The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-03-02
FIRE INSURANCE
RATES TOO HIGH
.EkERN TELLS COMMITTEE HE
SHOULD BE ARBITER OF
THEIR FAIRNESS.
NO ACTION TAKEN ON BILL
Assembly Committee on Judiciary De-
clded TO Postpone Helm Billie
Martin Introduces Bill
Against New Courthouse
Madison, Feb. 26, 1915.

Madison, Feb. 26, 1915.
The senate committee on corpora
lions was told by Insurance Commits
sioner Ekern that fire insurance rates
were unreasonably high, and that the
state insurance commissioner should
be authorized to determine unreason-
ableness of such rates.
Ekern was speaking on the Bennett
bill empowering the state insurance
commissioner to regulate fire insur-
ance rate and requiring rates to be
reasonable and nondiscriminating
Senator Bennett said he introduced
the bill after conference with Ekern,
and that he favored it. The commit
tee took no action on the bill
Helm Bills Postponed.
The assembly committee on judici-
airy decided to recommend for indie
finite postponement the Helm bill pro-
hibiting students of the state univer-
sity and other public institutions from
voting unless their school residence is
their permanent residence. The COM
mittee also decided to recommend for
indefinite postponement the Helm
bill prohibiting university and other
officials from being appointed or elect
ed to public office.
Against New Courthouse.
Senator A. E. Martin introduced a
bill in the senate which, if passed,
holds up the question of a new court
house in Milwaukee county until the
people of the county shall say at a
general election that they wish to be
taxed 100000 or 100000 for
new courthouse.
The committee on state affairs re-
ported for passagei bill 31A, which
changes the law regarding the build
ing of courthouses.
Bill 121A, referring to storage of ex-
plosives, was reported for indefinite
postponement.
The committee on education report
ed for indefinite postponement the Nc
Gowan bill providing that a teacher
in any educational institution in the
state who smokes Cigarettes could not
share in school funds
Water Power Bill Gets Hearing.
In an attempt to save the present
water power law, which he had passed
in the session of 1913, Senator Paul
0. Husting made flying trip to Madi-
son and appeared at the water power
hearing
Il thought it good bill then and
think SO now," said the senator. The
bill had not been given a fair trial
he claimed and urged the committee
not to make any change at this time.
In fact the whole of the senator's
argument might have been put in four
words save the present BILL
Senator AckIey Presides.
Senator Ackley, chairman of the
senate committee on conservation,
presided
Mr.. Brazeau said there was 3OO,-
600 undeveloped water power in the
state, capable of development.
The water power owners said
he, don't claim to own the rivers,
nor does the state of Wisconsin own
the rivers. Nobody claims to own
the water. Neither does the state
or Wisconsin own the water The
state has certain trust relations, but
1T could not deed the water to any
body or sell it to anybody. Neither
do the water power owners hold it is
not subject to taxation for local pur-
poses. Others claim we are trying
to steal the peoples property. That
IS all nonsense, also, as you will see
by reading the substitute BILL
Only Want Their Riqhts.
All that the water power owners
wanted, Mr.. Brazeau said, was the
right to develop water powers where
they owned the riparian rights. This
right had been upheld by the Su-
preme court. If paper mills could be
planted on undeveloped water DOW
ers in the central and northern parts
of the state they would furnish
market for wood now going to waste,
and pay for farms being carved out
of the forests there
Mr. Brazeau made the statement
that in the eastern part of the state
power could be developed more
cheaply from coal than water.
Running on Close Margin.
The paper men of Wisconsin were.
he said, running on close margin in
competition with Canada The only
thing which would save them was
ability TO develop the undeveloped
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