River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-04-03
STATE ORGANIC LAW
MAY Be AMENDED
House Adopts Initiative and Ref
erendum Resolution 55 to 19.
SENATE LIKELY TO APPROVE
Every Indication That the Upper
House viii Adopt the Measure
kandutsch Red Flag Bill Goes
to the Governor.

Madison.-There is said to be every
indication that the Wisconsin legisla-
ture is going to approve of a proposed
constitutional amendment providing
for the initiative and referendum. The
resolution passed the lower house by
vote of 55 to 10. A check Of the SEN
ate indicates that it will be adopted ID
the upper house by safe margin.
Members Of the legislature last week
rushed their bills through in order to
catch trains to go home for the Tues
day election. Scores of measures
have been put over until the week OF
April s.
By Is to 10 the senate postponed
until Wednesday, April 8, action on
the Wilcox grade separation bill. Will
cox resisted the motion for q delay.
Final action was taken in the SEN
ate on the Kandutsch red flag bill. 1t
was concurred in by the senate, with
only the four Socialist votes in Oppo-
sition. It now goes to the governor
for consideration.
The house killed by a large vote
bill to pay contractors who lost money
by reason of war prices. The bill as
originally introduced applied only to
Milwaukee, but an amendment made
It statewide. 1t was defeated 81 to 10.
By vote Of 10 to 8 the senate killed
the Olson amendment to the whey
butter" bill. Another amendment to
change the name Of "whey butter" was
promptly offered by Assemblyman
Roethe and the bill went over until
April O..
Final consideration was given in the
assembly to the normal appropriation
bill carrying about 100000 for the
support of the nine normal schools OF
the state. 1t now goes to the senate.
The Bauer bill, which would report
most of the state laws relating to the
liquor tra1ic, and would give munich
palities the right to license drink
parlors, was up for consideration In
the lower house last week. The bill
was recommended for passage by the
municipalities committee and was adj
vanced to third reading. It was killed
at a recent session, but Assembly
man Eber Simpson, Oshkosh, has
moved a reconsideration.
"This bill would have repealed the
Baker law limiting the number of
saloons in proportion to population"
said B. n Hicks, attorney for the An
ti-Saloon league.
'This bill would have made every
dry election now being held under the
local option law of no effect. Under 1t
even if Madison voted wet the council
would have sole power to license sa-
looms or not as they saw fit. They
could limit the number or grant all
corners license. It would settle the
long controversy between the governor
and Saloon league in favor of the
governor by passing the law which was
proposed four years ago that the Sun
| lay-closing law might be suspended in
any town, village or city when the SUI
perviSOrS, trustees or aldermen be-
lieved it best so to suspend. Under
| this bill the supervisors, trustees or
councilmen might ignore any prOvi-
sions they saw fit in the enforcement
law which the drys expect to pass, so
that the vets would simply have to
elect wet council in any city to pass
ruling not only allowing the sale Of
IS per cent beer" but could allow the
sale of 90 per cent alcohol as bev-
erage without license.
1.-THE Metcalf bill provides for 8 per
cent beer as mountaineering. 1t also
cOnceals q joker. Its penalty clause
provides that violations of this act or
any other act shall be deemed a misde-
meanor punishable as such. BY in
Guiding the words cor any other act'
| 1t makes other misdemeanors punish
able by a mere fine. Murderers would
be subject only to a few hundred dol
lars fine"
| Present indications are that the final
| fight on law enforcement between the
wet and dry forces is at hand. The
| forces are very close on the passage
of the state affairs bill 504A, which the
dry forces will back as their especial
bill. The great fight Of the vets will
be to amend the definition of intoxi-
ctaing liquor so as to exclude beer and
to prevent the appointment Of state
commissioner of prohibition. If this
fails the drys may find that some OBJ
scure clause in some other bill has null
lifted all their efforts. Both sides are
maintaining attorneys on guard TO
scan every bill that goes into the legis-
lature.
Proposes New Banking Regulations
New banking regulations are pro-
tposed in a bill offered in the lower
house of the Wisconsin legislature by
Assemblyman Harry Hewett Of Clark
Icounty. 1t would limit the dividends
on state bank repositories to 6 per