Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-07-02
VETS WIN DECISIVE
VICTORY IN SENATE
Upper House Adopts MuIberger
Substitute 10 to IA.
REPORT ON PENSION SYSTEM
Solons Urge Appointment of Special
Body to Make Further lnVestga-
ton and Report to Next Ses-
sion of Legislature.

Madison.-The Wisconsin vets won
a decisive victory in the upper house
of the legislature when, by u vote of
IS to IA the senate adopted the Null
berger substitute permitting the sale
of beer containing 21a per cent of al
cOhol as a Misunderstanding beverage.
Action on the measure came at the
close of an all-day session at which
nothing but dry enforcement meas
ures were considered. 1t is expected
that the Mulberger bill will arrive in
the assembly this week for cOnsidera-
ton.
The Mulberger bill provides for the
appointment of a prohibition commits
siOner by the governor at an annual
salary of $4,000, and the term of office
four years. The department is given
an annual appropriation of $4,000 to
enforce the dry regime. Amendments
incorporated in the Mulberger substi-
tute provide for search and seizure,
gives towns, cities and villages the
option of prohibiting the sale of 212
per cent beer in their localities and
further provides that localities now
dry shall continue dry unless by a ia
ivOrable vote by the people of that To-
cality. If the bill is finally approved
by the assembly and signed by the gov
ternOr it will become effective January
IT,, 1920. It's provisions, however,
must be submitted to a vote of the
people at the November election of
1920, and if approved will continue in
force if diSapprOved 1t shall cease to
be in effect on January /, 1921. Pro
visions are incorporated in this bill
iexempting patent medicines and ex-
tracts, and common councils, town and
village boards may license nOnintOxi-
eating beverages at fee not exceed
ing 800 annually.
That the teachers pension system
will have to be revised and improved
is the report of the special joint legis-
.lative committee appointed to look in
to the matter following charges made
on the floor of the senate early in the
session that the fund was insolvent.
The special committee, composed Of
Senators Kuckuk, Nye and COnant and
Assemblymen Williams, r. NJ. Hanson,
Delaney and Jordan did not find that
the fund is insOlvent at present, but in
its report to the legislature declared
that the present system could not long
rDe continued and recommended that a
special interim committee be appoint
ed to investigate the matter further
and report at the next cession of the
legislature, with recommendations for
Improvement of the system. At the
Same time Senator Kuckuk, chairman
of the special committee, offered a bill |
to reduce the payments to annuitants
- per cent beginning with the quar-
terly payment due September 30. |
Every schOOlteacher in the state out |
side of Milwaukee contributes to this !
fund, and the effects of these propos- |
ais are far-reaching.
The teachers pension fund was Gre
ated in 1911.
: strange as it may seem" says the |
report, mo attention was given to the
question of future liabilities until |
1917, when the board sought the ad- |
Vice VI TIE dCtudiN VI NlIC iAlouA StAiNC
department, who made a valuation of
the annuitieS as of December 81, 1917, |
and pointed out to the retirement fund |
board several things in the law that, |
in his opinion, should be changed.
According TO this valuation, the
present value of the annuities on De-
cember 81, 1917. was 81, 231 900. This
means it would require 81, 231 900 as
a present sum to be invested at 312 |
per cent compound interest to pay an
nual inStallments to the end of life of
all annuitants who had entered upon
their annuities at that time. This does
not include the liability to those who
are paying into the fund and are still
teaching. If these were included the
liabilities would be materially in
creased but owing TO the present way
the law is drawn it is practically inn
possible to get accurate figures on
these liabilities.
"Your committee finds that the fund
has been administered in a highly sat
isfactory manner by the board of trus-
tees and that the interests of the
teachers and of the fund have been
safeguarded in every way consistent
with law. Great care has been exer-
cised in the matter of investing the
fund and the board is to be commend
ed for the safety of the investment
and the rate of interest earned"
State Fifteenth in Autos Owned.
Wisconsin ranks fifteenth among
the states in regard to the number of
automobiles owned by its people
mn - 7Op o44 o,+o,,,ob;1os II, 4I,o