River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1925-01-29
Legislative News
From Senator Hunt

tnre.
Howard Teasdale Of Sparta was
elected president pro tenn Of the sen
ate and Herman w. Sachtien of
Madison, speaker Of the house. Mr.
F. W. Schoenfeld was reelected
chief clerk of the senate and Mr..
Shaffer was reelected for the tenth
consecutive time as chief clerk Of the
assembly Mr.. Leicht, who has
served several terms as sergeant at
arms Of the senate was elected with
out opposition and Charles E. Han
sen, after the resignation Of Mr..
Bartingale who was first chosen, was
elected sergeant at arms Of the as
sembly.
The first week was occupied Iarg-
ely by matters Of organization; the
second week saw both houses in full
swing with all committees working
and bills being introduced. At the
end Of last week there had been about
sixty bills introduced into the senate
and half as many joint resolutions.
Interest last week conferred around
the accusations by Asseblyman
Raihle that the Home for Feeble
Minded at Chippewa Falls is being
badly managed and the inmates are
being cruelty treated. Mr.. Raihle in
| tloduced an assembly resolution cal
Ing for a special committee of three
assemblyman to make immediate in
vestigation of the condition in the in
sttution named. On the same day
that Mr.. Rabies resolution was in
troduced in the assembly Governor
Blain appointed his Joint Investigat-
ing Committee which is provided by
law. This committee consists of two
senators and three assemblymen as
fullows: Senator Hunt, chairman;
Senator Polakowski, and Assembly
woman Miss Barber; Assebiymen
Caldwell, Johnson and Beaversdorf.
This committee held a meeting
Thursday morning and called several
witnesses among whom were As
semblymen Raihle and Secretary
Hammer Of the State Beard Of Con-
troll. This committee, appointed by
| she Governor to make investigation of
all state institutions which are under
the State Board of Control-eightee
| in number-will start this week on a
tour of inspection, doing their work
largely on Friday, Saturday and
Monday of each week. A special in
vestigation of the Chippewa Falls in
stitution will be made regardless of
whether Assemblyman Rabies reso-
luton passes or not.
Probably the two matters to come
before the Legislature, which win
command the most interest of the
people Of the state are the revised
taxation and bill and the highway
bill. Both Of these bills are now be-
ing prepared and they will be intro
duced early in the session. Special
information will be sent on these
matters later.
/ am introducing this week joint
resolution which provides for the APP
pointment of a joint committee of
the legislature consisting of one SEN
ator and two assenblymen and re-
| questing the legislature Of the State
of Minnesota to appoint a similar
committee. These committees viii
hold a joint conference and endeavor
to agree on some plan whereby the
pollution of the waters of the Upper
Mississippi River can be prevented
in the future. This is matter which
| seriously concerns all residents of
counties bordering on the Mississippi,
especially, and the whole state in
general. That the clam beds of the
upper Mississippi River are dead al
most as far south as Lake Pepin, and
that the fish are dying in large num-
bers in the upper waters Of the Mis-
sissippi is a matter that is well
| known by the residents OF towns
bordering or the river.
The senator from the tenth dis
trict has fulfilled at least two Of his
platform pledges. They are rs fol-
lows: He has introduced a bill pro-
viding for the complete rereal Of the
Homestead Exemption law and
joint resolution callins for a c" sti-
tutional amendment to limit all fu-
ture sessions of the legislature 10
one hundred days l believe that octh
of these bills will meet with the un-
animous approval of the people Of
the tenth senatorial district
AS other matters develop / shall
send further information.
Very respectfully yours.
w. H. HUNT,
Senator Tenth District