Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1917-04-11
Wca:d Affect Rural Officers.

!
leasure provides that county boards
MAJ, upon their option, provide for
hn election OF town supervisors for Il
fel'm Of three years one officer to re-
tire each year. The bill was offered
/ in TIL legislature by ASSemblyman F.
! \. Grass of Door county The orig
! ina! measure was compulsory. but the
bill rs advanced rs the assembly gives
counties the option Of putting the new
| .aW into effect. At the present time
! town supervisors are elected for
term of one year. The Graass bill fur
| the" provides that one candidate shall
specify that he is running for the Of
! flee Of town chairman and when elect.
ed becomes the town representative
on the county board for Il term of
three years
Railroads Ask Increase.
The railroads OF Wisconsin are ask
ing for an Increase in passenger fares.
They appeared before the corporations
committee Of the legislature requesting
that body to introduce bill increasing
lntraState rates from two cents Il mile
TO two and fOur-tnnthS cents per mile
The Wisconsin legislature of 1907 EN-
acted tWO-cent fare law applicable to
all roads in the state having gross
income per mile in excess of $1,000.
About Il year ago the Interstate com
merce commission permitted an in
crease of Interstate passenger rates to
two and fOur-tenths cents. The rail
roads of Wisconsin are now asking
the repeal of the twO-cent fare law
and the substitution of a rate to con-
form to he interstate rate. +. E.
| Nash Chicago, appeared before the
committee in behalf Of the roads.
Codified Drainage Laws.
A special committee of the legisla-
ture appointed at the last session to
investigate the subject of drainage
laws, has presented it's report to the
legislature in the form of bill of 90
printed pages. The measure cOditieS
all of the drainage laws in the state
and is intended to make it easier to
found drainage districts. 1t is prOba-
bly, one of the most far-reaching meas
ureS in many respects of any offered
at this session of the legislature.
The assembly engrOssed the Burnett
bill to permit newspapers to exchange
advertising for railroad mileage to the
amount of $50 per annum.
For Military Preparedness.
The senate passed joint reSOlu
ton memOrializing congress to pass
law to aid military preparedness. 1t
asks that this law provide for the gov
eminent taking over the railroads, the
| operation Of coal mines and oil fields,
storage and food warehouses and make
speculation in food products treason.
Cumulative Damages.
Another feature that represents an
Increase in benefits is a schedule of
multiple injuries under which injured
persons will receive 10 per cent in
crease over the fixed schedule for each
additional amputatiOn. This is to
cover hand injuries in particular,
where it is recognized that when more
than one finger is lost the workman
sustains cumulative damages. Another
phase practically agreed to is a grant
sion to order additional treatment for
an injured person not to exceed ninety
days, if in the judgment of the indus
trial commission such treatment would
lessen disability. ,@
Refuse to Reconsider.
Following engrOSSment in the assem-
bly, of the Hanson bill, to take from
the tax commission the appointment
of income tax assessors and to place
the appOintive power in the county
boards, an attempt was made to induce
the assembly committee on taxation to
reconsider it's favorable recommends
ton of the measure Commissioner
Lyons appeared before the committee
to explain the effect of the bill. The
committee declined to recede from the
position it took when it sent the bill to
the assembly with its backing.
To Extend Credit to Settlers.
The assembly has sent to engrOss-
ment a joint resolution to amend the
constitution offered by Assemblyman
OhI, Milwaukee, which provides that
the state may extend its credit to set
tiers. The resolution was slated for
death by an unfavOrable report of the
committee, but Assemblyman A. NJ.
Rogers declared that it would be Of I'M
told value in aiding in the settlement of
northern Wisconsin. The assembly
then engrOssed the resolution by a
large vote.
Effect Would Be DemoraIiZing.
Judged by what the tax commission
has said in its report and recommended
tons and by what other tax authorities
hold, the change would go q long way
toward undermining efficient admins
tratiOn. 1t removes the assessors from
civil service and leaves their appoint
ment to the county boards with no bet
ter promise of results than prevailed
under the old system when supervisors
of assessment were appointed by coun-
ty boards.
Referendum Bill Passed.
The assembly passed the Evjue