Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-02-25
LOOKING IN
ON THE
LEGISLATURE

s..-o.-.--.--.--.-.--.--.-.-.-.-..
Madison Wis.-After a bitter de-
bate, the senate killed the Gettelman
amendment of the initiative and ref
erendum measure which provided that
the bill should not abridge the free
dom Of religious worship The senate
then adopted the initiative and ref
erendum by vote of % to 8.
Senator GettelmanS amendment pro-
vided that nothing in the initiative and
referendum should apply to articles
is and 10 of the chapter l of the state
constitution, declaring that he was do
Ing this for the protection of the
parochial schools The amendment
wars killed by a vote of IS to 10.
Senator Cettelman said that through
a petition Of ten per cent of the
voters, under the initiative and ref
erendum measure, the parochial
schools could be placed on trial every
two years. He declared that through
this measure the parochial schools had
been temporarily legislated out of ex-
istence in Oregon, and that they were
attacked every two years i'm Michigan |
The initiative and referendum meas |
ure provides that the people shall have
the power to propose and pass laws
at the polls, Independent of the legis- |
lature, and to accept or reject at the |
polls any act passed by the legislature.
1t provides for a referendum on any
law upon petition of 10 per cent of
the voters.
Eusenics Bill Called sIur
Characterizing the bill which pro-
vides that the eugenics law be extend |
ed to women applying for marriage
license as "insult to the womanhOod I
Of Wisconsin and a reflection upon
fathers and mothers of the state" ops
ponents Of the measure lodged a vio-
lent protest today at the hearing be-
fore the public affairs committee of
the assembly.
AS a result, the bill, introduced by
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Mildred Barber of
Marathon requiring that all women
applying for Il marriage license sub
nit to a physical examination to as
certain whether they are suffering
from social diseases, was recommended |
for indefinite postpOnement by the
committee with the narrow margin of
one vote
State Cigarette Tax Proposed
Assemblyman Gwidt of Rhinelander
has prepared bill calling for a state |
tax Of , cents per package on cigarettes. |
This measure is patterned after an
Iowa law and Mr.. Gwidt says that it |
would increase Wisconsin revenues
from $l,000,000 to $G000,0O0 per year
1t is estimated that the cigarette
smoker who consumes one package of I
Gags" a day would contribute approx |
mately $3.50 year under this tax.
There are four cigarette smokers
TO each autoist III Wisconsin" says Mr..
Gwidt, "and the amount of taxes the
state would receive from a cigarette
tax is larger than would be obtained
from a gasoline tax"
Pulp Wood Board May Go.
The pulp wood inspection board Of
the state is unnecessary in the opinion |
of the senate, which has voted for it's |
adjustment This would reduce state |
expenses $4,000 a year Senator Titus, /
author Of the repeal bill, which went
20 engrossment without opposition,
says that the board is one of the use
less boards of the state and that it
ought to be abolished.
The assembly has an income tax re-
duction bill similar to the one spon-
sored by Senator Norris and which
calls for % per cent reduction in the
income taxes of all persons, firms,
corporations and partnerships. 1t was
introduced by Assemblyman Blanchard
of Edgerton.
Assemblyman Olson of Monroe has
introduced a bill that would amend
the state constitution and change the
basic system of taxation. That part
of the constitution now provides that
the rule of taxation shall be uniform"
@and Mr.. Olson's proposal is to have
this changed to read, "the rule of taxa
tion shall be uniform upon the same
class of subjects" Under the Olson
amendment it would be possible to tax
bhe farmer at a rate different than the
rate applying to city residents and the
measure is understood to intend relief
for farmers, who are often obliged
to pay a large school tax on their
property. Mr.. Olson points out that
their is a similar provision in the
Minnesota constitution.
Wisconsin NeLUS in Brief