Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-05-16
ASSEMBLY REFUSES
BALLOT TO WOMEN
Suffrage Referendum Bill Defeat
ed by a Vote of Forty-0ne
to Forty-Four.
WILL BE UP AGAIN SOON
Attorney General Demands That Price
Fixing in Wisconsin Stop-WiiI
Prosecute All VIC
lators.

Madison.-Tn spite of the fact that
the assembly. by vote of Al to Al. de-
feated the woman's suffrage bill. a mo-
ton for reconsideration has been en-
tered and the bill will come up for fur
Their consideration again. The suffrage
referendum bin in its original form
provided for submitting the question
to the voters at the general election in
1918.
When considered by the house
last an amendment was Incorporated,
offered by Assemblyman John c. Chap
pie of Ashland. providing for the ref
erendum at the spring election in 1920.
Much TO the surprise of the suffrage
leaders, when the bill came up for con-
sideration on the floor of the assembly
on final passage. II was defeated. The
motion to XIII the bill was made by AS
Semblyman E. J. Poole of 0zaukee
county. Assemblyman A. c. Otto OF
Mil Haukee announced that, as amend
ed by Chapple. the suffrage hill was
unconstitutional.
Wilcox Bill Laid over.
The house laid over the Wilcox bill
and the resolution to print 5OOE
copies of President Wilson's war mes
sage. At the suggestion of Speaker
Whittet consideration was delayed be-
cause he believed that President Will
sons proclamation on CONSUMPTION
will be issued by that time and should
be Incorporated in the issued booklet.
Because the house tabled the Wilcox
resolution to print $4,000 copies Of
President Wilson's message on the
ground that it was not accompanied
with an appropriation measure. the
joint finance committee has offered a
bin appropriating $500 for this SuT-
pose This measure will be pushed
through both houses. 1t will be given
passage so that the message may be inn
mediately published.
Price Fixing Must End.
Price fixing In Wisconsin must come
TO an end. This is the mandate which
emanated from the office of Attorney
General Walter G. Owen after consid-
ering the situation at Madison. where
the dealers and producers met and
agreed to advance the price of milk in
this city from cents TO 10 cents a
quart The mandate Of Attorney Cen
eral Owen goes to all producers of the
state and declares he will prosecute
f.sTV In al los
of price fixing in Wisconsin. He in
vites the public TO send in their com
plants whenever price fixing is discov-
cred Attorney General owen said IL
was possible to collect a penalty Of
from $50 to $1,000 for every violation
caused by combinations of persons TO
fix prices. Many of the members Of
the legislature have gone to the attor'
neg generals office to inquire as to
whether there was sufficient machinery
to protest against price fixing combi-
nations and it is probable that bill
will be introduced In the Legislature
greatly extending the power Of the at
torney general in this regard.
Speaker Whittet and other leaders of
the legislature are being interviewed
as to the ACCESSIBILITY of securing addi-
tional legislation to cope with the ris-
ing prices throughout the state, espe-
cially where these boosts are made
through secret or open combinations of
producers and dealers.
There will be no primary election
a. hi hn hnfQgf
of the Bray bill by vote Of 10 TO u
effectively forecloses the threats of
tampering with the primary election
law at this sssion.
Seed Potatoes Free.
Assembyman Carl Pieper has Of
fered new bill providing that the
state shall furnish seed potatoes and
beans to persons who desire TO plant
and have not seed. The tow and
county would guarantee that by fall
the farmer obtaining the seed would
return two bushels for each buShel of
seed furnished by the state. The con-
sideration of the bin went over, after
Assemblyman Burnett pointed out
that these problems were now being
furnished by the state council of de-
Tense.
The Rosa bin to permit the estab-
nshment of the city manager plan Of
government In Wisconsin will probably
be enacted into law at this season. The
senate has sent the bill To engrossinent
after Incorporating small amend
nent. This bill permits the retention
of the present council, but gives the
council power to hire a business man
ager.
Assembly Manual
The assembly manual. which has
Just been issued, is regular legislative
textbook and has attracted such atten-
ton that requests have come from
number Of schools for its use in con
nection with classes IN civlcs. The
manual is more complete than any
other previously issued, and close
reading Of 1t gives a complete history
of legislative procedure and how bills
are handled and disposed of 10 the leg
islature. The book was compiled m
der the direction of c. f. Shaffer. chief
clerk OF the assembly. who is now sery-
ing his sixth term ia that capacity.
Large Appropriation Likely.
An opinion has been expressed 10 the
effect that, Notwithstanding the power
Of the governor - incur any emergency
expense in time Of war, large appro-
priation ought to be made by the legis-
Iature. perhaps as much as 100000,