The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-08-24
From State Capitol.

Madison, ,-(SpeciaD Now that
the legislature has completed its work
and the results to the taxpayers are
being counted, the opposition to the
present state administration is devel-
| Oping itself to campaign of misrepre-
made on members of the legislature
which are unwarranted.
The position of the governor on
matters of interest to the taxpayers, of
course, being misrepresented. but the
Governor expects that and is proceed
ing in his work undisturbed.
1t is an unfortunate fact that news
papers in the state which have been
opposed to Governor Philip have
been misled by correspondents at
Madison until the people in some sec
tons of the state have not had the real
facts presented to them about legisla-
ton. With very few exceptions the
press of Wisconsin is disposed to be
fair, however, and there are many of
the editors who were opposed to Gov
ernor Philip during the last cam
paign who are ready now to give him
credit for his splendid work The ed
itors have been opposed upon by un-
scrupulOuS correspondents and it may
be months before they will understand
the true situation in Madison.
Here are some of the things which
| Governor Philip has done with the
aid of the legislature for the taxpay-
ers of the state:
The appropriations by the 1915 leg
islature are $8,000,0O0 lower than
that of the legislature of 1913.
The tax levy this fall will be at least
S1,000,O00 less than the tax levy of
last fall. There will be no tax levy
outside of the regular mill tax for edu-
cational purposes, and it is possible
that even part of the mill taxes may
be RENTED.
The agricultural interests of the
state have been brought under one
head to the end that money will be
saved for the taxpayer and greater
efficiency will result.
The departments of the state hav-
ing to do with conservation in all its
branches, including the propagation
and preservation of fish and game,
have been correlated under one de-
partment with the same object in
view
| A move has been made to pay the
states Indebtedness which has been
neglected by former administrations
and, at least 100000 will be paid off
| each year.
! A move for the betterment of ru-
+! raj schools has been started by the
Dickie bill in which Mr.. Dickie and
the Governor cooperate.
The expensive and altogether use
less campaign pamphlet has been alb
| olished
The useless and cumbersome Mary
Ann law which provided for second
choice voting, and was a source of in
| convenience and expense to every CO.
unity in the state without single
beneficial result, has been wiped OFF
the statute books.
| A department of engineering to dc
away with the duplication of this ex-
pensive work has been established
which will save the taxpayers in the
long run many thousands of dollars
a year
The work of state printing has now
been placed under a state printing
board, which will save thousands OF
dollars each year
Last but not least in the eyes of the
| taxpayers is the fact that the appro-
priations of the 1915 Legislature have
been kept down, despite opposition
from the La Toilette holdOver sena-
tors, to a basis of expenditures Tath-
er than former allowances and start
has been made toward placing the
| state on a business basis.
AS time goes on the results of the
legislative session will be understood
by the people and it is fair to assume
that the present campaign of misrep-
resentation will make very little
Roadway.