River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-03-08
Re-kiIIs Dry Zone Bin.

diers' home at Milwaukee. The bill
was killed last week, but a motion was
made Immediately after the roll call
for reconsideration and the bill was
taken up in regular order and after two
hours of wrangling was finally dis
posed of for the session by a vote OF
45 to AZ.
The substitute to the revisors bill
No. S, which increases the salary OF
members Of the legislature who serve
on committees from $500 TO 1000 and
which has particularly deadlocked both
houses Of the legislature, was taken up
before special committee recently
appointed by the senate and assembly,
respectively. A meeting was held and
the committee voted that the assembly
should recede from it's position. AS
semblyman Turner of Milwaukee, au-
thor OF the bill, dissented from the re-
port and announced that he would
make fight for the bill before the Leg
islature.
XIII Church Taxation Bill.
In spite of a determined fight made
by AsSemblyman Hugo Jeske of Mil
waukee to secure the passage OF his
bill for the taxation of church prop
erty, the measure was killed by almost
unanimous vote. Assemblyman Jeske
claimed that churches are great
mOney-making institutions, raising
| money at Sunday collections and MAX
| ing profits from bazaars. For this rea-
| son he urged that churches be taxed
the same as other property. No one
| spoke In opposition to the bill.
| The senate committee on education
and public welfare decided to recon-
mend for passage Senator Benfey's
bill relating to preference for veterans
in civil service.
School Of Public Service.
| A bill has been offered in the legiS-
lature to create q school of public
service at the university which shall
bear the name of Richard T. Ely
School Of Public Service" This is
probably the first time that bill OF
| this character to name one of the
courses at the university after a pro-
lessor has been introduced in the Wis
consin legislature. The measure is Of
fered by Senator Byron Barwig.
Without expressing any opinion as
to the origin and new ideas before the
country, it is at least interesting to
look into the case Of Richard L. Ely,
one time instructor of Woodrow Will
| S1
at the University of Wisconsin. Thirty
years ago child labor regulation, gov
ernmental activities in fixing freight
rates. and municipal ownership enter
prfses were talked of by only few.
One Of the men to oppose the old or
der of things seems to have been Pro
lessor Ely, then q teacher at johns
Hopkins university.
Tax Commission Report.
There are 1856 taxpayers in Wiscon-
sin who have incomes in excess of $1o.-
900 annually. These constitute one
sixth of one per cent of the total num-
Der of income taxpayers, who are as
seSsed for 1895 per cent Of the aggre-
gate tax and the average tax on each
person in this group is $4,o65.62.
These facts are contained in the forth
coming report of the Wisconsin tax
commission. For the year 1916, which
tax is now being collected, total tax
of 1894 ,393.51 was assessed. OF this
sum $3,743, 1916 was assessed against
corporations and $1601, 213.35 against
individuals. Corporations pay approx
imately 20 per cent of the tax as
sessed.
4 A total of 62,272 individuals paid in
come taxes in Wisconsin this year, and
of this number 1922 had assessable
incomes of $1,000 or less. There are
Ia persons in Wisconsin who have in
comes in excess of 100000, and these
Ia individuals pay slightly better than
IL per cent of the entire tax assessed
against individuals. Contrary to the
common belief, farmers of the state
are assessed 1856 per cent Of the entire
tax on individuals.
Retirement of Justices.
A new plan has been worked out by
Senator J. Henry Bennett of La
Crosse for the retirement of supreme
court judges. It is offered in a bill
which he has just presented to the
legislature. Any justice of the SUI
preme court, after having been In con-
tinuOus service as such for Is years
Or more and having arrived at the age
Of sixty-five years may retire, at his
option, by filing his notice with the
governor and secretary of state. Such
| retirement shall be to a newly created
position of supreme court commission
| ar, who shall act under the rules and
directions prescribed by the supreme
| court, but shall not participate in
finally deciding any matter submitted
to the court for determination. AS
compensation in his newly created pO-
| sitiOn, the state shall pay an annual
| salary equal to one-half of his salary,
as a supreme court justice.
| The bill provides that such retire
ment shall create q vacancy on the
4 Il =