River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-01-06
State Capitol News
BY VIM. ]. Anderson
Especial to The Journal)
The Annual Road School

ne annual ROAD ScnOOl
The annual road school under the
auspices of the Wisconsin Highway
Commission will be held in Music
Hall at the University beginning on
Monday, January 31st, and closing
with a banquet on the evening of
February 4th. The road machinery
exhibit always held in connection with
the road school will be on the lower
campus, just in front of the Histori-
cal Library. All county road COM
missioners are expected to attend the
school, and the Highway Commission
desires very much that all members
of the county boards who can shall
attend.
Glum Spud Market Outlook
The Market Division reports the
outlook for the potato market is far
from bright. An Inspector for the
Market Division found the past week
in one town in potato territory
where there are four warehouses that
there wasn't bushl stored. Pota-
toes had to be shipped in from other
sections to supply the local needs.
The farmers in the territory named
are holding for $500 per bushel. The
Division refers to the fact that in the
east big importations of Danish po-
tatoes are being received. Because OF
this the Division fears that large
quantities of potatoes will be dump
ed on the market in the spring.
Madison Buys Milk Cheap
Madison dealers pay farmers less
for their milk than any other of IL
cities. The price paid in Madison is
$2.40 per hundred weight, in Apple
ton $500, in Ashland $500, in Beloit
$3.50, in La Crosse $3.50, in Chippewa
Falls 1925, in Green Bay $500, in
Kenosha $3.50, in Milwaukee $2.72,
in Racine 1925, in Superior $3.75, in
Wausau $500.
Wage Hearing
When the big hearing by the In
dustrial Commission is held in Mil
waukee on January 7th, upon the pc
tition of trades unions, and local or
ganizations to increase the minimum
wage figure and establish an 8-hour
day for women, there will be some
interesting discussion. Employers are
taking the position that this is not an
opportune time to reduce hours of la
Dor, and particularly to increase the
minimum wage rate. Organized la
Dor is urging that the minimum wage
rate of 22c an hour which is now IN
force in Wisconsin is much less than
the rates of other states having laws
of this kind. In Minnesota this rate
is 25c an hour and in many other
states even more. 1t is also urging
that with large number of women
out of employment, it is good time
to reduce hours to give larger num-
Der work.
More State Health Inspectors Needed
The State Board of Health will ask
the Legislature to increase its num-
Der of deputy state health inspectors
from five to eight on the ground that
each inspector now has more territory
than he can cover. Not many people
know that we now have state law
requiring public comfort stations IN
all cities and villages, and that the
State Board of Health is administer
ing the laws. The strange thing about
this is that the public has up to this
time been willing to get along with
out public toilets in cities and villag-
es.
The State Board of Health points
to the steadily lowering mortality
rate as justification of its work. In
infant mortality in particular, the
Badger record stands as most note
worthy in the entire union, only SIX
states in the birth registration area
reporting fewer infant deaths during
1919. For every 1000 births thai
year in Wisconsin, there were only 80
infant deaths. Wisconsin's tubercu-
losis death rate in 1909 was 1918 per
100, 900 population. In 1919 it was
cut to $50.
Relative Ccst of State Government
Not Increased in Eight Years
When the Legislature of 1913 made
appropriation for the biennial period
beginning July 1st of that year
amounting to S36,00O,ooO, sort of
composite groan was emitted by the
people of the state. Eight years have
nos only increased those figures, but
the people have been granted grace to
bear the increase without grooming.
The State Treasurer's figures printed
in this column last week showed that
the receipts last year were fifty-six
millions. The thirty-six millions ap-