The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-02-04
Governor Names w. S. Smith
Prohibition Commissioner.
BELOIT MAN ON TAX BODY
Judge Charles D. Rosa Appointed
Member of Tax Commission--New
Bill Would Make Auto Drivers
Pass Competency Test
BY FRED L. HOLMES.

| a6 q member of the state tax cOmmlS-
sion for six-year term, and the name
Of w. Stanley Smith, Ashland, as state
prohibition commissioner, for a four
year term. Judge Rosa was appointed
to succeed Nels P. Haugen, who has
! held the position as q member Of the
J tax commission In Wisconsin for ~
years. Mr.. Smith succeeds T. L. Ha-
iceberg, who was appointed prohibition
| commissioner by Governor Phillip
about a year ago, but his name was
never sent to the senate by Governor
Philip for confirmation. Smiths ap-
| pointment is for a fOur-year term at
$4,000 year. The salary of tax COM
missioner is $1,000 a year. Both APP
Ipointments must be confirmed by the
| senate.
| Judge Rosa was born on farm In
Rock county September 10, 1870. He
graduated from the University of Wis
| consin law school and has practfced
law In Beloit. He was twice elected to
|! the lower house Of the Legislature.
Mr.. Smith is lawyer at Ashland,
who took an active part in the World
war. He was member Of the Ash
land machine gun company and in Au-
gust, 1917, was transferred to the One
Hundred Fifteenth machine gun bat
!taliOn, which represented the state of
/ Wisconsin in the Rainbow division.
After serving for time at the front
he returned to the United States to
become machine gun instructor at the
machine gun training school at Camp
Hancock, Ga. Smith was born in the
town of Holland, La Crosse county,
graduating from the University of Wis
| cOnsn in 1901. He has served as dis
trict attorney of Ashland county and
as city attorney of Ashland. 1t is ex-
pected that these appointments will be
acted upon within the next ten days.
Highways in Wisconsin will be made
safe Automobile drivers will be re-
quired to pass a competency test be-
fore being permitted to operate cars If
licensing system proposed in bill
to be drafted by Senator George l..
Buck of Racine is enacted. 1t is aimed
at reckless driving and at curbing the
number of accidents which are said to
have resulted from incompetent ham
ding of automobiles Careless driving
on the part of a licensed person would
result in withdrawal of the license by
the court, which could also impose a
fine. Licenses would be renewed year.
ly on request Any person over a spe-
Gifted age, perhaps sixteen years, would
be required to make application for a
license to the county clerk.
II believe in the matter Of licensing
auto drivers. it would be proper for the
state to charge 81 for the license for a
man driving a particular machine,
said John A. HazelwoOd, chairman of
the state highway board, in urging the
Buck BILL ''In case of other members
of the family or other employees driv-
ing the same machine, that supplement
tary licenses might be issued at half
the cost of the original license. In
other words, the license should show
the number and make of the machine,
so that in case a person in authority
asked for the presentation of license
the matter could easily be decided that
the person was driving the machine for
which he had been given license.
Chauffeurs who drive cars continually
should be required to pay an annual Ii
cenSe fee of 50, which should entitle
the chauffeur to drive any make of car.
The driver license might be secured at
The same time as the regular autOmo-
bile license is obtained.
81 am satisfied that if this license
system were introduced into Wiscon-
sin there would be at once a minimiz-
ing of automobile accidents. This Ii
cense fee could quite properly be used
for county parks. planting of trees and
Shrubbery alOnSide of roads to pre-
vent snow blockade. building highways
in and through state parks and for
other purposes directly connected with
highway improvements.
''Wisconsin will have over 100000
motor vehicles this year. This fact In
dictates somewhat the fund that will
be received from licenses. l suggest
that the money received from such
source be distributed as follows:
First, % per cent of this fund
should be returned to the counties for
the rural planning committees to ex-
pend for county parks and for the
planting of trees and shrubbery for the
prime purpose of preventing snow
drifting in the winter time
Second, 10 per cent of the funds
should be set aside and used for the
purpose of Keeping the present mark
ing system on our state trunk highways
up to standard and TO provide other di-
rection signs and markings along our
highways.
Third, 10 per cent of this fund
should be allotted to the conservation
commission for the purpose of building
and maintaining roads to and through
| state parks and across state lands.
Fourth, so per cent of this fund
should be turned over to the regular