Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-05-27
LOOKING IN
ON THE
LEGISLATURE

Madison, WiS.-InSurance Commits
siOner w. Stanley Smith dropped a
bomb into the investigation of charges
arising out of strained relations be-
tween Atty Gen H. L. Ekern and him
self by protesting against the choice
of Senator Harry Sauthoff, Dane coun-
ty, as member of the senate inyestigat-
ing committee.
Mr.. Smiths protest was in the form
of a letter to President Huber, in
which Mr. Smith set forth a number
of objections to Senator Sauthoff.
Among them was Senator Sauthoff's
invitation to Mr.. Ekern to address the
senate on the insurance code bill and
the close personal and political friend
ship between Sauthoff and Ekern.
The resolution calling for the inves
tigation was introduced by Senator
Sauthoff, and under a courtesy rule
of the senate he was made chairman
of the investigating committee named
by the lieutenant governor.
Another sensation developed at a
meeting called for organization of the
investigating committee when Mr.
Smith hurled defiance at Senator Saul
hoff, who presided. The meeting was
thrown into a turmoil and quiet was
not restored until the chairman called
for the sergeant-at-arms and threat
ened to have Mr.. Smith elected The
Johnson insurance law cOdification bill
that started the controversy between
Insurance Commissioner Smith and At
torney General II. L. Ekern, has been
killed in the Senate, II to II.
Horizon Marsh Inquiry Defeated
The Price bill, calling for an investi-
CATION of the draining of the Horizon
marsh, with a view to returning 1t to
its original condition as a wild life
refuge, was killed without roll call
The measure was supported by the
Izaak Walton league. Farmers living
on the marsh were organized to fight it.
Without dissenting vote the sen
ate passed a committee bill to change
the form of bank taxation from that on
capital stock to incomes. Banks OPP
pose the stock taxation. The present
law was upheld in an appeal to the
Supreme court, but a request for
rehearing is now under consideration
by the court.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Helen Brooks bill,
providing for confiscation of automO-
biles used for immoral purposes, has
been killed by the assembly, Al to 81.
Assemblyman B. Il. Glass declared that
the measure would work a hardship on
persons holding automobile mortgages.
A similar bill was defeated at the last
session of the legislature
A bill by Assemblyman Paul v.
Raihle, barring members of the legis-
lature from appointment to state Of
fees, was killed by the lower house,
30 to q.
New Conservation Bill Drafted
A new conservation appropriation
bill, intended to- meet the approval of
Gov Blaine, is being drafted on the
request of the legislative joint finance
committee According to the plan of
the committee the nonresident fishing
license fees, which were raised to So
each in the conservation bill, recently
vetoed by the governor, are put back
to So.
The change was made on account
of objections from resort owners in
northern Wisconsin, who claim an in
creased fishing license fee would de-
crease resort patronage from other
states.
In the vetoed measure three-tifths |
of the fees raised would have gone to |
the conservation commission to be used
for conservation purposes, bringing the
commissions revenue to $4,000 a |
year from this source alone. This |
sum, under the new bill, is lost to the
commission.
The revenue from fishing and hunt
ing licenses is estimated by Commits
sioner Elmer Hall at $467 900 a year.
In addition, the commission gets $15,-
900 annually from revenue derived
from operation of the Weeks federal
aid law
Promises Real Estate Tax Lift
That there will be no state tax on
real property in Wisconsin this year,
despite authorization of a building pro
gram during the next biennium of
$2,5OO000, is the announcement of Sen
ator Staudenmayer, Portage, chairman
of the finance committee.
During the last fourteen years the
local tax burden on general property
in Wisconsin has doubled, and there
has been a direct protest to this legis-
lature against any increase in the
state tax. Senator Staudenmayer said
that the finance committee had Just
completed its compilations and that
with the gas tax for highways and the
inn r