Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-02-20

allure booming wild cat" schemes is
prohibited, as all publicity schemes
must first be approved by the corpora
ton commission. In any case where
the commission has reason to be
suspicious of the financial statement
filed it has the power to make an in
vestigation to ascertain the facts.
Wisconsin has been somewhat of a
green pasture for wild cat" schemes
and for that reason the Bosshard bill
is one of more than ordinary import
ance.
Minimum Wage Bill.
Assemblyman Thomas J. Mahon of
Eland has introduced the minimum
wage bill. which is expected to pass
the legislature after a season of hard
shedding. This bill defines minimum
wage as follows:
every wage paid or aereed to be
paid by any employer to any female
or minor employee except as other
wise provided in section 1729s-2
shall be not less than a living wage.
A living wage is compensation for la
Dor sufficient to enable employee re-
ceiVing it to maintain himself or her
self under conditions consistent with
his or her welfare
The Mahon bill offers a new line
of labor legislation, as it is the first
attempt to fix wage by means of
statute. The industrial commission
is given power to enforce the proposed
law. The measure is unique there
is nothing in labor legislation In
other states which approaches it.
Here is one feature of the measure:
Every wage paid or agreed to be
paid by employer to any female or
minor emplOye except as otherwise
provided in section 1729s-2 shall be
not less than a living wage"
living wage is defined as a "com-
pensation for labor sufficient to enable
the employe receiving it to maintain
himself or herself under conditions
consistent with his or her welfare"
Aid to Working Women.
A great deal has been said in Wis
consin. as we'll as in the other states
OF the union concerning young wo-
men who are driven into the streets
and life of shame by reason of small
and inadequate wages. It is in a
large sense the purpose of this bill to
help the working women of Wiscon-
sin; to see to it that they are paid a
wage which is protection to them in
the fullest sense. Mr.. Mahon is pre-
pared to meet the attack that will be
made on the measure by the COM
bined business interests of the state.
He is confident that the bill will pass
both houses. Governor McGovern is
strongly in favor of the measure.
Another bill Of wide interest is the
so-called mothers pension bill intro
duced by Assemblyman John Schnitz-
Ter of De Pere. The theory of this
measure is that it will be better for
the future citizenship of the state for
children to remain at home and in
school rather than be placed in some
public institution. A state child pro-
lection agent is to be appointed. A
county child protection agent is also
to be appointed in the counties of the
state, the county agents to be respon-
sible to the state agent and the state
agent to be responsible to the state
board of control which is made the ad-
ministrative board under the proposed
law
"Dry Zone" Bills.
The usual number of dry zone"
bills are beginning to bob up in the
legislature. Assemblyman Frederick
has introduced a county option bill,
which will meet with the united on
position of the brewing interests of
the state. Assemblyman e. C. Me-
land of De Forest has introduced a
bill to prohibit the sale of liquor
within one mile of the main building
of the University of Wisconsin. A
similar bill relating to the normal
schools may be introduced. These
measures constitute the more import-
ant bills aimed at the liquor traffic,
although the one to divorce the brew
cry from the saloon has aroused the
brewing interests to activity.
AXel Johnson of Polk county who
believes in 100 day sessions of the
legislature has introduced measure
which win go hard on Joy riders If
1t is enacted into law The measure
provides that any driver of any
automobile who may injure a person
and not stop to give aid and give
name and address to anyone who re-
quests 1t, shall be liable to a fine OF
$1,000 or Imprisonment from three
months to two years.
Direct Election Of Senators.
The legislature, as was anticipated
earlier in the session. has gone on
record for the so-called direct election
of United States senators. The
amendment memOrialiZing cnnprncs