River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-02-17
State Legislative News
From Assemblyman c. E. Hanson

Legislature should have the power to
remove any appointive official who is
not rendering efficient service to the
state, is the BELIEF of your Pierce
county Assenblyman, who has intro
duced a bill in the Legislature which
would give that body the right to call
any appointive official before it to
answer questions as to the conduct
Of his office.
I introduced the same bill two years
ago and worked for its passage.
Twice at the last session Of the leg
islature this measure passed and twice
it was vetoed by Governor Phillip.
Ny bill would give the legislature the
power to remove.any appointive offic-
ial by majority vote. 1t requires
petition of six members of the Senate
and seventeen members of the Assem-
bly, to summon a member of COM
missioQ before the body to answer
questions. Governor Blaine has in
dorsed the proposal.
Wednesday is the last day for the
introduction of bills into the legis-
lature by members. The present in
dications are that there will be fewer
bills at this session than last session.
The great work of the legislature.
however, has not been started. The
one big problem before this legisla-
ture is to settle the tax question. Be
fore appropriations can be made this
legislature must know how much
money it is going to have. 1t cannot
tell how much money it is going to
have until it settles upon its tax bills.
There are many important tax bills
pending before the legislature. The
writer is the author of a bill to repeal
the personal property offset. This
will greatly increase the amount OF
taxes collected without placing an
additional burden upon real estate.
One of the startling things about tax
alton is that the State Tax Commits
sion appeared before the Joint FL
nance Committee during the past
week and declared that if it had a
larger appropriation it could place a
million dollars additional taxes on the
role. Many people are now escaping
taxes. The repeal of the secrecy
clause Of the income tax law which IS
urged by Senator III. j. Severson OF
Waupaca county, will help to bring
the tax dodgers into the open.
Senator George B. Skogmo, Of Riv-
err Falls, has introduced a new educa-
tional bill providing for the revision
of the present law so as to combine
in one office the department of educa-
ton, the present vocational board,
the present state board of education
and the present office of state superin-
tendent. BY consolidating these three
Offices into one, greater efficiency will
be obtained, according to Senator
Skogmo, and thousands. of dollars will
be saved to the state.
1.-THE purpose Of my bill for new
and. smaller state board of education
is to combine in one office the pres
ent three offices and to limit such
board strictly to the field of inspect
ton and educational policies" said
Senator Skogmo.
If the present session of the legls-
lature finds it impossible to provide
for adequate support and maintenance
of the Teachers Insurance and Retire
ment Fund the law should be repeal
ed.
This is the startling statement Of
the special committee of the legislat-
ure on the Teachers Retirement Fund
law. The committee recommends a
broadening of the present law so rs
to place it on a sound economic bas-
is. If the legislature finds, however,
that it cannot support the law it
should be repealed, adds the commit
tee. The present fund is in a bank
rupt condition.
Assemblyman t. W. Bartingale,,
Chippewa county, is preparing bill
which prohibits the use Of the free
pass at any fairs in the state, includ-
ing the state and county fairs. He
believes that where state aid is ex-
tended no free passes should be is
sued
A revision of the present market
commission law is provided in a bill
which was introduced in the assemb-
ly through committee This bill has
been the subject of long conferences
between members of market commls-
siorf staff and members of the legis-
lature and others interested in mark
citing.
The bill removes the division of
markets from the department of ag-
riculture and makes it an independ-