River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-05-12
State Capitol News
By Wm. ]. Anderson

ance department is at present send
ing out to three hundred and sixty
cities and villages their portion of the
fund received in the form of tax
upon the net premiums of fire insur-
ance companies operating in the state.
There is, under the law, paid to the
state insurance commissioner each
year by the fire insurance companies
two per cent of the net premiums col
lected by them, and this sum, which
this year aggregates S243, 527.65 is
appropriated to the cities and villages
which maintain fire departments. The
sum apportioned to the three hundred
ard sixty cities and villages ranges
from IS to $4,000, the latter being
the sum paid to the city of Milwaukee.
In many cases the amounts paid to
cities arc added to the pension funds
instead of being used for mainten-
ance expense. This year S17,645 of
the total amount is being held up
pending reports from certain cities
as to whether their equipment for the
current year for fire fighting meets
the requirements of the law.
The eleven free employment Of
fees which are conducted by the In
dustrial commission made $4,000 veri-
fled placements last year. The larg-
| est number of these placements were
| of common laborers and factory
hands, but there are also many place
ments of mechanics and of high sal
AIRED employees, salaries running as
high as $4,000. During the present
depression the number of placements
has considerably declined, but more
than five thousand persons are still
being placed in employment each
month through these eleven employ
ment offices. As result OF the de-
preston there has been a very great
increase in the number of men placed
| on farms. In April, 1903 men were
sent to farms @through the employ
| ment offices, the largest number in
any month since the employment Of
fees were organized, nearly 20
years ago. The free employmnt Of
fees of the state are located in Ash
land, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison,
Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Racine, Rhine
lander, Sheboygan, Superior and
| Wausau.
The board of public affairs and the
| legislative joint committee are trav-
ailing over the board of control, the
| University, and the normal school
appropriations at the present time.
These three appropriation bills rep
resent more than two thirds of the
states entire budget. The biennial
needs of the board alone, including
capital expenditures and maintenance
is about $7,5OO,0OO.
The board of control groceries con-
tract for the current quarter aggre-
gated $3,05S for teas and coffees,
| and S10,125 for other groceries. The
next contract will be let in about
six weeks.
A very important victory for par
ity milk products was secured on
Thursday of last week when the AS
sembly by a vote of 70 to Is advanced
the agricultural committees bill pro-
| hibiting the use of cocoanut oil or
other foreign fat material in milk
products. The discussion of the bill
brings to light the fact that Wiscon-
! sin manufacturers to a small de-
gree making powdered milk, evapor-
ated milk, and condensed milk have
been adding certain foreign fats to
| their; products. 1t appears also that
| manufacturers of these products in
adjoining states have been doing this
much more than the Wisconsin pro-
producers, but that the chief onus of
the practice is falling on Wisconsin
products. That this sort of filling
for milk products makes those pro-
ducts measurably unwholesome for
children or invalids is the contention
of those who are seeking to prohibit
filling.
Milwaukee members of the legis-
lature by presenting a solid front
were able to carry over the adverse
Recommendation of the Municipalities
Committee the Arnold proposed home
rule amendment to the constitution
To most of those who have studied
the purpose of the proposed amend
ment, it appears decidedly pernis-
cious measure. This is the fourth
session in which the socialist mem
bers have been trying to put the
amendment over The measure is
deemed perniscious in that it is am
biguous. If it does not confer upon cit
les undue powers, then it is utterly
futile; if it does confer upon cities, as