Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-01-24


In revenues lnasmuch as personal
property receipts are now used as an
income tax offset. The question will
be one of the big problems to be
thrashed out by the taxation commit
tees of both houses.
One other taxation Idea which the
governor has presented In his message
seems to be meeting with much favor
among the members. Under the in
come tax law at the present time the
rental value of mans home is COM
puted as income upon which he must
pay tax. The governor would re-
peal this portion of the income tax
law. He says 1t is unfair and unjust.
Senator Roy p. Wilcox of Eau
Claire will ask for many changes In
the constitutional arrangement of the
state government. He believes that
the state should be run much like COM
mission form of government for cities
are run. He thinks the legislative
bodies are too large and that by hav-
ing smaller body. it could be in reg
ular session practically all the time
If necessary.
Proposes State Cabinet.
Senator Bray of Oshkosh Will be the
champion of the state cabinet plan of
government. Bray will present CON
stituuonal amendment, drafted along
the lines of the amendment he present
ed two years ago. providing that the
offices of secretary of state. state treas
urer and attorney general shall be APP
pOintive. At the present time these
officials are elected by a vote of the
people on the same ticket as Is the gov
ernor. In favor of the plan, Governor
Philip and many other administration
leaders point out that the head of an
administration Is held responsible to
the people. Oftentimes, however, the
other state officers are not in accord
with the governor and may actually do
all possible to block the carrying out
of his views. The governor proposes
that the constitution be so changed
that the other state officers may be APP
pointed by the executive and that these
state officers shall be members of his
cabinet. In reality. there Is nothing
new in the idea. The federal Constitu-
ton provides that the president may
appoint his secretary of state, treas
urer. attorney general and other Off
Gals. and these constitute his cabinet.
So the plan proposed by the governor
and Senator Bray is merely substitu-
ton of the present federal government
plan for the present state plan.
The home rule amendment to the
constitution will again come before
this session of the legislature. 1t will
have the backing of the Milwaukee
delegation In both houses. Upwards
of one-fourth of the time of the legis-
| lature is usually spent in considering
bills relating to cities. Senator Jen-
nings and others claim that IL larger
measure of home rule were given 20 the
cities these bills would not come be-
fore the legislature and the sessions
would be shortened.
Exnenses 1913 a Day.
! Ii costs the state of Wisconsin 1913
day To run the legislature when IL is
in session. This suG pays the salaries
Of employees. When the full number
of employees needed have been select
ed there will be 90. Pages head the
list with %, followed by % stenograph-
ers, typists. 4 night laborers and one
or more clerks, bookkeepers. index
clerks, mailing clerks, journal clerks,
document room custodians, postmaster
and proofreaders.
On figures collected by the state civil
service commission last year the daily
salary cost of legislative employees In
Iowa was S564.62; Oregon, $6S6.73;
Minnesota. S71S.59; Illinois, $S91.47;
California, S99s,50; Pennsylvania, ST.
ITO; Maryland, S1.365.S5; New York,
81 .651. and Missouri, 81 ,63S
There is one constitutional amend
ment that is sure of Introduction at the
session of the legislature. This amend
ment would change the state cOnstitu-
ton so as to allow a sheriff to serve
more than one term consecutively.
! When the constitution was adopted in
! 1S4S such powers were imposed with
! the sheriff that ii was believed by the
| trainers of the constitution that 1t
would be lnadvsable to allow a sheriff
! to serve a term of more than two years
without another official holding the POI
sition. Thus il has been impossible for
sheriff to succeed himself in office,
even though his services might be sat
isfactory. The same is not true with
other county offices. The last session
of the legislature passed a constitu-
tiOnal amendment to change the basic
law in this regard. Before the ques-
ton can be submitted to q vote Of the
people it must pass the legislature.
For this reason the amendment will
again be presented. If adopted. 1t will
be submitted to a vote Of the people ut
| the November election in 1918.
Every member Of the legislature has
been given a jackknife and fountain
pen. These are among the necessary
perquisites the state of Wisconsin
gives To the members Of the legislature
In addition 10 the legislative salaries.
Besides this. under y resolution which
has been adopted by each house. eAch
member will be furnished 500 sheets of
letterheads bearing his address and
800 envelopes. The state furnishes the
paper, pens and ink. but refus, $ to fur
nish the stamps. The member must
buy his stamps out of his legislative
salary of $500.