Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-03-11
REPEAL Of STATE
BOXING LAW URGED
Bill Is introduced by Assembly
man Julius Hanson.
MEASURE PROVIDES PENALTY
Three-Year Sentence for Persons TAX
ing Part in Prize Fights-Same
Sentence for Those Who
Watch Contest.

| boxing law is proposed in a bill intro
| duced by Assemblyman julius Hanson
| of Shawano, which will be given
hearing by the assembly committee on
state affairs this week. Assemblyman
Hanson says that he has made can
| Yass of the body and believes the re-
peal bill will be enacted.
Since l started the agitation
against the boxing commission I have
received hundreds of letters against
| the continuance Of boxing contests in
this state" said Assemblyman Han
son. 4 expect to file as many petit
tons faVoring the repeal Of this law
as the railroads have fled favoring
their increase of the two-cent fare"
The Hanson bill provides for a three
year sentence to the states prison for
any person who takes part as a prin-
cipal in a prize fight or boxing con
test, and three years as the penalty
for person to watch such a contest.
A resolution to amend the state con-
stitution so that the state may own
and operate grain warehouses, eIeva-
tors and storage houses has been in
dorsed by the assembly. The resoIu-
ton was offered by Assemblyman
Vint, Milwaukee. It was opposed by
Assemblymen Hambrecht of Grand
Rapids and Ellingson of Hawkins. Mr..
Ellingson contended that the state
should get out of private business.
The resolution was declared to be an
instrument to secure lower prices and
break up the food trust" in speeches
by Assemblymen Nordman and Mink
ley. 1t was finally engrossed by vote
of n to "A The assembly killed the
Frederick bill to appropriate $4,000 to
the Wisconsin Humane society, and
the Gruenewald bill to appropriate
So 100 for rural school exhibit at the
Panama-Pacif1c exposition. 1t recon
sidered the vote by which it killed the
Hoffman bill establishing certain re-
Quirements in the storing of dynamite.
The measure will come up again for
legislative action next Monday eve
ming.
Assemblyman Murphy of Manitowoc
county has offered a memorial to con-
gress asking the federal government to
take over the complete supervision of
the fishing industry on the great lakes.
The committee on excise and fees has
unfavorably reported the Ofstie and
Frederick bills for the closing of ali
saloons in the state at an early hour,
and the Budlong bill permitting the
payment of license money in Install
ments.
That the travelling public of Wiscon-
sin is paying more than $4,000 a day
is the statement Of J. F. Barnes, La
Crosse, a travelling man who appeared
before the senate committee on state
affairs in favor of the enactment of
the Bosshard bill forbidding tipping
in the state. He declared that were
tipping" prohibited the travelling pub
lie would not be subjected to so many
inconvenience and humiliations as it
is today. Barnes claimed that if the
bill were enacted into law it would
not be dead letter on the statute
books, as there are 5000 travelling
men in the state who are pledged to
the idea, and would see that the law
is enforced to the letter The bill
provides a fine of from S. to $25 for
every person offering or receiving a
tip. Barnes claimed that the econoIn-
ic effect of the bill would be that bet
ter salaries would be paid instead of
the uncertain income in tips. w E.
Spring of Madison, travelling man,
also favored the passage of the bill
Benn Platt, porter on the North
western line between Madison and
Milwaukee, who has Travelled the route
for the last % years, and knows most
of the politicians Of the state, appeared
in opposition to the bill He said his
regular salary was only $40 a month;
that he never asked for a tip, but |
was thankful for all that came his
way; that he had large family to
support, and needed all the money he
could earn.
about how much do the tips
amount to in a month";" asked SEN
ator Everett of Racine.
"Well, gentlemen, that is uncertain"
declared Mr.. Plat. "You see, the bust
ness has been very poor this year, and
there was so little coming in that it |
could not be counted"
The state affairs took no action on |
the bill
Senator Frank Hanson appeared in |
favor of his bill for the creation of a
state architectural and engineering de-
partment