The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1921-01-13
WISCONSIN NEWS
STATED IN BRIEF
Geographic Chronicle of State
Happenings.
LEGISLATURE OPENS JAN. IL
Members Gathering at Madison for
Regular Session, Which conVenes
Wednesday--Gov. Blaine to
Read Message Thursday.
BY FRED L, HOLMES.

Madison Jan. 1O.-Members of the
| Wisconsin legislature were gathering
! in Madison today for the regular SEES
sion which Is to open Wednesday at
noon The first arrivals were Wallace
Ingalls, of Racine, former Speaker Ri
ley Young, WalwOrth county and AS
semblyman Frank Hansen, juneau
| county. The members of the legiSla-
| ture will hold caucuses Tuesday eve
ming to determine who will hold the
different important legislative posts
during the coming session. There are
| four candidates for speaker. Assem-
| blyman Riley Young was speaker at
the last session and is a candidate for
the position again. The other three
candidates are: Wallace Ingalls, RAJ
| cine; Assemblyman Frank Hansen, Ju-
neau county, and William Olson of
Iowa county. 1t is believed that G..
f. Shafer, seven times chief clerk OF
the house, will be rechosen without OPP
position. There are several candidates
| for sergeant-at-arms of the house,
among them being Harry Hewitt,
| Wal .AOulitSg anu l. VI CiN'iiNJ ~
Dane county. The probability is that
! Col. O. G. Munson Niroqpa, will be
chosen chief clerk of the senate. Even
! though the legislature organizes this
week on Wednesday little business OF
! importance will be transacted. Gov
ernor Blaine will read his message to
the joint houses of the legislature on
! Thursday morning and the members.
! will then return to their homes until
the following Tuesday, awaiting the
announcement of committee appoint
ments by the speaker.
| The Legislature which cOnvenes here
| this week is Overwhelmingly Republic
an. The Democratic party has been
practically wiped out of existence so
| far as legislative representation is
concerned. Classed politically, the SEN
ate is made up as follows.
Republican, IS; Democrats, ?; So
cialsts, 3.
OF the house membership of 100 the
representation is as follows:
Republicans 90; Socialists, 6 Dem
ocrats, ..
AT the session Of the legislature TO
be held in January there will be only
! two Democratic assemblymen and two
| Democratic senators. How complete
this Republican sweep has been this
year is indicated by the fact that in
| the house % men were elected on the
Republican ticket, six Socialists and
! two Democrats.
| 1t is expected that the four Demo-
| Gratis will now vote as independents
In the absence of party group they
will function virtually as independents.
| The four Democrats are rated as pro-
gressives opposed to socialistic rene
dies. The two assemblymen elected
are B. w. Rynders, who defeated
| NonpartiSan Lacquer on the Repub-
| lican ticket in Langlade county, and
! George J. Schwalback, who won over
| a Socialist in Calumet county. Charles
Mulberger, WATERFOWL, and d. V. Jen-
nings Milwaukee, are the holdover
Democratic senators.
Farmers will control the assembly
| of WisCOnsin's legislature this year,
with lawyers numerical! ahead in the
| senate Records in the Office of the
| secretary of state show that Al out of
100 assemblymen are engaged in agri-
culture, and that s out of SO senators
are practicing law. There are ten law
| yers in the assembly and five farmers
| In the senate.
| Gerrymandering of the state Sena-
| torial and assembly districts as a re-
suit of changes in population since the
last national census in 1910 is to oc-
cupy the attention of senate and as
sembly committees during the legisla-
ture opening next Wednesday. The
constitution requires that redlstrictlng
be made In conformity with the
changes in population centers.
Wisconsin's constitution provides
that there shall not be more than 100
assemblymen, while the senate is linn
| tied to one-third of the assembly's
strength. Despite the increase in pop
! ulation the number of legislators will
not be altered. The change will come
In distribution of districts.
The rapid growth that has gone on
| In the northern sections of the state
will result in the greatest changes be-
ing made in the districts of that more
recently settled territory.
! Two congressman will be added to
the II representatives Wisconsin now
/ has in the house as a result of in
creased population.
A plan for the arrangement and fu-
ture development Of state lands, which
include approximately 100000 acres
has been formulated by the conserva-
tion commission, which feels the COM
ing legislature should consider the
problem o. ultimate disposition OF
these lands Mt this session.
Recommendations to the legislature
include requests that the state retain
all lake frontages, that 1t retain all
green timber, that 1t keep as d state
forest approximately 100000 acres of
wooded territory and dispose of agri-
cultural cutOver land to settlers dis
pose of dead and cutdown timber and
exchange lands on the basis of equal
value with private parties.
Absurd Old English Law.
Under the English common law no
one has a right to battle In the sea.
r,as l.