Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-03-10
PASSENGER FARE
INCREASE SOUGHT
Fight to Secure Passage of Law
in State Opens.
MANY PETITIONS PRESENTED
Railroads Intend TO Make a Campaign
Of the State in Favor of the Meas
ure-GoVernor Says He Houic
Veto Bill.

hdU4SOH--l1 ne uBnL 10 secure the
passage Of the two and one-half cent
fare law has been seriously opened be-
fore the legislature. When the legis-
lature convened. more than one hun
dred petitions we're presented, asking
for the increase. Assemblyman Bud
long has offered the only petitions in
opposition to the measure.
The railroads intend to make a cam
paign of the state in favor of the pas
sage. The railroad representatives
told members Of the legislature that
they would visit every important city
in the state in the next two weeks and
present their side of the case.
Gov. E. L. Philip has announced
that he will veto the bill if it is passed.
He says that he does not believe it
will pass, however.
The assembly killed the J. B. Jen-
son bill to permit pupils to be absent
from public schools while attending
confirmation classes. Assemblyman
linn made a fight to secure the pass
age of the Helm resolution, asking
congress to pass law retiring mail
carriers with a record of 80 years
service on a pension. The measure
was killed by close vote.
BY a unanimous vote the assembly
committee on excise and fees has rec
commended for indefinite postponement
the Stemper bill which in effect would
nuilify the aim of the Baker saloon IL
cense law and permit the opening in
Milwaukee of over two hundred sa-
looms closed last year because they
were operated in violation of this law
This bill viii come up for considera-
ton in the assembly about Friday and
a long debate is anticipated.
The possibility of favorable action
by the senate affairs committee on the
Bray resolution, inviting Prof. E. A.
Gilmore of the university to appear to
advise on waterpower legislation now
pending is not considered likely, in
the opinion of many who base their
judgment on the makeup of the COM
mittee. The Bray resolution was
shelved after one Of the warmest
fights of the session, and was finally
referred to the state affairs commit
tee, composed of Senators Stevens
(chairman), Cunningham, Culbertson,
Hanson, Everett, Barwig and Arnold.
This vote was Is to II.
The senate later adopted a reso.
luton by Senator Monk inviting uni
versity men to appear on measures
at any time without laying them open
to the charge of meddling in politics.
This vote stood 20 to 10.
During his speech on his resolution,
Senator Bray raised the point that be-
cause university professors had in the
past given their views before commit
tees of the Legislature they had been
unjustly accused of meddling in legis-
lation and going into politics, and he
wanted his resolution adopted as a
means of the legislatures availing it
self of university help without laying
the professors open to the ill-founded
criticism hat they were mixing in
politics. Senators Ackley, Bennett and
Burke feared its passage would mark
the senators as a set of "self-confessed
incompetents." Senator Ackley be-
lieved it would open the door to many
similar invitations as new measures
came up for committee hearing, and
thus set a bad precedent. Senator
Bennett objected to the language of
the Bray resolution, where it referred
to certain professors as employed by
the waterpower interests, as an insult
to the senate and to the men cited.
Senator Bray scored the Ackley wa
terpower bill as the most nefarious
and vicious" bill in the legislature, and
he felt it was his duty, he said, to en-
deavor to safeguard the welfare of the
state and prevent the passage of in
,Iuitous measures. The bill now rests
with the state affairs committee.
The senate corporations committee
reported adversely on the bill intro
duced by Senator Mulberger by re-
quest. repeating the klue sky law.
The legislative investigating com
mittee is considering seriously the
consolidation of the state board of
health and state dairy and food COM
mission, as obtains in the city of Mil
waukee. Boards that are self-support-
ing. such as the BARRIERS board and
plumbers examiners. are likely to be
continued. The committee is serious
ly considering combining the state
treasury's agents duties with the state
board of health, and the oil inspection
department with the state Industrial
commission.