River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1920-12-30
State Capitol News
BY VIM. ]. Anderson
Especial to the JournaD

Madison, Wis.-The general slump
in industry which has thrown thous-
ands of people in the state out of en-
| ployment has stimulated interest in
the labor question to degree that
will be plainly manifest when che
Legislature meets. Early Ia the ses-
sion there will be introduced bill
now being prepared by Prof. John r.
Commons looking to the protection
of labor against unemployment. So
far as can be learned it will be in the
| nature of insurance which will bring
to the workingman thrown out of en-
pioyment an income to provide
against want While little is known
as yet of the principles upon which
the bill is based, it is understood that,
as with the compensation act, the
industry itself which uses the en-
ployee's services must ultimately
provide the insurance.
Urges Raise In Compensation Rate
| The Industrial Commission will
urge strongly upon the Legislature
| the need for raising the maximum
sum upon which compensation to in
jured workingmen is computed under
the compensation act. At the pres
ent the maximum wage figure is
placed by the Legislature at $3.50
per week, and as So per cent is the
highest rate paid in compensation,
the highest amount which an injured
employee can secure is $14.63 per
week. The Industrial Commission
feels that the maximum wage figure
should. be increased to $50 at which
figure compensation of $3.50 per
week could be allowed by the Com
| mission.
State Labor Laws Compiled
The first compilation of the labor
laws of the state ever made has just
been completed by the Industrial
Commission. The labor unions Sc
cured the enactment of Chapter 426,
Laws of 1919, which requires such a
compilation. The compilation is of
particular value to attorneys, labor
unions and employers associations.
Agricultural Costs
The conference called by Director
Nordman Of the Division of Mark
cts to ascertain the cost of production
| in agriculture finished it's labor last
week after presenting he following
figures: 1t costs to produce so cents
per bushel, corn s1.03k per bushel,
potatoes 901ac per bushel, hay $13.35
per ton. In making its computations
the conference used actual. sales or
land for fixing prices of land, cover
ing improvements in land values; it
did not figure frequent duplication of
work necessitated by unfavorable eli
matte conditions; nor did it take into
consideration that the horses used
in the work have to fed all the year,
though idle three-fourths of the time.
AS to fertilization, it figured eight
loads of barnyard manure to he acre
on four-year crop rotation. As Di-
rector Nordman explains, the Legis-
Elature of 1919 called for figures of
this kind. Summing up the results
of the conference Mr.. Nordnan says:
"The figures we get together and
others that have been obtained show
thai agriculture is now and has been
a relatively improbable business.
The question Of what we are going
to do about it is up to the Legisla-
ture." The conference was partici-
pated in by VIM Olson, Monroe; ,Jno.
Camper, MeGford; P. J. Hemmy,
Humbird; B. j. Morse, Wautoma;
Geo. McKerrow, Pewaukee; Chas,
Achenbach, Manitowoc; Noyes Mat
teson, Clintonville; E. ]. Delwiche,
Green Bay; B. NJ. Jenison, Fond du
Lac, and DR.. L. J. O'Reilley of Mer-
rill.
Costs of Highways & Bridges
While the reports of the division
engineers are not all in a close esti-
mate can be made OF the amount of
money spent in 1919 in the con-
struction and maintenance of high
ways and bridges under the super
vision of the Wisconsin Highway
Commission. On all the various pro-
iects there was expended about $13,-
$4,000, divided as follows; On Fed
eral aid construction projects $4,5OO,-
600; on state aid construction, $780,
900; on state aid bridges $475,0O0;
on county aid bridges 100000. For
maintenance Of highways there was
spent on state trunk highways ST.
100000, and on county trunk high
ways $1,35s,OOO. This is more than
anticipated at the beginning of 1919
when the high cost of labor and ma