River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-05-22

the committee report for indefinite
postponment will stand as the judy
ment of the house and the proposition
will never get as far as the senate.
The Hull bill to provide four year
course, instead of two year course
in the normal schools will also be
killed, according to present indica-
tions.
The Marketing Bill.
Governor McGoverns marketing bill
"a measure of tremendous import
ance when viewed from the angle of
the general citizenship of the state
has received a favorable recon-
mendation, and the measure will
probably be passed. The bill provides
for a marketing commission of three
members, each one of whom shall re-
ceive an annual salary of $4,000 The
bill carries an annual appropriation Of
100000. The measure has been
thoroughly discussed in committee
hearings, and more debate will follow
in both houses. Governor McGovern
regards the marketing bill as the
raost important piece of legislation he
has suggested for enactment at this
session.
If the measure is passed his friends
say that it will help the governor in
any political contest in which he may
take part in the future. This bill
would do away with the dairy and
food department, the state board Of
agriculture and the state board of i'm
migration, and consolidate the work
of these boards with that of the com
mission proposed in the bill.
The senate has passed the Bichler
bill relating to elections in towns and
villages, and this measure is now be-
fore the house. The bill aims to do
away with the old-time elections in
towns and villages and provides that
in elections held in the future the Au-
stralian ballot shall be used. This
would do away with the old-fashioned
town hall meeting in which ballots
are dropped into hats, it being an
easy matter to "stuff the ballot box"
Minimum Wage Bill.
The minimum wage bill has been
reported for passage by the assembly
committee on public welfare. In the
substitute bill recommended by the
committee great power is vested in
the state industrial commission. This
board will be given authority to fix
minimum wage upon complaint and
subsequent hearing Like the state
railroad commission, the industrial
commission has made good in the
broadest sense of the expression, and
the legislature feels no fear in giving
to that body additional power.
Eau Claire has finally won it's long
fight to secure a normal school. The
bill passed by the legislature pro-
vides an annual appropriation of $751;
900 for period Of three years.
In the senate a bill has been en-
crossed which does away with the
duplication Of telephone lines in the
country districts Independent lines
in the country seem to grow as rapid
ly as weeds in a vegetable garden, and
the bill aims to limit telephone lines
and provide for their establishment
only when they are necessary.
Indications are that the Bichler bill
aimed at "cheaters'' will go through
both houses This bill provides a pen
atty in the form of a term in the
states prison at Waupun for the prac-
tice of confidence games" including
the usual gambling and catch games
that are used at fairs and in places
where people gather in large numbers
Recall of Judges Discussed.
John B. Winslow. chief justice of
the Wisconsin supreme court, in an
address to a large gathering of uni
versity students, discussed the recall
of judges. Judge Winslow said that
the proposed remedy-the recall
fails as a remedy, and that it will tend
to aggravate rather than improve con-
ditions He said that improvement is
possible in all human undertakings, in
Guiding the administration of the
laws.
Justice Winslow said that steps
judges experts; he believed that the
codes of procedure should be changed
and simplified; and that those things
which tend for delay and make of the
practice of law a game should be
stricken out. He believes that the
lawyers and judges of the future
should be educated along broad lines,
and that courts and judges should be
divorced from politics as much as pos
sible. He recommended longer terms
and better salaries.
State Would Collect $240,o10.
Action will be taken by the state of
Wisconsin to collect $240,010 and in
terest from the Northern Pacific Rail
way company to cover fees alleged to
be due for fling amendments increas-
ing its capital stock With the inter
est, it is expected the total amount
sought to be collected will be far in
excess of a quarter million dollars.
That the Northern Pacific will not
pay the claim without carrying it
through the courts is undoubted.
The company was incorporated un-
der a special act and not by general
articles, and upon this ground claims
exemption from payment of fees on
any increase of capital stock.
A