Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-06-23
NO CHANGE TO Be
MADE IN LAW
No Action on Industrial and Rail
Commission Acts.
BILLS AFFECTING STATE LOSE
Measures Intended to Reverse Policy
of the State in Regard to Both
Laws Defeated by the
Legislature.

Madison-No changes of far-reach-
ing Importance will be made in
either the industrial commission
act or the railroad commission law
at this session of the legislature.
Measures intended to reverse the pol
icy Of the state in regard to both of
these laws have been defeated. Meth
er will the demand of the laboring
men to increase the scale of COM
pensation from IS per cent to rs per
cent of the average weekly wage in
case of accidents be granted.
Three minor changes will probably
be made in the workmen's compensa-
ton act as administered by the indus
trial commission at this session. The
assembly has already passed the Bal
lard bill exempting farmers Of the
state from the terms Of the law
There is no apparent opposition to the
bill in the senate, and this measure,
supported by the commission, will
doubtless be approved by the senate
and signed by the governor. The gov
ernOr has just signed the Bray bill
giving the industrial commission pow
er to pass upon the reasonableness
of Hospital and medical bills result
ing from the attention given to med
zeal employees. The assembly has
passed a bill, which is now before the
senate, increasing the compensation
that may be paid in the Ease of death
benefits of an apprentice 2. There is
every indication that this will pass
the upper house.
The only important pie ce of legis-
lation now pending affecting the rail-
road commission is a measure that
would repeal the law giving the COM
mission power to audit freight and ex-
press bills, where the shipper has
reason to believe that an unlawful
rate has been applied The bill was
introduced by reason of the fact that
large shippers might swamp the COM
mission with the auditing of bills.
The repeal measure has serious op-
position and Assemblyman Gruene-
valid Of Oshkosh has announced that
he will make every effort possible to
defeat the bill when it comes up for
final consideration in the house the
latter part of the week.
Several bills to limit the power of
The railroad commission as to the evil
dence that may be considered have
been killed in the senate and assem-
bly, and TIE only remaining measure
now pending is the Grell bill, which
would exempt fourth-class utilities
from the terms of the public utilities
act. In Illinois all municipal plants
have been exempted fronI regulation,
but the Wisconsin law as originally
drafted included all classes of utilities.
1t now begins to look as though
there would be some compromise
measure on the county board of edu-
cation law. The Mortensen bill to
repeal the law was engrossed in the
house by large vote and was given
a hearing by the joint committee on
finance. So much opposition has de-
veloped in the senate to the repeal of
the measure that Governor Philip
has suggested that the county boards
of the state should be given the
power to create county boards of edu-
cation from among it's own member
ship, which shall be given all of the
powers now devolved upon the coun-
ty boards of education, elected by the
people.
The Woodland bills for the repeal
of the present state highway law and
giving most of the powers to the coun-
ty boards, and the reduction of the
state highway aid appropriation from
S1,200,000 to 100000 annually is slat-
ed for a hearing before the joint
finance committee of the legislature
Wednesday afternoon.
The Caldwell bill 10 abolish the
state fair at Milwaukee and to es-
tablish an exposition at Madison,
which shall be run for two weeks in
the fall, was given hearing last
week by the joint committee on f.
nance. It was announced by the COM
mittee that no immediate action would
be taken on the bill pending an inves-
tigation as to whether the property at
Milwaukee could be disposed of at
price which viii return 10 the state
the appropriations that have been
made in the past for improvements
on the Milwaukee fair grounds. 1t
is said that the committee will favor
the passage of the Caldwell bill if this
report is satisfactory.
The senate will consider the XII
basta bill TO repeal the present system
of state fire insurance.
State Patents.
Herman j. Barsness, Black Earth,
cattle stanchion; Harvey E Bloomer.
Milwaukee. electric heating pad Wal
ter NJ. Fischback, Milwaukee, stereop-
ticon; Enos c. Frisk and E. c. Ander-
Fon, Somerset, utensn knob; Ralph Ca
gan OcOnOmowoc. COW stall; John E