The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1915-01-22
ATTENDANCE IN
SENATE GAINS
ASSEMBLYMAN NEWcOMB SPOoR
WILL PRESENT RESOLUTION
TO LEGISLATURE.
WOULD LIMIT MEASURES
Committee Recommends Establish
ment of a Permanent State Police
Department So All Laws
Shall Be Enforced.

department 90 All Laws
Shall Be Enforced.
Madison.-Little will be accom-
plished by the legislature this week
except the Introduction of few bills,
which must go to the revision commit
tee, and the location of the committee
rooms.
The attendance in the assembly this
week was much better than that in the
senate, owing to the fact that the sen.
ate made it's committee assignments
last week and completed it's whole
organization ready for business. This
week will be consumed with the intro
duction of bills, their reference to the
committee on revision and their sub
sequent report to the committee that
will hold hearings thereon. It was an
nounced that some committee hear
ings would be held the week of Jam
uary rs, on bills Of lesser Importance,
but that on the following week the
more weighty pieces of legislation will
be taken up.
So many requests have been filed
with the reference department by
members of the legislature, asking for
the preparation of bills that the in
stitution has been compelled to work
overtime to keep up. The indications
are that there will be as many bills
introduced at this session as at any
previous session Of the legislature.
Assemblyman Newcomb Spoor will
attempt to put the ban on the intro
that he would Immediately present a
resolution limiting the number of bills
that may be introduced by any assem-
blyman to five, by senator to ten,
and by a committee to ten. Another
resolution by him provides for imme-
date hearings on departmental bills
relating to finances.
Although United States Senator
elect, Paul o. Husting, will come to
Madison to oppose any changes in the
statutes relating to water powers, Sen
ator E. F. Ackley of Chippewa Falls,
will introduce bill providing for the
repeal of the waterpower act, passed
two years ago, and the enactment of
a new law which will give the water
powers wider latitude for development.
There has been no development Of
the waterpowers in northern Wiscon-
sin since this law was enacted" said
Senator Ackley.
There has been little development
along industrial lines in the state"
replied Senator Husting, when told of
the proposal of Senator Ackley. Zone
waterpower development on the Chip
pewa river, that was developed before
the law was enacted is standing still
and not cent of current is being Sold
The trouble is not with the WATERFOWL
er law, but with general industrial con-
ditions. These conditions are now i'm
proving and the state should give the
present waterpower law further trial"
AS has been customary in the last
three sessions, the Socialist members
have formed a club for the study of
legislation. Each evening the mem
bers meet, discuss the various bills
and legislative proposals that will
come up the next day, and formulate
a definite plan of action. If the bill
discuss the matter on the floor, so
that the party's record on the subject
may be made plain. This socialist
club is organized on the same plan as
the legislature. 1t has presiding Of
ficer and a reading clerk. The mem
bers sit around table, and after bill
is read discuss possible amendments
and then formulate their plan for the
next day upon this measure. In this
manner every proposal before the leg
islature is disposed of. In the house
there are eight Socialists, all of whom
are residents of Milwaukee. Only one
state senator is a Socialist. The
membership of the Socialist party in
the legislature follows: Senator Louis
A. Arnold and Assemblymen Carl
Minkley, E. H. linn, Herman o. Kent,
Frank ]. Weber, James H. Vint, Will
liam l.. Smith, George L. Tews and
Frank B. Metcalf.
Assemblyman A. E. Frederick, the
fighting parson," is busy preparing
bills that will correct the social con-
ditions unearthed by the recent degis-
lative vice-committee in this state.
All of the bills recommended by the
committee. for passage will be intro
duced. Among the more important
pieces of moral legislation is a meas
ure that will apply the terms of the
federal law, commonly known as the
Mann white slave act, to counties and
towns within Wisconsin. Under the
bill, as drafted, violations of the pro-