Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-05-11
ASSEMBLY REFUSES
BALLOT TO WOMEN
Suffrage Referendum Bill Defeat
ed by Vote of Forty-0ne
to Forty-Four.
WILL BE UP AGAIN SOON
Attorney General Demands That Price
Fixing in Wisconsin Stop-WilI
Prosecute All Vio-
Iators.
WILL BE UP AGAIN SOON

Madison.-In spite of the fact that
| the assembly, By vote of Al to A. de-
feated the woman's suffrage bill, mo-
| ton for reconsideration has been en-
/ tered and the bill will come up for fur
| Their consideration again. The suffrage
| referendum bill in It's 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 Z. Chap
| pie of Ashland, providing for the ref
| erendum at the spring election in 1871.
| 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, it was defeated. The
| motion to kill the bill was made by AS
semblyman E. j. Poole of Ozaukee
county. Assemblyman A. G. Otto OF
Milwaukee announced that, as amend
ed by Chapple, the suffrage bill was
unconstitutional.
Wilcox Bill Laid Over.
The house laid over the Wilcox bin
and the resolution to print $4,000
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
bill appropriating $500 for this pur-
pose. This measure Will be pushed
through both houses. 1t will be given
passage so that the message may be i'm.
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 c.. 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 s cents to 10 cents
quart. The mandate of Attorney Gen
eral Owen goes to all producers Of the
state and declares he will prosecute
and demand full penalty in all cases
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 it
was possible to collect 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-
ney 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
legislation at this session. The defeat
of the Bray bill by a vote of 10 to II
effectively fOrecloses the threats of
tampering with the primary e.. ton
law at this sssion.
Seed Potatoes Free.
Asseinblyman 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 town 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 bill went over, after
Assemblyman Burnett pointed out
that these problems were now being
furnished by the state council Of de-
Tense.
The Rosa bill to permit the estab-
lishment 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 engrossment
after incorporating a small amend
ment. This bill permits the retention
of the present council, but gives the
council power to hire 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 civics. The
manual is more complete than any
other previously issued, and a close
reading of 1t gives complete history
of legislative procedure and how bills
are handled and disposed of in the leg
islature. The book was compiled un-
der the direction of G. e. Shaffer, chief
clerk of the assembly, who is now serv-
ing his sixth term in that capacity.