases This principle of greater. adapta-
btiity should apply to the laws concern
ing child labor, street trades. women S
hours of employment and possibly other
dustrial Commission for enforcement.
WorlSmen's Compensation.
The workmen's compensation act has
been fully vindicated by experience On
About dg13 SS had wS6
its operation. During the month of No
vemher. 1912, "a per cent of the accidents
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.
sumption Of risk and the negligence of a
fellow servant were taken away from en-
ployers who did not accept its provisions.
Other states like Massachusetts,, Kansas.
Michigan Ohio, New Jersey, Rhode Island
and Illinois in legisating 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 ana Il marked tendency is manifest
TO come under them. With this object
in view, it seems to me the defence of
COntFibutory negligence should he Wiped
out here also. That no hardship will re-
suit from this course is shown by the
fact that among all who accepted this
humane enactment only one employer has
thus far taken advantage OF the Oppor-
tunity IL affords to withdraw from the
operation of it's provisions.
number Of states. including NIichi-
gan, New Jersey, Massachusetts. and
Rhode Island, have made provision for
.cOmDcnSating employees for SDpcinc in
jures such rs the loss of an eve or n hand
by requiring payment for a definite time
on the basis Of n 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 | recommend
an amendment which will provide for the
10OUtlOn
followed In other states
As the law now is no employer can be-
come subject to its provisions without first
filing with the Commission notice of his
acceptance, and after he has given such
notice workmen in his employment are
presumed to accept the law unless they
specifically notify the Commission to the
contrary. The rule applicable to employ
ers should now be revised SO as to har-
monize with the requirements imposed up
workmen. At Il certain date fixed by
law all employers in Wisconsin should
be deemed to be within the scope and and
act unless prior to this time they shall
have notified the Commission in writing
to the effect that they do not wish. to
do SO.
Taxation is one of the most important
subjects with which legislators have. to
deal. Whether heavy or light, the aver
age citizen is ever sensitive TO its weight
No effort therefore should be spared to
eQualZe the burden The demand of rural
the requirement of rapidly growing cities
for 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
so that each shall contribute his just share
is by no means either simple or easy to
solve.
The Income Tax.
The Wisconsin method of taxing nrOD-
erty has long ranked among the best in
the 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
uing many classes of property and the
hostile attitude of large numbers of peo-
pie we'll able to pay, resulted in the prac-
teal breakdown of personal property tax
alton. Thereupon the people of the state
demanded a substitute and the Legislature
Of 1911 took a long step in advance by
Suaeting 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 a popular sentiment which
has been abroad for some time"
As might be expected so radical change
In our fiscal system aroused strong oppo-
sition, especially among those directly af'
fected by it, many of whom had not borne
their fair share of the public burden IN
der the old plan. Notwithstanding this