Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-08-04
LONG SPEECHES ARE
OPPOSED BY OFST|E
Eau Claire Assemblyman Would
Rush the Remaining Bills.
SoLoNS ASKED TO RETURN
Three Of the Four Consolidation Bills
Passed by the General Assem-
bly, Are Signed by Governor
Phillip.

Madison.-Assemblym ofstie Of
Eau Claire has taken the attitude Of
one who does not care much about
oratory. He arose in the house and
protested against such long speeches.
He said he wanted TO vote just as fast
as the bills could be called up. Speak
er Whittet has sent telegram TO all
the members of the assembly :ciiing
them that unless they return the ser
/ geant-aJ-arms may be sent 10 bring
them back at their own expense.
| The members are going at the
remaining work with Gvidity. They
hope to clean up most OF the
work by next Saturday night and then
allow about ten days to elapse, dur
ing which time the governor will con-
slider the measures that have been
pissed. Two years ago the assembly
Iiourned on August g. and every eff
dort is being made by the admins
tration leaders not TO exceed this rec
or3.
Four consolidation bills have al
ready been passed and three have
been signed by the governor. One
places the inspection of BARRIERS under
the state board of health, instead Of
under a separate board; a second con-
solidates several OF the departments
of agricultural activity; third con-
soldates several kindred departments
under the state conservation board
and the fourth, which has not yet
been signed. consolidates the fire mar
shal's office with the insurance depart
ment The other consolidation
measures are well on their way to-
ward passage. One would consolidate
all of the engineering activities Of
the state under a state engineer; a
| second would create a new printing
commission, and a third relieves the
| boards of regents of the duties OF
! presenting the financial budgets for
the different educational institutions
| to the Legislature, and confers this
| power on the governor, secretary of
| state. state superintendent. and one
| representative each of the normal re-
gents and the university regents.
Assemblyman George P. Hambrecht
claims that over fifteen days of each
! legislative session is wasted in the
assembly listening to the calling OF
| the roll 1t requires more than five
minutes to perform this task and
| there are between $50 and 1000 roll
calls session. Governor Philip now
has before him a bill TO permit the
| capitol building commission TO install
an electric voting device in the assem-
! bly,, which will record the votes of the
members almost simultaneously. The
measure carries an appropriation of
$4,000 The device was invented by
B. L. Bobroff of Milwaukee,
The character of legislation on high
ways aid and construction as finally
agreed upon by the various schools
of thought on this problem is now well
defined. and in fact has received the
| official Endorsement of the upper
house As engrossed by the senate
the bill provides for a combination
of the state and county systems. The
bill was worked out by the special
committee on highways, with the as
sistance of Associate Justice r. ID,
Marshall of the supreme court. Fea-
lures of the Woodland bill, which has
passed the assembly, are embodied
/ il this.
The measure gives the county a
larger measure of control than under
the present state law, by which the
state is supreme. 1t also reduces the
limit of money dependable for road
building to about one-third of the pres
ent amount. The bill provides that
the state highway commission shall
| advise towns, villages and counties re-
| garding construction and maintenance
of roads and bridges constructed by
state aid The counties must conform
| to the commissions regulation in the
matter Of the surveying. planning,
construction and inspection of roads
| and bridges to entitle them to state
hid 1t provides for a county highway
committee to have charge of highway
| and bridge construction subject to the
! advisory supervision of the state COM
mission. In Milwaukee county the
supervisors are authorized to fix the
number of members of the county
committee and their terms. Each
county is to elect a highway commits
sioner for two years. who is to be
under the control of the county high
way committee. Salaries of county
commissioners are to run from $500
to $1,000 in counties doing over $780,
900 worth of highway work year.