River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1923-03-15
Legislative
Manipulation
By P, w. Kramer

the mind of private ambition for pri-
vatc gain. They sow their Influence
in the hope of reaping special bene-
fit. They want law that will compel
the people to do the thing that they
can profit by. One of the main tricks
of the game is to remove he influence
Of the people by concentrating the
power of control over the functions
Of social development. A prominent
effort in that line is the Dahl bill for
creating a new State Board OF Edu-
cation. We have had State Board
of Education for several years, but it
is like the fifth wheel on wagon.
They now want to make it as import
ant as the one wheel on a wheelbar-
row.
The Dahl Bill, No. 400 A, originally
planned to bring all the educational
institutions of this state under one
centralized head called the State;
Board of EDUCATION. 1t involved not
only the Car like control OF educa-
tion but the control of $15,000,O00 of
state funds used for educational pur-
poses.
1t was found that about dozen
members of the Assembly would not
consent to the Vocational board being
abolished so that board was exempt
ed before the bill was printed. After
the bill was printed it was found that
with the University board included
il would create too much opposition,
so it was understood that it would be
exempted by amendment on the floor.
The State Superintendent would not
agree tc turn his Office over to such
a plan, so private treaty was made
with him for an amendment to be
made on the floor to satisfy him.
The bill came up for hearing be-
fore the Joint Committee on Educa-
ton and Mr.. Dahl appeared for the
bill. He was notified by the commit
tee that they would give two hours
for the hearing and the time would be
divided equally between those for and
against the bill. Mr.. Dahl then re-
auested that the time be divided as
follows: He would take 20 minutes
to present the provisions OF the bill;
then the opponents were to have one
hour to present their argument
against it, and those favoring the bill
would take 40 minutes in presenting
their arguments for it which would
close the hearing. Mr.. Dahl started
with his explanation when Mr.. Demp-
sew of the Normal board asked him if
the bill now up for hearing repre-
scented the full intent of what was
proposed to be enacted. We had been
given to understand that agreements
had already been entered into for
amendments to be made on the floor
Nj. dahl admitted this and gave an
eral explanation of what these amend.
ments were to be, and proceeded with
his explanation of the bill, using only
Is minutes of his time. Superintend-
ent Callahan was called to use the re-
naming 5 minutes. He stated that
he simply wanted to indorse the bill
and leave with the committee bunch
of letters from others who Endorsed
the bill. One of the members of the
committee asked Mr.. Callahan what
objection he had to the present board
composed of local regents. In reply
he stated that he objected to board
composed of local regents for they
usually came forward with what ]
am going to do for my school,
Mr.. Dempsey then took the floor in
opposition to the bill and asked for a
postpondment giving time enough to
have bill printed which conveyed the
intent of the bill and to give the PEG
pie of this state time to cosider it and
to prepare their argument against it..
He took Mr.. Callahan's statement as
an example of the importance of an
Outstanding subject he was to favor
or oppose. Mr.. Callahan objected to
board composed of local regents. II
he had had the time and cared to in
form himself he would have never
made such fiagrantly erroneous
statement as a board composed of
local regents for there is no such
thing and no provision in the law for
such thing. Mr.. Ames then inform
ed the State Superintendent that for
years River Falls had no regent locat-
ed in the town. Miss Stearns spoke
up and said this committee learned
yesterday how she was disliked in
Milwaukee because she represented
the state instead of the selfish inter
ests of Milwaukee. Then Mr.. Kittle
told the committee that there were
now other regents who did not live
in the town having a normal school.
The hearing was adjourned for two
weeks.