The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-02-09


Thoroughly Posted on Deserts of
Every IndividuaI-Good Roads Re-
port Holds Up Milwaukee Highways
as Model for Nation-committee
Will Do All Codifying of Wisconsin,
Statutes.
Madison, Wis.,, Feb. 6-The joint
committee On finance of the Wiscon-
sin legislature, which promises to be
written into the record as the "big"
committee at this session, is deluged
with requests for increases in salaries.
Almost without exception, state de-
partments and institutions are asking
for more money because of the high
cost of living.
Members of the committee are Pc
culiarly we'll informed before hand as
to equity of these demands. Through
the board of public affairs it has OBJ
tanned information concerning every
department. Not a single detail, not
a single activity, important or trivial,
is not known to the members of the
committee. They know exactly how
long state employees work, they know
exactly what they are doing, and they
know whether these employees are well
paid Or underpaid. In fact, they know
more about them and their work than
some of the departmental heads.
Thus far the committee has followed
a definite policy with regard to salary
increases. Subordinates whose pay
check is not large enough to meet
present living conditions are being
voted increases, but departmental
heads and the high salaried employees
are not going to be raised.
University May Get More.
To date the committee has passed
on appropriation bills in the amount
of approximately $1,O00,000, which
breaks all records for the first four
weeks of legislative session in Wis
consin.
When the appropriation bills come
out in the senate and the assembly
they will be presented by different
members of the finance committee,
who will make special study of the
upon to answer questions.
During the coming week President
Charles r. Van Hise will discuss ap-
preparations for the state university.
There is a disposition on the part of
the committee members to follow the
n Of no of h.
lie affairs on the university bills. If
President Van Hise, however, can
show that the big institution on the
hill is entitled to more money than
the amount recommended by the board
he stands very good chance Of get
ting, it, as much of the anti university
sentiment that existed here two years
ago has entirely disappeared. There
seems to be an earnest desire in all
quarters to eliminate factional politics
and to stick to the business of the ses-
sion. La Toilette leaders and admins
tration men have worked in striking
harmony thus far, and the prediction
is common that there will be no great
break.
Senator George B. Skogmo, La Fol
lette leader in the upper house, has in
troduced a bill for a statewide refer
endum in November, 1918, on equal
suffrage. The bill proposes to extend
to all women over 81 years of age the
right of ballot from president down to
the most unimportant county office.
Milwaukee Roads Model for Nation.
Wisconsin's goods roads school--the
biggest school in America-has just
completed a profitable week, with
nearly 1000 stu6o~+s, county commits
sioners, state h; ~ commissioners
and good roads boosters in general
participating in the program. Every
phase of modern highway construction
was discussed from every possible
angle.
Of special interest to the students
of the school was the report of the
highway commission, which held Mil
waukee county up as the home of fine
roads.
milwaukee county and Wayne
county, Michigan, Detroit is in Wayne
county, should receive the attention
of any county in the country contem-
plating the building of an adequate
system of rural highways" says the
report.
"It is believed" the report con-
tinues that this county (Milwaukee)
is practically the sole example in the
United States of a county building a
complete system of modern roads with
the proceeds of direct taxes, paying
for them as they were built The re
suit of this policy is that the county
| has a system of practically permanent
roads, with very small maintenance
cost per year and no indebtedness for
them, as compared to many counties
in the United States which have built
| with the proceeds of bond issues sys-
| TENS, of frail structures, demanding
| heavy maintenance and which will be
worn out long before the bond issues
are paid of"