Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1917-02-28
LEGISLATIVE LETTER
TESTED ON FLOOR BITTER
FIGHT PROMISED.
Especial correspondence to Herald.
BY r. b. PIXLEY.

BY r. B. PIXLEY.
Madison, Wis, Feb. 26.-At the hear !
ings which began this week before the
assembly committee on excise and
fees the question whether this legisla-
ture will take the first step toward
statewide prohibition will be decided
Although the Evjue bill be fought out
on the floor, the recommendation Of
the committee will have some natural
weight. In days past the word Of the
committee was accepted as final gen
orally, but in recent years the mem
berS have become used to following
their own dictates and have made a
practice of studying the bills for their
/ own first hand information. In this
instance the issue is close, neither
side being able to predict defeat Of
the other. On the only wet and dry
test in the assembly thus far, the vote
on the dry zone around the Milwaukee
Soldiers home, the vets won by a
comfortable majority. Whether that
advantage is to be retained when til )
Evjue bill comes up is only am after
OF conjecture
The bill is bound to cause a long
and bitterly contested fight on the
floor, and it would not be surprising il
every move in the legislative proceed
ure IS exhausted before the final vote
is taken.
The legislators were guests at the
Fuller to see the picture play Into!-
GRANGE, and Immediately began brush
ing up on their knowledge of Babylon
and other places known in history.
Some OF the members demonstrated
with looking up the facts that they
are well informed on the happenings
Of the early periods Of the worlds life
-OzO-O-
Because he has discovered more
than 400 species Of birds native to Wis
cOnSin that aid the farmer in prOduC-
ing his crops besides being additions
TO the beauty Of the outdoors, Com
missioner Barber Of the state conser-
walton commission will ask the legis- 4
Iature to appropriate modest sum for
/ the publication of a bird book, in the
form Of fourth or fifth grade reader,
to he used in the rural schools. Mr.. i
Barber is enthusiastic over the scheme I
which he says will make every persc1
in the state true cCnserv2tiOnist He
believes the protection Of song birds J
viii naturally lead 10 tho game birds.
Asse mblyman Spoor will aid him il: his |
Plan, and will go farther in that he
believes humble bees and some other
II creatures shoIIl DC N detected. Mr. I
SpoOr says humble bees help the farm
er by fertilizing his clover, and yet
every boy on the farm believes it is
all right to put his foot on a humble i
bee. The legislature might do we'll to /
leave politics and the consideration Of
other questions alone long enough to .
look into this bird problem.
When the assembly adjourned over
Washingtons birthday, Assemblyman
Chinook of st. CrOix county, claims
to be as patriotic as any other mem
Der, was indignant.
George Washington crossed the |
Delaware on Christmas Day." he said |
ct does not look like the father of /
his country believed in adjournng
over the holidays"
This short vacation, however, is the |
first breathing spell since the legisIa-
ture convened, and the members no
doubt, enjoyed the visit with the folks
at home.
A question which comes close home I
to the student of state government,
especially those who have believed that
the growth of power in the state CAPT
tol was unwarranted, is raised by a
bill introduced by Assemblyman Evjue,
author of the statewide prohibition bill.
The measure is innocent enough i'll
itself, but members of the legislature
are wondering just how far they
should go in legislation of this kind.
1t calls for a modest appropriation to
cover the cost of publishing statistics
relating to the liquor question, and,
as Mr.. Evjue is sponsor for it, the
facts or figures probably are on the
dry side.
The fact is that an employe of the
industrial commission, either in his
spare time or while he was supposed
to be employed by the state, has col
Continued on Page Four)