The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-02-23
CALDWELL WOULD DO AWAY
WITH STATE AID
PLAN.
WANT AUTO FEES RETURNED
Provides Town Voters Can Appropri.
ate Money for Road Building
and County to Give
Like Sum.
Madison, Feb. 10, 1915.

Two bills, one doing away with
state aid to counties for the building
of highways and restoring to the
county the control Of such work and
the other providing for the distribu-
ton OF the full amount Of the auto
mobile license money to the com
munities of it's origin, were intro
duced by Assemblyman Caldwell.
Mr.. CaldweIIs highway bill pro-
vides that the voters of any term
may, at the annual town meeting,
vote a special highway tax not to ex-
coed two mills on the dollar in addi-
ton to the regular highway tax, the
funds arising from the special tax to
be devoted to the building, repairing
or improving of any highway as shall
be required by the highway commits
sioner
Like Sum From County.
1t is provided that when any town
has thus levied such special tax the
county shall appropriate like sum.
A system of county highways shall
be designated by the county board to
extend into every town in the county
If practicable and shall constitute
continuous lines On the highways
so designated the funds so raised
shall be used.
The county board shall elect a
highway commissioner to hold the
Office for two years and give bond
for the faithful discharge of his du-
ties. He shall be paid not less than
So per day.
Must Accept Work.
1t is provided, that when the coun-
ty board finds that a designated high
way has been built according to speci-
fications it shall by resolution adopt
such highways, together with
bridges, sluices, etc, as county
highway" and the county thereafter
shall bear all expense, the same to be
paid out of the county highway re-
pair fund.
The present law provides that one
fourth of the money arising from the
fees paid for automobile licenses
shall be turned into the state high
way fund to be used by the highway
commission. The Caldwell bill re-
in another bill that this money be re-
turned to the counties from which
it comes and that the county shall re-
turn to all cities and villages the
amount paid by auto owners therein
to compensate them for loss arising
from the fact that they cannot parti-
cipate in the county aid.
Material changes in the corrupt
practices act are proposed in bill in
troduced by Senator Hanson. The
present law contains thirty-eight sec
tions and many subsections, and one
of the purposes of the Hanson bill is
to simplify the law.
Semi-Annual Taxes Discussed.
The joint resolution introduced by
Senator Ackley, providing for an
amendment to the constitution so
that sheriffs will be eligible for two
terms, was laid over.
There was a hearing before the
committee on state affairs on the
Cunningham bill providing for semi
annual payment of taxes. City Clerk
P. J. Leuch and County Treasurer
Theodore Dammann of Milwaukee
appeared against the bill, holding
there was no use for such a measure.
Committee Against krembs Bill.
The assembly committee on judi
ciary decided to recommend that the
Krembs bill reducing the exemption
Of wages from garnishments from
$50 to $40 month be indefinitely
noStDOned The committee also de-
cided to recommend indefinite post
ponment of the Helm bill empower
ing mayors of cities to discharge ap-
pointive officers and the Frederick
bill fixing the hours of the opening
and closing of election polls in small
cities. The committee will probably
report a substitute for the Helm bill
providing that wages of public Off
sers may be garnisheed for debts for
accessories.
Ask Ballot for Womens
Senators Skogmo and Scott figured
prominently in the senate. Senator
Skogmo introduced a joint resolution
or a constitutional convention in Wis
consin. Senator Scott introduced a
dill to amend the statutes to give the
women of Wisconsin the right of bal
lot in presidential elections. Joint
resolutions for referendum vote on
Fewer Births at La Crosse.
La Crosse.-January births in La
Crosse county were fourteen less than
or the corresponding period in 1914