The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1919-04-25
Both Houses of Legislature to
Air Railroad Matters.
ATWOOD SUCCEEDS HIMSELF
Senate Unanimously Confirms Him as
Member of Tax Commission for
Term Ending May, 1927
Other Activities.
By FRED 1. HOLMES.

IatiDg to the Wisconsin railroad COM
missiOn will be aired in both houses
of the legislature on Thursday. The
assembly will take up the Metcalfe
bill asking for the repeal of the COM
mission at that time. The Milwaukee
delegation is in favor of the repeal Of
the law. While a substantial vote will
be cast in favor of the bill, the indi-
cations are that it will be defeated.
The senate on Thursday will again at
tempt to confirm the appointment Of
Carl d. Jackson as a member of the
state railroad commission. For five
times this appointment has been de-
layed.
The assembly advanced a bill grant
ing high school diplomas to seniors
who entered the war service. The
house cOncurred in the resolution pro-
viding for the issuance of a proclama-
ton on May % of each year to COM
memOrate statehood It passed res
olutiOn for Armenian freedom.
The senate unanimously confirmed
Carroll Atwood of Milwaukee to sue
coed himself as member of the tax
commission for the term ending May,
1927. Backed by favorable reports
from the corporations committee, the
Jennings bill to legaize the formation
Of housing companies in cities was
advanced to engrOsSment.
The reconstruction committee. Sen
atOr Wilcox chairman, has reported
out five new bills affecting relations of
labor and capital and education. The
first requires that after January /,
1920, the board of directors of each in
ddstrial corporation employing more
than $50 persons shall include in it's
membership one nOnStOckhOlding la
Dor representative elected annually by
ballot by the employees. This labor
director will acquire all the rights of
q director except that he may not hold
office
A second bill declares that the anti
trust statutes shall be so construed as
to permit collective bargaining by as
sOciatiOns of producers of agricultural
products and by associations of en-
plOyees when the bargaining is done
for the individual benefit of the sep
arate members of the associations en-
tering into the collective bargaining.
The third bill creates for rural COM
munities system of instruction in
agriculture, under the direction of the
state board of vocational education.
The fourth raises the age limit for
continuation school attendance from
seventeen to eighteen, beginning Sep
TENDER l. 1920.
The c.. E. Hanson bill giving the
legislature power to recall an ap-
pointive official after an Interpolation
was held to be a valid enactment by
Attorney General Blaine in an opinion
to Assenblyman AXel JOhson, chair
man of the house committee on state
affairs The consideration of this bill,
which has been vetoed by the COVER
nor, comes up IN the assembly for ac-
ton on Wednesday afternoon.
The opinion is an exhaustive one
covering many constitutional ques-
tiOnS, with extensive quotations f@m
many legal opinions and decisions.
1T is my opinion that the legisla-
ture can create any body or board or
other inStrumentality through which
the legislatures will may be exercised
with respect to the removal of Off
GERS says Attorney General Blaine
in the opinion.
A law TO compel the railroad COM
mission to more promptly pass on
cases before it was recommended by
the special legislative investigating
committee which has been probing the
affairs of the Milwaukee Street Car
company and the cessation of service
there on January 1. The committee
declares that there appears to be "a
general lack of confidence between of
ficials of the city of Milwaukee and
the members of the street car COM
pany in the ability of the railroad
commission TO administer the law"
The investigation was conducted by
a special committee of the legislature
composed of Senators George B. SIog-
mo, chairman, River Falls; w. G. Zu-
mach, Milwaukee; Assemblymen Clar-
ence n. Carter, viroqua: James B.
French, Superior, and M. e. Johnson.
Madison. Carter was chosen as sec
rotary of the committee. Charles e.
Crownhart, former member of the
state industrial commission, was
chosen as special counsel.
The school question has bobbed up
again in bill by Assemblyman Roe
thai, providing for extension of the
principle of school district consolida-
ton and transportation of pupils. The
bill, which has passed the assembly,
provides that after June 80, 1919, no
public school shall be continued
which has an average daily attendance
of fewer than ten pupils.
Senator Bird halted the bill In the
senate, charging that it might cause
abandonment of public schools in ter