Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-06-10
ASSEMBLY KILLS
EDWARDS BILL
Would Have Allowed Boys to
Work in State Quarries.
LOST BY VOTE OF 80 TO 20
BY Vote of Seventy TO One the House
Refused 20 Pass Stemper Measure
Over Governor Philips Veto
House Kills Bill.

House Kills Bill.
Madison.-The Edwards bill to al
low boys over sixteen years OF
age to work in stone quarTies in the
state was killed in the assembly by a
vote of SO to 40. Preceding the vote
on the subject, Assemblyman Edwards
offered an amendment which would
limit the 8o-k of boys in the quarry
to driving teams, carrying water and
other light employment Assembly
man Weber. for many years head Of
the labor organizations Of the state,
said that the amendment was decep-
tive. He declared that once the boys
were placed in the Quarries, no one
could tell exactly what they would be
forced to do. Assenblyman Hart of
Oshkosh, head Of the local labor unions
Of that city, moved the indefinite post
ponement Of the bill. His motion pre-
vailed.
By a vote of 70 to the assembly re-
fused to pass the Stemper hill over the
veto of Governor Philip. This bill
provided that a city might grant a
franchise by a majority vote to a
street railway company to operate its
lines on boulevards. The governors
objection to the bill was that when
street had been beautified and boule
varded, street cars should not be per-
mitted on it without practically unani-
nous consent of the property owners
along the street.
The attempt to reconsider the vote
by which the Mortensen bill abolish
ing the Office of inspector and super
visor of Illuminating oils failed, and
the bill now comes up for passage.
A reconsideration of the vote by
which the assembly killed the Arnold
home rule for cities amendment to the
constitution has been deferred until
next Thursday.
The assembly sent to engrossment
the following bills:
Pickart-Increasing from As to 10
the number Of schools that may be
maintained in cities giving industrial
and continuation courses.
Laing-Increasing the number of
high schools that may give special
winter terms and receive state aid
from 10 to Is.
Committee on municipalities-Au
thorizing the attorney general to de-
fend suits brought for alleged infringe
ments Of patents covering processes
and highway construction.
There was a long debate on the
Johnson bill which would permit coun-
ties to purchase lands sold for taxes.
The measure was championed by AS
semblymen Crosby and Minkley. Mink
ley claimed that the tax title business
was now in the hands Of the land
sharks Assemblyman Hambrecht
claimed that the counties should not
spend money in purchasing tax titles.
County money was raised, he said, to
meet the actual expenses of county
government and should be used for
no other purpose. The bill was killed
by vote Of 48 to 20. The assembly
laid over until next week the bill to
repeal the blue sky law passed at the
1918 session. 1t passed the Hambrecht
bill for a uniform partnership law,
and the Hager bill which makes the
county clerk sole auditor of the coun-
ty.
After three hours of debate, the as
sembly sent to engrossment, by vote
of 81 to 43, the bill abolishing the pres
ent tax commission of three members
and creating a tax department Of one
member to be appointed by the gov
ernor. In the performance Of his du-
ties, this commissioner is to be assist
ed by the governor and state treasurer
who will act as ex-ofhcio members.
The bill creates the Office of supervi-
sor of assessments in each county,
whose duty it is to collect the income
tax and supervise real estate asses
sors. This official will be appointed
by the county board and paid a salary
by the board. Assemblymen Minkley,
Dobie, Wells, Nordman and Ofstie Op-
posed the bill. Dobie claimed that the
passage of this measure spells the re-
peal of the present income tax law"
He said that wherever the collection
of the income tax had been tried by
local assessors it had been a failure.
By a vote of 63 to 10 the assembly
passed the bill aboishing the state
board of agriculture, the state board
of immigration, the state board of
veterinary examiners, state live stock
sanitary board, state veterinarian, and
state inspector OF apiaries, and Great
ling an agricultural commission Of
three members to assume the duties
of these different departments.