Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-08-04
LEGISLATURE ON
HOME STRETCH
Big Appropriation Measures Re,
main to Be Acted on.
GOVERNOR Phillip HOLDS Ak

Threatens to Veto Every Money Allot.
ting Bill That Has Not Been Cut
suffieiently-PossibiIity of an Extra
Session STANDARDIZATION Would
BE Losers.
Madison, Wis, (SpeciaD The legis.
lature has turned into the home
stretch. With the calendar Of the as
sembly and the senate pretty well
cleared up on important bills, the big
job to be disposed of is the matter OF
appropriations.
An interesting stu alton has de.
veloped in the closing days. During
the legislative slaughter when some
of Governor E. L. Philips pet meas.
ures were tossed in the discard, the
governor stood by as a sort of help
less spectator But now the situation
is different. The governor could not
prevent the legislature from killing
his measures, but he has the last
word in appropriation matters, and
Mr.. Philip threatens to veto every
appropriation measure that reaches
him when it appears that the amount
Special Session Possible.
81 am going to be here for a while, -
remarked Governor Philip, and it
will not annoy me if the legislature
keeps me company"
That statement bears out the in
timation from administration quarters
that unless the legislature practices
a degree of economy which meets
with the approval of the governor.
there is a possibility of a special
session of the Legislature. A special
session is a thing to be avoid. The
members have been here about seven
months. Financially, each member has
sacrificed something. To return TO
Madison for a special session would
mean an addition financial loss which
would be unwelcome to the members.
The appropriation bills coming in
show substantial cuts, but the impress
sion is being circulated that the gov.
ernor believes there is room for great.
er economy than outlined by the joint
committee ON finance.
Appropriation Bills Cut.
Appropriation bills for the state
board Of control, the several state
charitable and penal institutions and
for the state board of health we're re-
ported to the assembly by the com.
mittee on finance of the legislature.
Seventy-ive thousand dollars. repre-.
senting a cut of $4,000, is appropriated
to the state board of health for the hi.
ennial period For administration pur.
poses the board of control is allowed
an annual appropriation of $4,000, a
cut of $4,000 Similar reductions are
made in the case of nearly every in
stitution, although in some instances
the committee has recommended
slight increases where new buildings
are needed.
As against a request for $4,000, the
Committee allows an appropriation of
$4,000 Ii the handling of convict labor
in road building.
The total appropriation for the state
! charitable and penal institutions for
tie fiscal year 1915, is s1,666,5 for
the fiscal year 1916, S1,650,S45, repre-
serting cut of about 100000 for the
biennial period.
Senator Plat Whitman introduced
bill appropriating $35, 900 to the new
department of agriculture so that all
bills pending against the state fair
management may be paid
Finds Realty Transactions Faulty.
The report of the special committee
of the legislature appointed to investi-
gate realty transactions made by the
regents of the university has been
filed in the senate. The report finds
that in the purchase of land are made
without system, unwisely and waste
fully" Boiled down the findings of
the committee were summarized in
the following statement by Senator
Frank Hanson, chairman of the in
vestigating committee:
After examining numerous wit
nesses the committee appointed under
joint resolution No. 44a, relating to
the purchase and sale of lands by the
university. report that Ill parcels
were purchased for $3.50, 049.62, that
eightyseyen parcels were sold for
s27 1924; that the parcels sold were
all sold before 1859 because in those
days there was not sufficient money
to pay for the upkeep of the university
and the salaries of the inst ctors.
Purchased UnwIsely.
1.-THE committee also finds in recent
years various tracts have been bought,
some of which notably the Olin-Ray.
mer tract, were purchased at a price
Of $1,000 an acre, and that these and
the other purchases of recent years
were purchased without system, pur.
chased unwisely, unsystematically,
.wastefully and without regard to the
welfare Of the state.
1.-THE committees recommendation
shows this upon testimony offered to
them. The fact Is that purchases
have been made without regard to
any system and that those which were
o.. ,-41-s1A,t-or