The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-07-01
Act Is More Drastic Than the
MuIberger Law.
PROVIDES 3 MORE OFFICERS
Statute Allows 100000 for Enforce
ment of the LaW-Aimed to
Wipe Out Commercial
Moonshine Traffic.

fective on Friday. This measure is
more complete in its provisions aimed
at "moOnshiners' than the Mulberger
law, which has been on the statute
books for the past two years. The
old law allowed only $4,000 annually
for enforcement. The new law allows
$4,000 and eight new deputies to rOut
out the ''mOOnshiners" are to be ap-
pointed at once, according to Stanley
Smith, prohibition commissioner. So
that the public may not always be
advised as to who is a prohibition
commissioner, the appointments have
been exempted from civil service and
the commissioner will be allowed to
select Whomever he pleases.
The new enforcement measure
makes the possession of any still, con-
trivance, device or mash evidence Of
the violation of the law. The whole
tenor of the act is aimed at moon
shining" but there is a specific pro
vision aimed to safeguard the home
from search and seizure. The law is
aimed at the commercial end of the
liquor traffic in an effort to stamp it
out.
Governor Blaine has signed the dog
tax law. This law was passed two
years ago, but it then required Ii
cenSe of So for a female and SD for
male dog. The law just approved by
Governor Blaine fixes the fee at 81
and 81. The money raised by these
fees is used to compensate owners of
sheep and other animals killed by
dogs.
Five changes are proposed in the
present constitution at this session OF
the legislature. This is the largest
number of changes that have been
urged since 1913, when more than a
dozen proposals were made, practical
~ all of which were defeated.
The changes which the legislature
favored are:
Providing that sheriffs may succeed
themselves gin office.
Granting home rule to cities and viii
lagos.
The legislature may provide that
valid verdicts in civil cases may be
returned by no fewer than five-siXths
of the jury.
Giving the legislature power to fix
the salary of the governor.
Authorizing cities to incur an in
debtedness on the property value to
acquire public utilities.
Cities of the state will be allowed
to incur an Indebtedness of 3 per cent
for the. purpose of acquiring public
utilities The present limitation in
the constitution is per cent for all
purposes. The proposed change is to
allow an additional per cent, but the
addition can only be used for public
utility purchases The idea for this
change seems to have originated in
the city of Superior, where the TAX
ing over of some of the larger util-
tiles has been proposed.
Many yeasr ago the salary of the
governor was fixed in the constitu-
ton at $1,000 year. Changed condi-
tons have resulted in the state paying
several of it's subordinate officials
more than this amount. The secre-
tary of state board of education, the
state engineer and the highway en-
gineer are now receiving more than
the governor. The change now pro-
posed is to. allow the legislature to
fix the salary of the governor, but
it shall not be fixed at less than S.
600 annually Governor Philip, when
in office, declared that he spent much
more than his salary in conducting
the ordinary affairs of the office, and
this statement resulted in the move
ment in the legislature two years ago
to have the salary changed
In both civil and criminal cases it
has always in this state required a
unanimous verdict The proposed
change will not affect criminal cases,
but it will allow five men in a jury
of six and ten men in jury of twelve,
to bring in a verdict in a civil case
Governor Blaine has vetoed the
Fowler bill providing a state finger
print bureau.
''There is no crying need for the leg
islation proposed,"> declares Governor
Blaine in his veto message, ''and
there is a sufficient power in the
board of control to do all that this
bill does, SO far as there is public
necessity therefor"
The governor vetoed the Roethe bill
striking from the present law the
phrase that nomination for office
shall be made by and with the advice
and consent of the senate. The gov
ernor say the bill is neither helpful
nor harmful 1t serves no purpose" He
vetoed two bills, one which would
make the county and the other the
city pay the expense of an individual
who wanted a recount in an election
contest The governor said:
1.-THE effect of this legislation
would be to increase the burdens of
foxafi0n and if for no other ron CON