Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-04-08
LOWER AND UPPER
HOUSES ADJOURN
Members of Legislature Go Home
to Vote.
TO REAsSEMBLE APRIL IL
Speaker Asserts Work of Session VIII
Be misunderstanding on Con-
solidation Bills During
Next Two Weeks.

hdu4SOn-bOIn houses or the legIS-
iature have adjourned to allow the
members to go home to vote. The
members will reassemble on Monday,
April u, to resume their tasks, and it
is the declaration of Speaker Whittet
and others that the work of the ses-
sion will then be brought rapidly to a
close. Hearings on all of the consoli-
dation bills will be heard in the next
two weeks. Thus far the only hear
ing On a consolidation bill was that
Of the consolidation of all of the agri-
cultural departments-state board of
agriculture. board of immigration, vet
Urinary department and state live
stock sanitary board-into one depart
ment, that will have complete super
vision over the expenditures of state
aid to all Of the poultry, horticultural,
county fair and similar agricultural
associations as we'll
Under the terms of the consoIida-
ton bill this work would be delegated
to a commission of three members,
with special qualifications, appointed
by the governor for a term of six
years at a salary of $500 annually.
Speaker L. c. Whittet, a member of
the special legislative investigating
| committee that examined the depart
| ments and drafted the bill, said that
the measure would give coordination
to the work and would save the state
| about $4,000 annually. He quoted
EcI .
mer member of the board of agricul-
ture, as stating that the bill would &C.
complish the purpose of its drafters.
Several members of the state board
of agriculture, having the management
of the state fair in charge, appeared in
opposition to the bill. H. H. Peavey
| of Bayfield, county said that so much
power was lodged with the board that
| the members would never be able to
do the work. He said that the pres
ent board was nonsaiaried and the
proposed board was not, and he be-
obtained from a nonsalaried board.
| Senator G. H. Everett of Racine,
member of the state board of agricul-
ture, said that the proposed commits
sion would be a ''top-notcher for ex-
| pense."
Because he believes that the mem
bers of the legislative investigating
committee had no power to expend
money in travelling to the New York
forestry reserve, but that they were
directed to conf1ne their activities to
Wisconsin, Assemblyman Carl Hansen
of Manitowoc has introduced a reso-
luton to compel the committee to file
its expense statements. He said that
after these have been filed he would
offer another resolution to compel a
refund of the money spent by the COM
mittee in making it's Investigations in
the East
Action on the Hambrecht bill to
increase the nonresident tuition fee
at the university from 500 to $3.50
has been deferred until April IA, at the
request of Assemblyman Whitcomb Of
Oconto. The Harrington and Helm
bills to liquidate the state debt have
been sent to the joint finance COM
mittee Of the legislature for further
consideration. At the time of the Civil
war the government of Wisconsin
loaned the federal government about
S2,500,000. This debt was carried in
the form of certificates of indebted
ness. Although nearly all of this
money has been repaid the money
was used to meet the general expenses
tIof TTTtncn hills do
for the payment of a definite amount
annually until the debt is wiped out.
The house also advanced the Boss
hard bill requiring the display of flags
on school houses in fair weather.
The assembly committee on excise
and fees has reported for death the
]. B. Jensen bill which would increase
the liquor license fee in the state to
$500.
The bitterest set-to in which the
august senate has thus far engaged
occurred over the Perry bill making
the Evening Wisconsin of Milwaukee
the official state paper for publishing
all state laws, notices and proclama-
tons The State Journal of Madison
has for years been the state paper.
The bill was ordered engrossed after
three hours of debate by vote of
Is to g. AS amended the bill pro-
vides that the charges for the print
ing shall not exceed those now exist
ing with the State Journal, and that
the official paper shall bear all Incl
dental expenses, such as transporta-
ton and communication, in publish
ing the laws.