Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-02-02
THE LEGISLATURE.

lopiu uIc DuSluc>5 50 CIldU III Cali nave
a short session. The bill for extend
ing the time ir which taxes may be
paid which passed both houses in two
days and reached the governor and
was signed on the Sd day, shows what
can be done when the state solons get
down to business; but however the
anxious ones may try for short ses-
sion it will amount to nix, because
those who want long session can in
troduce bills galore and when they
get into the hands of the various
committees it is like pulling teeth to
get them out-hence a long drawn out
session.
On Wednesday a short session of
the assembly was devoted to a resolu-
tion introduced by Rev. A. f. Fred
erick of Kendall, the only preacher in
the legislature, expressing the SYM
pathy of the state for all the nations
now at war. The assembly refused
to pass the resolution on the ground
that it was useless, although those
opposed approved the spirit of the
resolution.
A bill has been introduced in the
assembly to make available to the
state board of agriculture an appro-
priation of 1856, 900, made by the leg
islature two years ago with the string
tied to it that the money was not to
be used until Milwaukee county pur-
chased the Fleming tract to be added
TO the state fare park. The bill pro-
poses to turn this amount over to the
board of agriculture and relieve Mil
waukee county of any obligation.
Bills have been introduced to force
husbands seeking divorce to support
their children until they reach IA
years and to force fathers of illegit-
innate children to support them until
they are IA years of age: TO bring the
nonresident student tuition at the
university up 10 $3.50 actual expense
of their education; to provide state
tax and license on dogs; to establish
8 department under the state dairy
commission; to establish a marketing
commission to sell farm produce for
farmers direct to the consumer.
The senate has passed the Johnson
resolution previously adopted in the
assembly to provide thorough in
vestigation by legislative joint COM
mittee of all boards and state COM
missions. There was little debate
and although the LaFollette followers
tried to block the resolution it was
finally adopted. An investigation
will be started at once in order that
the committee may have sufficient
data on which to base its plans for
the a5oiishing of useless boards.
The county fair, with its little mid
way. prize livestock, horse races and
modern birdmen, may be taken out
of the life of the thousands of people
in Wisconsin who have a big time at
the annual pumpkin show.
The wave of economy sweeping the
state has produced bill in the as
sembly which would withdraw state
aid from county agricultural societies.
Few county fairs are self-supporting,
in fact, many Of them face an annual
deficit despite the policy OF state aid
that has prevailed in Wisconsin for
several years.
Eighty-one county fairs are held in
Wisconsin each year. The amount
of state aid to these fairs is nearly
S133,0O0. 1t is estimated that the
average attendance at each county
fair is about $4,000, making total of
972, 900 people in Wisconsin who go to
the pumpkin" shows.
Senator M. w. Perry on Wednesday
introduced bill making the Madison
Democrat the official state paper in
stead of the Madison State Journal.
The bill provides that the printing
board shall file written order in the
Office of the secretary of state on
Aug. l designating the official state
paper. Before arriving at this, bids
shall be called for. Itprovides furth-
er that until such designation is made
by the board the Madison Democrat
shall be the official state paper. On
account of the hold the LaFollette
progressiyes have had on state affairs
for years, the State Journal, which
is the organ of that wing, has been
able to remain the state paper. The
virulence with which the paper has
attacked the present administration
and the legislature has led to feel
ing that change ought to be made
in the official state paper.
The first freak bill of the year APP
peared in tie senate when Senator
Bray, after seeing rubber necks" at
Madison railroad stations watching a
display of feminine ankles and other
things when they alighted from the
trains, introduced bill to force rail-
roads to provide portal steps so that
women should not be required to dis
play their charms when travelling.