Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-01-16
Senate Body viii Consider Re-
construction Subjects.
TO AMEND MARRIAGE LAW
Present Act Forces People to Have
Ceremony Performed Elsewhere
Proposed Legislation Hits Fra
ternai Insurance Societies.
BY FRED l.. HOLMES.

committee has been created, headed by
Senator Roy z. Wilcox, which will con-
slider reconstruction subjects.
All ideas regarding reconstruction
Will be pooled through this committee,
Nsich plans to develop regular pro-
gram of legislation on the subject.
Little insurance legislation has been
prepared for presentation to this seS
sion Of the legislature. 1t is expected
that there will be proposed legislation
under which no fraternal society will
be permitted to write new business af-
ter January l, 1920, at rates below
those based on the national fraternal
congress table. Many, if not all Of the
Wisconsin fraternals will support legiS-
lation of this character. Commissioner
NJ. ]. Cleary of the insurance depart
ment is insiStent that some legislation
Of this character be enacted He will
prepare a biz on this subject for the
legislature and will urge its passage
before both houses of the legislature
Fraternals which have withdrawn
from the national fraternal congress
are expected to oppose this legislation.
Marriage laws in Wisconsin will be
subjected to amendment, if the pro-
pOsals of some Of the county clerks of
the state in letters to the members of
the legislature are carried out. ~The
statistics gathered indicate that there
has been a decrease in the number Of
marriages performed in Wisconsin and
an increase of the Wisconsin people to
go to other states to marry. In Mil
Waukee it is declared that the number
OF marriages has decreased 30 per
cent The principal objection as
voiced in these letters is that the pres
ent Wisconsin law requires that the
names Of the applicants be posted five
days before the license to marry is is
sued.
DR.. j. J. McGovern, Milwaukee, has
worked out a plan for a new idea Of
health administration in the state. The
measure Will be presented by one Of
the Milwaukee members. 1t provides
for the creation of q state health de-
partment to take the place of the
present state board Of health.
The foreign language bill will be
presented in the lower house of the
Wisconsin Legislature next week by
county.
My bill will bar foreign language
instruction in all Of the grade schools
of the state and in the high schools,
except upon request of the students
who. for commercial or cultural rea-
sons, desire instruction in some for
eign language" declared ASSemblyman
Johnson today. "Most of the teaching
of foreign languages is q waste Of
time. Only about > per cent of the stu
dents who go to high schOls ever at
tend colleges and universities and it
does not seem proper to have foreign
language courses 1 9Quired in the high
schools. However, there are some stu
dents who plan t. enter universities,
and | think it shO aid be permitted to
have this instruction given to such stu
dents upon reques If we as nation
are to carry out q program of Ameri-
caniZatiOn it is necessary that we make
every effort to have the English Ian
guage taught
There will be no prohibition in the
bill of Assemblyman Johnson against
the use of foreign language in religious
ceremonialS.
Two important marketing bills will
be presented early IN the session. One
Off these bills will be offered by the spe-
cial committee which investigated mar
keting during the past year. A sep
arate bill will be offered which en-
bodies the marketing ideas of the mem
bers of the Wisconsin Society of Equi-
ty. The measure is one of the plat
form pledges of the Republican party
Assemblyman Carl Kurtnacker, La
Crosse, is slated for the head of the
committee on finance Assembly AXeI
Johnson, Turtle Lake, for the head of
the committee on STATE affairs Assem-
blyman John Chapple, Ashland, head
of the committee on banks and insur-
ance, and Assemblyman Carter of Yer
non county head of the assembly COM
mittee on education. Assemblyman
John Ruka, Iowa county, is prominent
ly mentioned as head Of the highways
committee.
Important changes in the fish and
game laws of the state are asked of the
Wisconsin legislature. The state con-
servation commission has just filed its
report with the legislature.
The legislature will be asked to
amend the law governing fishing in the
outlying waters so that whitefish or
trout below two pounds in weight can
not be taken.
The commission will recommend the
repeal of the S-inch perch law for the
waters of upper Green bay, that will
permit perch less than s inches in
length to be taken. A frightening of
the closed season for black bass II an
other recommendation that the COM
mission will probably make.