The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1917-04-11
Would Affect Rural Officers.

y
tire each year. The bill was offered
in the legislature by Assenblyman Il.
y. Grass of Door county. The orig
inal measure was compulsory, but the
bill as advanced by the assembly gives
counties the option OF putting the new
law into effect. At the present time
town supervisors are elected for
| term of one year. The Grass bill fur
Their provides that one candidate shall
| specify that he is running for the or
fee of town chairman and when elect
ed becomes the town representative
on the county board for term or
| three years.
Railroads Ask increase.
The railroads of Wisconsin are ask
ing for an increase in passenger tares.
They appeared before the corporations
committee of the legislature requesting
that body to introduce a bill increasing
interstate rates from two cents mile
! TO two and fOur-tenths cents per mile
! The Wisconsin legislature of 1907 en-
acted twO-cent fare law applicable 10
all roads In the state having gross
income per mile in excess of $3,3oO'
About a year ago the Interstate COM
merce commission permitted an IN
crease of interstate passenger rates 10
| two and fOur-tenths cents. The rall-
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. Il. Il.
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 a bill of ~
printed pages. The measure codihes
all of the drainage laws in the state
| and is intended to make ii 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.
Demand Woman Member.
Scores of petitions were received in
the assembly in the past few days pro-
testing against the passage of the Ev-
erett bill changing the personnel of the
state board Of control, unless the bill
is amended so as to provide for a
woman member. The present board is
composed of five members, one Of
whom is a woman. The Everett bill
provides for Il board Of three members
who must take up their residence in
Madison and devote their entire time
to the duties of the board. The Ev-
erett bill does not provide that any of
the three shall be q woman but does
provide that there shall be woman
to visit the different state institutions.
The wOman's clubs of the state de-
clare that with so many women con-
fined to the state institutions, it Is
but just that they be given representa-
ton by one member on the board.
Even the blackbird may be the sub
ject of legislation. A long petition has
been presented in the assembly ask
ing for the passage of a law placing a
bounty on blackbirds. If the legisla
be feasible, it asks that county boards
be given the power to offer bounties
for the killing of blackbirds.
To Train for Public Service.
The bill introduced by Senator Bar
wig, providing for the training of men
for public service in the cities, counties,
in the government and in. civic organi-
cations was engrossed by the senate.
Senator Wilkinson offered an amend
ment which made it clear that this bill
applies only to administrative offices.
Senator Schultz said this was a splen-
did measure and he hoped he might be
the first to enter this new school.
In an interview Senator Barwig said
1.-THE senate took the first step to give
Wisconsin a new prominence. No state
university in the country has under
taken as yet to provide this kind of
training in public institutions and this
despite the fact that the great cost of
government Is III the lOCdi ullitS. } Ills
is q step to provide the public with
men as we'll trained as the representa-
tives of private interests"
1.-The veterinary division of the de-
partment of agriculture is planning an
active campaign for the next two years
to meet the serious situation arising
out of the spread of tuberculosis among
the stock of the state" says c. 2. Nor
cord, commissioner of agriculture, In
an interview.
Effect Would Be DemoraIizinq.
Judged by what the tax commission
has said in its report and recommends
tons and by what other tax authorities
hold. the change would go 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
| fer promise of results than prevailed
under the old system when supervisors
of assessment were appointed by coun-
! ~ boards.
! Fire Insurance Bill.
| The assembly passed the Carpenter
| bill permitting q recovery on fire in
surance policy for the full value Of the
/ rnnl-