Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-05-11
Hope for Adjournment June is.

III TIE Hanullng OF many OF the larger
bills and the consideration given to war
measures has caused many delays in
the legislative program. When the war
broke out it was decided to sidetrack
and to close the session us early as pos
slble. There have been many pieces of
legislation that would have been given
fuller consideration had war not been
declared. Some of the woman leaders
OF the state are inclined to blame the
war for the defeat of the woman suf-
frage bill, on the ground that members
OF the legislature could not foresee
what might have occurred before 1920,
the time when the question was to have
Deen submitted to vote of the people.
But score of war measures have
come up, touching on many problems
that had not been considered hereto
fore. These bills have demanded con-
sideration. These are some of the
things that have delayed the close of
the session of the legislature on May
~, as originally contemplated.
Financial Bill Well on Way.
The big financial bills will be dis
posed OF in the legislature within the
next two weeks. The house will give
final consideration to the board of con-
troll appropriation bill and the senate
will probably dispose of the university
ana normal appropriations. 1t is said
there will be little opposition to the
university appropriation measure, but
the normal regents may ask for a
slight Increase in the appropriations
asked for. In the bill sent to the legis-
lature the n0rnals have been cut about
$4,000 from the amount asked for. A
restoration of this amount may be
asked.
There is also pending before the SEN
ate for consideration this week the APP
preparation bills for the Stout school,
and also for the Platteville mining
school. There seems to be no opposi-
ton to these
Farmers Win Big Victory.
The farmers of the state won
very decided victory when the lower
house of the Wisconsin legislature sent
to engrossment and then passed under
q suspension of the rules the J. G.
Hanson bill giving the railroad COM
of railroad sites for warehouses. At
the present time the granting of rail-
road sites is entirely within the discre-
ton Of the railroad company. The
Farmers Equity society, with 404 ship
ping places in the state, petitioned the
legislature to pass a bill giving this
power to the Wisconsin railroad COM
mission. The bill was reported for in
definite postponement by the assembly
committee on transportation. After a
full explanation of the matter the
house, by vote of 70 to 8, overturned
the committee report, engrossed the
bill and passed it.
centraIize Road Building Authority.
To centralize authority and RESPONSE
bility to procure uniformity in road
building and maintenance, and to re-
duce the number of town highway SUI
road bosses or pathmas-
ters from 10000 to 1,2CO-one only for
each township-are the principal OBJ
jects of Senator .HanSens bill, No.
HIS, which recently passed the upper
house unanimously and is to come up
before the assembly at an early date.
These town superintendent have
control of town highways only. Under
their direction about $5,O00,000 is being
spent annually.
"Everybody's business is nobody's
business" said Senator Hansen. 1T is
hard to find the person responsible for
bad pieces of road with SO many high
way officials. Eastern, western and
southern states have wiped out small
road district policy. Extreme local
highway administration of road build
ing must yield to town, county and
state control, if we want to get Sl
worth of good road for every COLLAR OF
tax"
The bill repeats provisions of the
statute giving town boards the power
to select one or more superintendent
Of highways.
To Elect Superintendent.
Provides for election of Superintend-
ents of highways at spring election
Requires the state highway commits
soin on request to furnish engineering
and advice to town superin-
tendents of highways.
Provides :: First, for the election in
April, 1918, of town superintendent
Of highways, term of office two years;
second, on petition of % taxpayers, the
town clerk requires submission at
April election of the question as to
or not town boards may ap-
point superintendent of highways.
Prescribes somewhat in detail duties
of town superintendent of highways.
Outlines method of accounting and
by superintendent OF high
ways.
Gives town boards authority to pay
expense for use of an auto truck Dy
fnwn superintendent Of highways not
IN excess of $500 year.
Salary of superintendent of high
ways to remain as now fixed at $3.50
ner day. unless raised by town board
Superintendent Of highways to be
49, IND direction ut