River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-05-24
Governor SIGNS Bill.


permitting circuit court clerks of the
state to appoint as deputies men or
women. It has been the practice in
many sections of the state to appoint 81
woman as deputy clerk of the circuit
court Because of the uncertainty In!
the statute on this subject, the legis-i
lature believed it advisable to pass a.
law making the authorization certaln.i
The executive approval has also BEEN
given to a bill exempting from execu-l
ton any automobile used or kept fOfi
the purpose of the debtors trade or
business, not exceeding $500 in value.
To make it impossible for any life.
insurance company operating in Wis.
consin to be exploited as the Pitts
burgh Life and Trust was exploited
by New York Spectator recently,
Insurance Commissioner M. j. Cleary
has prepared bill for submission to
the legislature. The measure requires
all stock life insurance companies OPP
Grating in Wisconsin to file with the
insurance department list OF stock
holders and list of all transfers or
stock. No transfer can be voted by the
new owner until notice of transfer IS
fled and acknowledged by the depart
ment of insurance. No director can be
elected to fill a vacancy except by a
vote of the stockholders upon 20 days
notice to all the stockholders and 10
days notice to the insurance depart
ment. Insurance Commissioner Cleary
believes that this bill will curb the ac-
tivity of any exploiter who may con-
template operating in Wisconsin.
Abandon Suffrage Fight.
A further fight on the subject or
womens suffrage by the legislature has
been abandoned. Assemblyman j. q.
Hanson, who had a duplicate suffrage
bill in the assembly, has recalled the
measure. By unanimous consent OF
the assembly, the bill was returned TO
the author The suffrage bill over
which the record vote was made was
introduced in the upper house by Sem
ator Skogmo. 1t passed that house
by a two to one vote but was del
feated in the assembly by four votes
when the measure came up for final
passage.
For a time the suffrage leaders con-
sidered the ACCESSIBILITY of resurrecting
the J. G. Hanson bill, introduced early
in the session on the same subject. AT
first they planned to secure second
record vote on this bin with the hope
that 1t might be possible to get the
bill through the house. This plan,
however, has now been abandoned!
Suffrage leaders generally attribute
the defeat of the bill to the uncertain
ty Of the time. The pending war
caused many of the legislators to be-
lieve that it was an inoficious time to
attempt any reform. That this fact
was controlling to large degree is
indicated by a vote of some Of the
members who were heretofore believed
to be in favor of suffrage.
Cut Normal School Appropriation.
The joint finance committee has re-
duced the requested appropriations OF
the nine state normal schools $125, 900.
The regents Of the normal schools will
make an effort to have this amount re-
stored to the normal school apprOpria-
ton bill. Over the vigorous objections
by Senator Fred A. Baxter, speaking
for the finance committee, the senate
has adopted a motion to hear argu-
ments on the normal school apprOpria-
ton bill before the senate sitting as
committee Of the whole. Senator Bax-
ter declared that the motion virtually
undid everything the finance commit
tee has accomplished within the last
three months.
The assembly has engrossed bill
changing the apportionment Of street
railway taxes. Under the present law
50 per cent of these taxes are distrlb-
uted among the localities through
which the interurban operates and 10
per cent goes to the state for making
the assessment. The bill as engrOssed
in the assembly provides that 10 per
cent of the taxes shall go to the state,
65 per cent to the towns and 20 pei
cent to the counties in which these
lines operate.
Check on High Prices.
a U1n 10 Cu0Ck HUuOIudAAy u1SA
prices by giving the attorney general
additional powers to prosecute combi-
nations and conspiracieSeto raise prices
has been offered in the lower house of
the Wisconsin legislature by Speaker
L. @. Whittet. The bill is the out
growth of an attempt in the city Of
Madison and other sections of the
state to raise milk prices and prices
on other articles Of food. In a state
ment to newspaper correspondents a
few days ago Attorney General Owen
outlined his plan of campaign against
combinations which are formed for
the purpose of boosting prices, and de-
clared that such combinations would
be prosecuted to the full extent Of
the law.
Acting upon the suggestion of At
torney General Owen, Speaker L. G.
Whittet has drafted a bill which de-