Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-03-13

! keep tne 1dlr III SlllWduhee, say lIdl
I it is unfair TO hold the City of Mil
waukee responsible for the failure of
/ the fair. They charge that the
grounds are poorly laid out; that the
accommodations are inadequate, and
that the state has not given the event
the study ard attention that it must
be given if it is to rank with the
state fair in Minnesota and if it is to
be made a success.
Seeks a Short Session.
1t is the quiet hope and ambition of
/ Speaker Hull to keep the session of
the legislature short, and he believes
that if the houses work hard that all
business ought to be cleared up early
in May. The general tendency here
is to shorten the sessions of the
legislature. This is fully shown by
the adoption in the assembly of the
AXel Johnson resolution to limit the
sessions in the future to 100 calendar
| days, with provision for twenty days
more, and limiting special sessions to
twenty-five days. The debate on this
resolution brought out a sharp tilt be-
tween Assemblymen Johnson and
Mahon, the latter opposing the move
to limit the sessions to 120 calendar
days. He voted for the resolution
when he saw that it would carry in
order thai at a later date he may
move for a reconsideration of the
matter.
The report of the Wisconsin Iegis-
lative fire insurance investigating
committee has been submitted to Gov
ernor McGovern and the legislature.
If the recommendation made by the
committee are carried into effect the
companies will be made more respon-
sible to the state for the rates to be
charged for fire insurance. A radical
reductions of fire losses is sought
through periodical inspections. The
ten most important recommendations
by the committee are as follows.
Risk companies to be made respon-
sible for rates; periodical inspection
of buildings in cities; agents face
state civil service examination; one
agent to a territory; twenty per cent
commission fer agents; licensing of
adjusters cooperation between COM
panies; improved fire prevention
methods; cooperation in state laws
between states; reduction in pre-
miums.
Regulation of Waterpowers.
One of the most important fights
of the legislature will soon be on in
full blast over the Husting bill to-
give to the state greater regulation
of the waterpowers. A strong body
is already here to fight the measure
The bill that the waterpower people
will support is now before the legis-
lature, having been introduced by AS
semblyman Ringle.
The bill has nc determinate fran
chise feature such as the Husting
measure, but it proposes methods of
termination Of the franchise which
the waterpower men claim amply pro-
tect the state. 1t is provided that q.
franchise shall terminate, whenever
the terms of the franchise are vio-
lated, upon order of the railway com
mission.
Furthermore, if the waterpower is
desired for a public use the franchise
may be terminated either by the rail-
road commission or by the act of the
legislature. The waterpower can also
be obtained by the state through con-
demnation proceedings.
The hearings on the waterpower
question will begin this week and
from present indications they will be
fully as interesting as have the hear
ings in previous years on this ques-
ton.
Spring Water for Senators,
The Legislature is not without its
sense of humor as shown by the by
play over the resolution by Senator
Ackley asking the superintendent of
public property to furnish the senate
with fresh spring water for drinking
purposes. The superintendent paid
no attention to the resolution, and
when officially asked to explain his
neglect of duty, he called upon the
attorney general for an opinion as to
whether he was duty bound to fur
nish spring water The attorney gen
eral ruled that the was not. Senator
Ackley is now thoroughly worked up
over the incident and intends to
make a fight on the floor of the SEN
! ate for better drinking water. The
senators are enjoying the tilt be-
tween Senator Ackley and Superin-
tendent Essman.
Considerable comment has been
caused by the fact that Insurance
Commissioner Ekern was not invited
to attend the public reception given
by Governor McGovern, for which
about 1000 invitations were issued.
Mr.. Ekern was the only state officer
who was not invited Assemblyman
L. L. Johnson was too busy to attend
John A. Aylward. Mr. Ekern's attor
ney was also invited but did not at