Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-08-04
LONG SPEECHES ARE
OPPOSED BY 0FST|E
Eau Claire Assemblyman Would
Rush the Remaining Bills.
SoLoNs ASKED TO RETURN
Three of the Four Consolidation Bits
Passed by the General Assem-
bly, Are Signed by Governor
Phillip.

Madison Assemblyman Ofstie OF
| Eau Claire has taken the attitude OF
| one who does not care much aDou'
oratory. He arose in the house anC
| protested against such long speeches
He said he wanted to vote just as fast
as the bills could be called up. Speak
er Whittet has sent telegram to all
| the members of the assembly telling
| them that unless they return the ser
| geant-at-arms may be sent to bring
| them back at their own expense.
| The members are going at the
remaining work with avidity. They
| hope to clean up most of the
work by next Saturday night and. then
| allow about ten days to elapse, dur
| ing which time the governor will con-
slider the measures that have been
passed Two years ago the assembly
adjourned on August 9, and every eff
fort is being made by the admins
| tration leaders not to exceed this rec
| ord.
Four consolidation bills have al
ready been passed and three have
been signed by the governor. one
places the inspection of BARRIERS under
the state board of health, instead OF
under a separate board; a second con-
solidates several of the departments
of agricultural activity; third con-
solidates several kindred departments
under the state conservation board,
and the fourth, which has not yet
been signed, consolidates the fire mar
shal's Office with the insurance depart
ment. The other consolidation
measures are we'll on their way to-
ward passage. One would consolidate
all of the engineering activities or
the state under state engineer;
second would create new printing
commission, and a third relieves the
boards of regents of the duties OF
presenting the financial budgets for
the different educational institutions
to the legislature, and confers this
power on the governor, secretary OF
state, state superintendent, and one
representative each of the normal re-
gents and the university regents.
Assemblyman George P. Hambrecht
claims that over fifteen days of each
legislative session is wasted in the
assembly listening to the calling Of
the roll. 1t requires more than five
minutes to perform this task and
there are between $50 and 1000 roll
calls session. Governor Philip now
has before him a bill to permit the
capitol building commission to lnstall
an electric voting device in the assem-
bly,, which will record the votes OF the
members almost simultaneously. Inc
measure carries an appropriation OF
$4,000 The device was invented by
B. l.. Bobroff of Milwaukee.
The character of legislation on high
ways aid and construction as finally
agreed upon by the various schools
of thought on this problem is now we'll
defined, and in fact has received the
official Endorsement of the upper
house. AS engrossed by the senate
the bill provides for combination
of the state and county systems. The
bill was worked out by the special
committee On highways, with the as
sistance of Associate Justice R. D.
Marshall of the supreme court. Fea-
lures Of the Woodland bill, which has
passed the assembly, are embodied
in this.
The measure gives the county
larger measure of control than under
the present state law, by which the
state is supreme. 1t also reduces the
limit of money dependable for road
building to about one-third of the pres
ent amount. The bill provides that
the state highway commission shall
advise towns, villages and counties re-
of roads and bridges constructed by
state aid. The counties must conform
to the commissions regulation in the
matter of the surveying, planning,
construction and inspection of roads
and bridges to entitle them to state
aid 1t provides for county highway
committee to have charge of highway
and bridge construction subject to the
advisory supervision of the state COM
mission. In Milwaukee, county the
supervisors are authorized to fix the
number of members of the county
committee and their terms. Each
county is to elect highway commits
sioner for two years, who is to be
under the control of the county high
way committee. Salaries of county
commissioners are to run from $500
to $1,000 in counties doing over $780,
900 worth of highway work a year.
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