Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-01-20
GOV. Philip ASKS
MANY LAW CHANGES
COMBINATIONS GIVEN TO
WISCONSIN LAWMAKERS
IN MESSAGE.
MAKES PLEA FOR ECONOMY
Adjustment of Useless Commissions,
Enactment of New Water Power
Bill and Halt on Refores-
tration Policy Are Urged.

Madison, Wis, Jan. 14.-"The most
important problem that confronts us
at this time is to introduce economies
in the management CT our STATE affairs
that will produce substantial reduc-
tons in the state expenditures and
make a reduction in state taxes pos
sible The people demand retrench-
ment'
This is the keynote of the message
delivered by Gov. Emanuel L. Philip
to both houses of the legislature here
today. Although it is the shortest BIZ
ennial message delivered to a Wiscon-
sin legislature in decade, Gov. Phil
ipp told his co-workers that this would
be followed by special messages that
will deal more at length with the prob
lens of state government. Probably
no other message ever sent to a Wis
consin legislature contained the word
repeal in so many paragraphs.
Gov. Philip repudiated the far
famed Wisconsin idea. He said that
in the past ten years Wisconsin had
made national reputation for social
ed progressive legislation.
business men declare that we have
been fighting business declared Gov.
Philip. "The results of the last cleo
ton clearly indicate that the people
have reversed their policy in this re-
spect, and they now demand a gov
= crn raf q
than hamper the development of in
dustry."
The people are over-burdened with
taxes, declared Gov. Philip. He said
that the expenses of state government
had increased from $6,046,565 in 1903
to $15,13S, 651 in 1914. This enormous
increase, he said, has been occasioned
by an expanse in the functions of gov
eminent and by lack of business sys-
tenn in organizing these activities. He
said that I'VE should not allow our
zeal to lead us into costly fads, nor
should we forget that a waste of the
peoples substance is not helpful to the
cause of human progress"
The second important feature of the
governors message was demand
that the government be vested more
closely in the hands of its const1-
tutioraHv elected officials. He would
make the boards and commissions
more responsible to the will of the peo-
pie.
Gov. Philip asked for the repeal Of
the law which permits the state to in
sure it's own buildings and those of
the counties, cities and villages. He
said that the system of state fire in
surance had been tried for ten years
and experience had demonstrated that
1t is a failure. He would check the
present plan of building up state
forestry reserve on the cut-over pine
lands of northern Wisconsin, and he
recommended that all agricultural
lands within the reserve be sold to
settlers.
He would curtail the field work Of
the state tax commission and trans
fer the duties of the deputy income
AK assessors to local town assessors
elected by the people. He favored
reduction in the amount of state print
ing by having less printing of reports.
He urged that the state highway law
be amended so that so much. money
will not be annually expended and
that some provision be made for keep
ing the state built roads in repair after
construction.
He declared that the legislative ref
erence bureau should be abolished and
intimated that this bureau had been
interested in influencing legislation.
He would liquidate the state trust
funds created during the Civil war by
an annual appropriation of 100000
until this fund became extinct.
He urged the repeal of the law pass
ed at the last session of the legisla-
ture creating country board of edu-
cation in each county Of the state.
He said that the functions performed
by his board were not important and
the system was too expensive. He
said the rural schools of the state
should be more closely supervised and
III ged the enactment of legislation
that will permit of assistant county
superintendent in some of the larger
counties.
During the short time that have
been in office I have not been able to
examine the present organization OF
commissions and boards" declared the
governor, Gin sufficient detail to make
Purpose of the Chain.
COMMITTEEMAN in Savannah oh.