The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1915-02-12

governor appointment, but the over
Whelming sentiment of the senate was
along the line that Mr. Alexander is
a man whose honesty cannot be queS-
toned, a man whose efficiency is
above debate. The progressiVes op-
posed the appointment on the ground
that it was not good policy to name
two new men to the railroad commits
sion for the reason that it would mean
the reorganization of the board and
this might be injurious TO the public
confidence that is now felt in the state
railroad commission. Senator Boss
hard, progressive, likened q member
OF the board to a member of the
judiciary, anG said that unless the
question of honesty is raised ii is
customary to permit a judge to serve
just so long as he desires. Senator
Scott, progressive, said that the state
is facing big problem in obtaining
good men to fill public offices, and
ne felt to surround appointments
with uncertainty would make this
greater problem
Politics in Progressive Position.
Men who study handwriting on the
walls as it develops in a session of
a Wisconsin legislature are of the
opinion that the position assumed by
the progressives is not devoid of pol
tiles Assuming that in the next two
years the work of the state railroad
commission does not meet with wide
approval, the progressives will then
De in position to point to their rec
ord made when the appointment of
Mr.. Alexander came up. Conserva-
tives in the senate are jubilant over
the confirmation of Mr.. Alexander, and
they insist that as time goes on the
wisdom of the appointment made by
Governor Philip will be widely ap-
preciated
The vote on his confirmation fur
n1shes some line on how political ell
ements will line up, which make fu-
ture events in the senate all the more
interesting for the reason that it
indicate that the administration is
not overwhelmingly in control As
matters of legislation are presented
anG factional differences become
more marked, there will be a big play
| OF politics where the prospects in
d1cate close vote. 1t means that
tho membership of the senate cannot
| be classified as purely conservative
| ann progressive; it means that the
| new classification must be known as
the independent conservative and the
| conservative progressive, as there
will be switching of votes in both
camps, unless all signs fail.
| For One Member Tax Commission.
In the near future a bill will prob
ably be introduced to reduce the mem
bership of the state tax commission
from three members at a salary of
| $4,000 year, to one member at the
same salary. This measure. if it
comes in, will have the support of
| the administration forces.
| Another proposition is under con-
siGeratiOn to do away with the state
! high commission and have a state en-
| gineer and an architect under such
plan all departments including the
| state railroad commission, which
from time to time have work for
an engineer, would requisition the
the state engineer for engineering
service when they desired such
service. 1t is pointed out that such
a system would save a great deal Of
| duplication of work and would mean
a saving in dollars and cents in sal
aries. The state architect would be
placed in charge of all plans relating
to the remodeling or building of state
buildings. This, too, it is contended
| would be an economical move It
also is pointed out that it would come
i'll when the more important admin
istration bills are ready for introduce
ton. The administration forces thus
far have been willing to let the pro.
gressives assume the leadership in in
PRODUCING measures, but all of the i'm.
portant subjects of legislation will
soon be before the senate and the
house, as all factions are anxious to
shorten the session as much as pos
sible. Unless the member become
entangled in political matters, the
session is not likely to last more than
five months.
Bills For Equal Suffrage.
Two nrODOcitiODS will no DrocpUfa cd
to the legislature on the subject OF
equal suffrage. One. will propose a
referendum vote on the question, and
the other will attempt to amend the
statutes to give the women of Wiscon-
sin the right of ballot in presidential
elections. The latter proposition is OF
particular interest because the pass
age of such a bill, providing it were
| signed bv the governor, would i'm