Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-07-07
NEW J|TNEY BILL
FOR LEGISLATURE
Senate Committee Drafts SubStl-
tute Measure.
DESIRED BY ELECTRIC ROADS
Places Vehicles Under Jurisdiction of
Railroad Body-Requires Owners
to Be Bonded $4,000 for
Each Passenger.

Madison.-The form in which jitney
bus regulation will come before
the legislature is now outlined in
substitute bill to the judiciary
committee bill pending before the SEN
ate committee on corporations. That
committee has drafted a measure
which in numerous respects supplies
the regulation desired by the electric
railway interests, whose business has
suffered considerably in many of the
cities Of the state through jitney COM
petition. TAe new bill, besides class
ing jitneys as common carriers and
placing them under the jurisdiction
Of the state railroad commission, re-
qufres every jitney owner to be bond
ed in the amount of $4,000 for each
passenger capable of being carried
at one time. This is probably the most
stringent regulation of all. The bond
is intended to make jitney owners re-
sponsible in damages in case recovery
for accidents is sought. Each bond
must contain specifications as to the
capacity of the bus, the name and ad-
dress of the owner, the route or ter
ritory to be covered, the schedule un-
der which it is to operated, and similar
data. The jitney must give reasonable
and adequate service and must con-
form to definite schedules and routes
Some action in the matter Of amend
ing the Stemper bill amending the
Baker law is likely to be taken in the
assembly this week Governor Philip
has publicly announced that in its
present form he cannot approve it.
If it should be amended to make it
apply only to Milwaukee, he will sign
it. He also demands that it make
the chief of police of Milwaukee the
judge of the character of saloon to
be given up, as well as of the one to
take it's place. These changes he pro-
poses, he says, in the interest of bet
ter saloons in Milwaukee, and to give
the saloon men who sustained losses
on account OF advice of the attorney
general in 1907 an opportunity to re-
open their places.
Il believe it to be the sentiment
of the people of Wisconsin that there
be fewer and better saloons" he said.
II heartily concur in this view"
Two important consolidation bills
will be up for consideration in the
senate the later part of the week.
The first is the agricultural consolida-
ton bill and the second is the public
welfare commission bill. Practically
all the amendments on these bills have
been adopted and the only action that
remains is the final vote. Those who
have made a canvass of the senate say
that the vote may be 16 to 16. The
outcome of the measures appear to
rest with Senate d. v. Jennings of
Milwaukee, who is said to have made
no announcement of his intention on
either of the measures.
The senate will have to fight the tax
commission consolidation bill. AL
though measure to reduce the size
of the tax commission and curtail it's
powers was killed in the assembly last
week and motion to reconsider the
vote was refused, the same bill will
be offered in the senate as substitute
to the tax commission bill of Senator
Bennett.
Assemblyman Van Gorden's central
board of education bill which has been
reposing in the senate committee on
education for week past will be con-
sidered by the senate as a committee
of the whole on Wednesday afternoon.
At the present time the committee
stands three to four in favor OF non
concurrence in the bill. Governor
Philip has sent several statements to
the press in favor of the bill and
placed before the legislature a mes
sage detailing the merits of this legis-
iation. No one is able to predict the
exact outcome, although it is known
that the vote in the senate will be
close. The two bills to repeal the mill
taxes for the support of the normal
schools and the university were re-
ceived in the senate Monday evening
and will go direct to the calendar.
There will be an interesting floor fight
on both of these measures. Both the
regents of the normals and the univer-
sity are opposed to the passage of
these bills.
Governor Philip has signed the
Huber bill to expedite the settlement
of uncontested estates within one year
Assemblyman Morgan has returned
to his home in Pepin county to ascer-
tain the sentiment of the people of
Buffalo county, in his district, ON the
bill which seeks to give to the state of
Minnesota an island in the Mississippi
river that now belongs to Buffalo coun-
ty.