The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1915-06-18
NO IMPORTANT
CHANGES IN LAW
NO ACTION IN EITHER INDUS
TRIAL OR RAIL COMMITS
SION ACTS.
BILL MAY PASS SENATE
Measure Before Upper House VIII In
crease Compensation That May
Be Paid In Case Of Death
Benefits of an Apprentice.

Be Paid In Case of Death
Benefits of an Apprentice.
Madison.-No changes of far-reach-
ing Importance will be made In either
the industrial commission act or the
railroad commission law at this ses-
sion of the legislature Measures in
tended to reverse the policy of the
state in regard to both of these laws
have been defeated Neither will the
demand of the laboring men to in
crease the scale of compensation from
IS per cent to rs per cent Of the av-
erage weekly wage in case of acct
dents be granted.
Three minor changes will probably
be made in the workmens compen-
sation act as administered by the in
dustrial commission at this session.
The assembly has already passed the
Ballard bill exempting farmers of the
state from the terms Of the law.
There is no apparent opposition to the
bill in the senate, and this measure,
supported by the commission, will
doubtless be approved by the senate
and signed by the governor. The gov
ernor has just signed the Bray bill
giving the industrial commission pow
er to pass upon the reasOnableness
of hospital and medical bills result
ing from the attention given to med
ical employees. The assembly has
passed bill, which is now before the
senate, increasing the compensation
that may be paid in the case of death
benefits of an apprentice. There is
every indication that this will pass
the upper house.
The only important piece of legisla-
ton now pending affecting the rail
road commission is a measure that
would repeal the law giving the COM
mission power to audit freight and ex-
reason to believe that an unlawful
rate has been applied. The bill was
introduced by reason of the fact that
large shippers might swamp the COM
mission with the auditing Of bills.
The repeal measure has serious op-
wald of Oshkosh has announced that
he will make every effort possible to
defeat the bill when it comes up for
final consideration in the house the
latter part of the week.
Several bills to limit the power of
the railroad commission as to the evil
dence that may be considered have
been killed in the senate and assem-
bly, and the only remaining measure
now pending Is the Grell bill, which
would exempt fourth-class utilities
from the terms of the public utilities
act. In Illinois all municipal plants
have been exempted from regulation,
but the Wisconsin law, as originally
drafted, included all classes of utili-
ties.
1t now begins to look as though
there would be some compromise
measure on the county board Of edu-
cation law. The Mortensen bill to
repeal the law was engrossed in the
house by large vote and was given
a hearing by the joint committee on
finance. So much opposition has de-
veloped in the senate to the repeal of
the measure that Governor Philip
has suggested that the county boards
of the state should be given the
power to create county boards of edu-
cation from among it's own member
ship, which shall be given all of the
powers now devolved upon the coun-
ty boards of education, elected by the
people.
The Woodland bills for the repeal
of the present state highway law and
giving most of the powers to the coun-
ty boards, and the reduction of the
state highway aid appropriation from
$1,20O,O00 to 100000 annually is slat-
ed for a hearing before the joint
finance committee of the legislature
Wednesday afternoon.
The Caldwell bill to abolish the
state fair at Milwaukee and to es-
tablish an exposition at Madison,
which shall be run for two weeks in
the fall, was given a hearing last
week by the joint committee on
finance. 1t was announced by the COM
mittee that no immediate action would
be taken on the bill pending an inves-
tigation as to whether the property at
Milwaukee could be disposed of at a
price which will return to the state
the appropriations that have been
made in the past for improvements
on the Milwaukee fair grounds. It
Is said that the committee will favor
the passage of the Caldwell bill if this
report is satisfactory
The senate will consider the Ku-
basta bill to repeal the present system
of state fire insurance
About Starting Alfalfa.