The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-06-22
WATER POWER BILL
SENT TO PASSAGE
ASSEMBLY CONCuRS IN MEASURE
EXPECTED TO RESULT IN
DEVELOPMENT
CHANGES THE HUSTING LAW
Long and Stormy Session Marks Pas
sage of Holly Contested Measure,
"a to 3e-Two Amend
ments Adopted.
Madison, June IS, 1915.

Madison, June Is, 1915.
After a long and stormy session.
marked by much sharp debate and a
call of the house, the assembly con-
Cured in the Ackley water power bill,
which materially amends the present
Husting law and will, it is expected by
water power men, result in a decided
increase in the development of water
powers in Wisconsin. The vote on con-
currence in the bill was 81 to 38.
The assembly adopted two amend
ments to the Ackley bill. One by AS
semblyman Nordman provides that the
grantee of a permit shall not, If the
state or municipality should at any
time desire to acquire the developed
power, be entitled to any compensation
for increase of value of the power
when the the permit is granted and the
time it is taken over by the state or
municipality.
The other amendment was by Mr..
Woodward and provides that water
power company shall be required to
cancel contracts for the sale of electric
current to parties outside the state, if
such contracts interfere with the ade-
quate service and reasonable rates to
the people of Wisconsin.
Oppose Nordman Amendment.
The minority of the assembly made
hard fight for a reconsideration of
the vote by which the Nordman amend
ment was adopted. 1t was argued that
the amendment was undesirable be-
cause it would tend to retard develop
ment of water powers. Messrs. Ham
brecht, Crosby and Nelson led the
fight against the amendment and
Messrs. Nordman, Gruenwald and
Minkley for it. The house finally re-
fused to reconsider the vote by which
it adopted the Nordman amendment,
43 to So
Mr.. Nelson then presented an amend
ment providing that the owner of a
water power should receive just COM
pensation for it at the time it was
taken over by the state or municipal
ity. This amendment, it was claimed
by the majority, would practically null
fly the Nordman amendment. The Nell
son amendment was rejected, Al to 81.
Speaker Whittet said he believed that
true conservation of water power
meant the use of such power and not
the waste of it by allowing it to run
away embarrassed.
A motion by Carl Hansen to non
concur in the bill failed, Al to 81 The
bill was then ordered engrossed and
read third time by a viva voce vote
Accredited List Is Hit.
The assembly ordered engrossed the
Cretney bill, providing that graduates
Of any free high school of the state,
with a four year course of study, shall
be admitted to the state university
without examination, whether the high
school is on the accredited list or not.
The Fairchild bill, authorizing the IL
censing of Incorporated clubs, was or
dered to third reading
The senate sent to engrossment the
woman's suffrage bill, Is to 10. The
senate took up the other two woman
suffrage bills and Indefinitely postpon-
ed them
Amend Stemper Bill.
Friends of the Poole tuberculin test
bill and supporters of the Stemper sa-
loon license bill are trying to secure
acceptance of amendments which
would permit reconsideration of the
Poole bill and sending to third reading
Of the Stemper bill with a faint hope
In the background that there may be
chance to have the rules suspended
and the bills concurred in.
The amendment prepared for the
Stemper bill, and which it is hoped
will secure its passage, is to the eff
feet that when one of those Milwau-
kee saloon keepers now out of business
is granted license that some other
license must be retired. 1t is said in
support of this plan that there will be
many licenses that will not be renewed
on July l and these will take care of
those of the saloon keepers now out
who may wish to secure licenses.
1t is claimed enough senators have
agreed to the amendment to make GER
tain its passing the senate, and that if
this is done it will get through the
assembly.
Compromise Is Suggested.
Assemblyman Poole and those back
of his bill tried to come to an agree
ment with opponents of the bill. The
following amendment has been propos-
ed as a compromise:
amy city, village or town may re-