Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-05-13
COMMITTEES D. \.
Philips PLAN
Bodies Favor Consolidation of
Departments.
THREE OUT OF FOUR WIN
Bill Merging Board of Health, Board
OF Control and Others Recon-
mended by Committee on
State Affairs.

S~SN FAtiGtt
Madison.-Three out of four Sec
lions of Governor Philips plan Of
consolidation Of departmental offices
have now. been recommended for pas
sage by various committees Of the
assembly. The committee on state af-
fairs has just recommended the bill
consolidating the state board of
health, the state board of control, the
state dairy and food commission, in
spector of Illuminating oils, and treas
ury agent, under a commission of five
members. The only amendment sug-
gested to this bill is that the oil in
spectoTs shall not be considered COM
petent to act as inspectors of cream
cries and cheese factories.
The committee on printing has rec
commended for passage the bill con-
solidating the printing departments
under a special printing committee.
The bill consolidating the different
agricultural departments has already
passed the assembly and is now be-
fore the senate.
The joint committee on conservation
has recommended for passage a new
waterpower law which, in many re-
spects, overturns the principles con-
tanned in the present waterpower act.
The new bill declares that the ripar-
ian owner has the right of owner
ship in the energy of running water.
1t further provides that all the po-
lice powers of the Husting law be
retained, and it permits private indi-
viduals and private corporations to
develop waterpowers. The Husting
law limited development to public
utilities The right of municipalities
to condemn and retain the ownership
Of waterpowers is declared. The same
control of the waterpowers as to safe
ty is given by the terms of the bill to
the railroad commission
The assembly killed the Freehoff
bill for the repeal of the Dunn coupon
ballot law, and has referred back to
the committee for correction the Killa
bill, prohibiting wholesalers of liquor
from selling direct to individuals I'M
less they first obtain a local liquor Ii
cenee. The assembly has killed the
Nelson bill, requiring the state to fur
nish copies of the revised statutes
and annotations free to justices of the
peace; the Frederick bill to increase
the bond of saloonkeepers; the Ever
EFT bill requiring that all evidence con-
sidered by the railroad commission in
annfoStOd hn cd
in the record and be subject to rebut-
tai; the Harrington bill prohibiting
any state officer, agent or employee
of the state from appointing any rela-
tive to a position, even though certi-
fed as eligible by the civil service
commission.
The assembly has engrossed the
Whitcomb bill making a marriage that
would be void if solemnized in this
state also void if solemnized in anoth-
er state, providing the person intended
to return to Wisconsin to live and had
gone to another state to have the cere-
mony performed, merely to circum-
vent the Wisconsin law. 1t advanced
the Jansen BILL authorizing the city
# Depere to construct and maintain a
bridge across the Fox river, and laid
over to next Wednesday the Jensen
bill repeating the law paying local
newspapers for publishing session
laws
The senate killed the following
bills:
Monk-Providing penalties against
giving false or fictitious names in
court actions.
Manufacturing that saloons be L.
censed for lot and block number of the
premises used.
Among bills sent to engrossment
were:
Notwithstanding ninety days resi-
dence for deputy sheriffs, except those
employed by railroads.
Whitman-Raising the age limit for
boys for commitment to the Industrial
school to eighteen.
Bray-Empowering the industrial
commission to pass upon physicians
and hospital bills in workmen's com
pensation cases.
Scott-Authorizing counties to pro
vide district tuberculosis hospitals.
Cunningham-Appr $4,000
for site for a hospital for crippled
children ef
The senate concurred in the Klein
steiber bill limiting deer hunters to
Dne buck during the hunting season,
and passed the Everstt bill providing
that juries in the Racine municipal
court may be drawn by jury com
mission instead of by the clerk.