Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-06-15
THE LEGISLATURE.

They expect the bill will pass the as
sembly, but they will make hard
fight in the senate for the adoption of
the Nordman subs titute which places
common schools under tile control OF
the llew board The unquestioned
object of he tight is to prevent the
final passage OF the bill if possible.
A new bill is 10 be introduced lea-
tive to the allowing of cities of the
fourth class in The state TO employ
business agents A bill on this sub
ject has already passed the senate,
but through a misunderstanding of
the nature of the measure it was in
definitely postponed in the assembly,
One of the fights still before the
legislature is on the primary election
law. 1t has been smouldering ever
since the legislature convened The
LaFollette followers Will not allow a
change if they can prevent il, but as
they are in a minority, it is possible
to make some changes which will be
an improvement over the present law.
A canvass shows that bill changing
the primary law 50 that it should ap-
ply only TO officers representing
small unit such as members of the
legislature and county and municipal
ofhcers, and not apply TO the state
officers. This would enable conven-
tions TO be held for the nomination of
state officers. The delegates for these
conventions would, however, of course
be elected in the primary. The dem
ocrats want a law which provides
that state conventions shall be held
for the purpose of drawing up party
platforms and to do away with plat
form conventions. Enough republi-
cans may support this view of the
question TO pass such law.
The administration people were
very much pleased with their victory
in the assembly Wednesday night on
the central board of education bill
and claimed that despite the reports
to the contrary they believed the bill
would pass the senate and become a
law. 1t is pointed out now by both
the administration people and the
opponents of the bill that in giving
this board control of the finances of
the school systems of the state prac-
tical control is given of all the schools
of the state, including the common
schools, and that the bill thus accom-
plishes the direction of the common
schools as was advised by President
Van Hise of the University of Wis
consin. AS passed the bill provides
for commission of fifteen, appointed
by the governor and confirmed by the
senate, TO perform the duties now ex
erciSed by the board of normal school
regents, of the Stout school and state
mining school at Platteville. The
board is required to prepare budget
for the school system and present it
to the legislature, and it is given
general supervision over the rural
The first legislative block to the
administration program was encount-
cred Wednesday afternoon when the
joint committee on finance recon-
mended for On-concurrence bill 7O4
A, the bill which has passed the as
sembly, creating a board of public
welfare and placing under the control
of this board the state health depart
ment, the state board of control, the
dairy and food commission and sever
al minor departments. The motion
was to report the bill for concurrence,
but it was lost on a tie vote with
three of the five senate members of
the committee voting against concur
renee. This means that the bill goes
on The senate calendar with a recon-
mendatiOn for non-concurrence and
the recommendation may somewhat
aid the floor fight against the bill.
1t also insures the opposition of Sen
ator Rollman to the measure. 1t
was thought by some he might be in
favor of the bill Administration
leaders were somewhat surprised
when they learned of the action of
the finance committee, and were
much disappointed
Practically all the important meas
ures, including the administration
bills, will be on the SEN
ate calendar this week and next week.
The intention now is, it is said, to
make AL of these questions spe-
cial orders and there will be extended
floor fights over most of them. The
LaFollette people say that they shall
demand full attendance of the SEN
ate on all these issue measures, and
that there will be calls of the house
if the senators are not in attendance.
There will be an attempt made to
secure reconsideration in the senate
of the vote by which the bill forbid
ing municipalities to pass ordinances
the sale of milk from nom
tuberculin-tested cattle was indefinite
ly postponed. If the reconsideration
is granted, it is said substitute
measure will be offered.
The senate committee on corpora
lions on Wednesday afternoon re-
ported for passage the bill giving
the right to control
the whistling of locomotives in the
vicinity of cities. They have that
right now, within corporation limits.
The state railroad commission will
probably investigate the application
of the Northwestern and 500 railroad
COMPANIES for an increase from 2