The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1915-08-20
1915 LEGISLATIVE
SESSION CLOSES
BOTH UPPER AND LOWER WILL
ADJOURN SINE DIE ON
AUGUST 25.
MORE THAN 600 LAWS PASSED
1t Is Estimated That the Present Leg
islature Cost About 100000,
an Increase Over Two
Years AGO.

MadisOn.-The legislative session OF
1915 closed so far as new business
is concerned. 1t will be some time,
however, before final adjournment is
taken. When this will come no one
can say. It will depend on the print
er and the governor.
Bills passed by the legislature will
be rushed over to the printer just
as fast as possible, but it was said
Saturday by the clerks of the two
houses that it would be Thursday OF
next week before the last of the bills
would get to the printer. AS some are
quite lengthy it will take few days
to print them and get them back into
the governors hands. Then he has
six days to determine whether he
will sign them or not. This means
that final adjournment will come some
time between August ri and Au-
gust Is.
That the session will be a record
breaker for length is certain. 1t will
extend twelve days to two weeks be-
yond anything that has preceded it.
That it was not longer was due to
the anxiety of members to get away,
which led them to work feverishly
Saturday to finish up the work be-
fore the two houses, it being under
stood that the assemblymen could not
be held here longer than 1890 Sat
urday. Had the two houses worked
throughout the session with the speed
they displayed on Saturday, the ses-
sion would have been over by the
middle of June.
With the haste of the closing day
the legislature did several things
which will benefit citizens of the state.
In spite of the fact that there may
be a surplus in the treasury even with
the reduced appropriations, it was
thought safer to make tax levy by
the legislature.
This was done in a bill introduced
by Senator Burke Saturday morning,
and passed by both houses before ad-
journment. The levy, as made by this
bill, was $1,000 The object of the
bill was to legalize the mill tax levies,
there being some question as to their
legality.
Another bill of Importance passed
was the emergency appropriation bill,
which provides that in case it is found
any department or institution cannot
get through with their appropriation
they can be granted an emergency
sum, provided there is surplus in
the treasury over and above the $780,
900 which must now be paid annually
toward clearing up the Indebtedness
of the state to the trust funds.
This bill was due in some measure
to the representations of President
Van Hise who insisted there was seri-
Gus danger of the university being
crippled. AS Governor Philip had no
desire that anything of that kind
should occur, in spite of the abuse
heaped on the administration by the
university regents and supporters, he
readily agreed to the Introduction of
this emergency appropriation bill.
Hence there will be no danger of any
worthy activity of the state suffering
But each and every one will have to
practice strict economy, as it will only
be on a showing that this has been
done that any extra money will be
granted. Whether this shall be done
or not will lie with the governor, the
secretary of state and the state treas
urer.
The two houses were unable to
agree on joint resolution for adjourn
ment. Each adjourned independently
until Tuesday, August II, at two
O'Clock. At that time there will be
few members present in each house,
when another adjournment will be
taken, either from day to day or for
three-day periods, until such time as
Governor Philip has finished up the
bills befose him and is ready to an
nounce cleanup, when the final adj
journment will be taken.
One of the last bills acted on was
the plumbing measure, which the SEN
ate killed, leaving the matter as at
present.
The bill 445s, the track depression
bill. was finally disposed of on Satur-
day by the adoption of an amendment
by Senator Bray, which was in line
with the objections made by the gov
ernor.
The mothers pension bill, as amend
ed by Senator Bosshard's amendment,
was concurred in by the senate on
Saturday. The amendment cuts the
state aid in half. from $4,000 to $685.
600, and makes the system compulsory
in all counties
Circuit Court Clerks Elect.
Charles c. Mas, Milwaukee, clerk
of circuit court. and Theodore Dam
mann. Milwaukee. county treasurer,