Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-07-02

In view of the stand taken by the
committee upon its return to Madison
and in view of the support it re-
ceived in Washington on the question
OF WaterpoWer regulation in Wiscon-
! sin, the attempt to make the trip a
political j9nket appears to have com
pletely failed.
The committee has not yet drafted
its bill, but the members are clear
| as to the character of the measure to
be introduced. The bill, it is under
stood, will provide that franchises
shall be issued only to public utili-
! ties, subject to all of the regulations
of the public utilities act of Wiscon-
sin, and that they shall not be is
! sued to private enterprises. The wa.
| terpoWer men will split with the COM
! m1ttee on that point, and there will
be division on the proposed provi.
| sion in the bill relating to the cancel
alton of rights, without compensa.
ton by the state, within a period Of
| 20 years. The proposal of the com
mittee to issue franchises for twenty
five years instead of forty years, as
! desired by the waterpower men, is
another barrier to any possibility of
a compromise
Forty Years Too Long.
Mr. Bandeis was especially en-
phatic on this point He considered
forty year franchise too long, and
said that a twenty-five year period
grant ought to be the absolute maxi
mum time. Furthermore, he be-
/ lieved that plenty Of capital would be
| available for development Of water
powers under this condition.
| Senator Husting stated to Mr. Lane.
Mr.. Brandeis and others the import
ant objections made by the water
power men. Senator Husting said
that these objections were consider
ed those that might be expected from
spectators rather than men who
were investing capital for legitimate
purposes.
While in Washington the members
of the committee were entertained by
Senator La Toilette The Wisconsin
senators reached the capitol on the
tWenty-eight wedding anniversary of
President Wilson. Strict orders had
been issued that no one was to dis
turb the president, but when Mr..
Wilson learned Of the presence of the
Badger committee he broke the rule
and received the Wisconsin senators
in short conference He did not
have time to study in detail the bill
it is proposed to introduce here, but
he briefly outlined his ideas on the
principle of waterpower regulation.
Nearly 100000 Appropriations.
Total biennial appropriations of
$3,838,441 are provided for the state
charitable and penal institutions in
the state board of controls budget
bill reported to the legislature by the
finance committee For a new home
for the feeble minded $500. 600 is
reserved, and for new reformatory
for women at Taycheedah, Fond du
Lac county, $225,OOO. For the pur-
chase of land for general purposes
$4,000 is set aside.
The apportionment by institutions
follows:
Board of control, S13O,93O; state
hospital, $23,744; northern hospital,
$393,271; school for deaf, $151,242;
school for blind, $154,243 state public
school, $144,14S; state prison, 1885,
452; binding Irvine plant at state
prison, $4,000; hospital for criminal
insane, Waupun, S16S,01S; state re-
formatory, $201,190 industrial school
for boys, $226,973; home for feeble
minded, $44,S81; Wales tuberculosis
sanatorium, $3G5,15O; workshop for
blind, $15,100; care of crippled chill
dren, $4,000.
The Marketing Question.
AS result of a conference with
Mr.. Brandeis on the marketing ques-
ton it is not considered likely that
this legislature will pass any bill on
| that subject. Mr.. Brandeis recognized
the scope Of the plan proposed in
Governor McGovern's bill and other
bills introduced at this session. In
his conference with members OF the
! committee Mr.. Brandeis seemed to be
of the opinion that Wisconsin would
be in better position to grapple with
the marketing problem if it first pro-
vided for a committee to make
thorough investigation of the matter.
It is believed that a proposition will
be made in the senate here to
create a committee Of investigation,
as suggested by Mr. Brandeis.
Viewed from a political standpoint,
such suggestion must be regarded
with much interest. 1t would indi-
cate that the progressive Republicans
recognized the Importance Of the sug-
gestion made by Governor McGovern
that something ought to be done to
reduce the high cost of living. 1t
would also establish the fact that the
progressives do not consider the bill
offered by Mr.. McGovern an adequate
measure. The Republicans who will