Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-06-24
LOOKING IN
-- ON THE
LEGISLATURE

A poll of members of the senate
probe committee showed almost unani-
nous approval of the attorney gener-
ais insurance record.
Defense testimony throughout the
course of the investigation has tended
to show that Mr. Ekern's connection
with the Chicago law firm of which he
is the head has been remote and in
active during his tenure of office as
attorney general.
The charges laid before the commit
tee by Insurance Commissioner w.
Stanley Smith sought to develop the
point that Mr. Ekern, as a representa-
tive of private interests, was biased
in his attitude toward the new insur-
ance code bill.
SeVerson Probe Waning
Investigation into charges of i'm
morality and corruption in the CON
duct of state departments and insti-
tutiOns is near a close according to
Senator William Quick, chairman of
the senate probe committee.
Unless Senator Severson, lola, has
additional data to present before the
upper house committee, the probe
tribunal will make an effort to wind
up its affairs within a few days, Mr..
Quick indicated.
The investigation of Sewers on
charges and the Smith Ekern inquiry
developed fiat tires when the assembly
refused to concur in the two bills APP
prOpriating funds to defray the
expenses of the probes.
Senator William f. Quick, chairman
of the Severson Investigators, declared
that his committee would continue
until it had sifted the charges before
it, regardless of appropriations. He
said necessary money could be OBJ
tanned from the senate's contingent
funds
Blaine Forest Refund Defeated
The Blaine administration sustained
a crushing defeat in the senate when
that body, by an overwhelming major
ity, adopted the SauthOff amendment
to the finance committee appropriation
bill for the conservation commission,
and then ordered the amended bill to
engrOssment, % to 3. The only sena-
tors voting against engrossment were
Chase, Carey and Heck.
The SauthOff amendment strikes out
from the original bill that portion
which requires the conservation COM
mission to pay back to the state gen
eral fund $S25,000 principal and in
tereSt on land investment, at the rate
of $4,000 per year for II years. It
also contained number of minor
changes.
Kill SIS Minimum Tax Bill
The senate has killed the Keppel
have required all persons earning
standard wages but not paying other
tax, to pay minimum income tax
bill of So per annum.
Assembly opponents of the major
income tax bill, enacted at this SEES
sion of the legislature, have succeeded
in affiXing one of their proposals to
the senate bill correcting administra-
tive features of the law. This is an
amendment by Assemblyman Miner,
New Richmond, repeating the grain
and coal occupational tax offset which
he has sought since the big income tax
bill, containing the personal property
offset repeal, was enacted.
New Bank Tax Blk Vetoed
Gov. Blaine has vetoed the bill asked
for by bankers to put the taxation of
banks on an income tax basis, instead
of on capital stock. Banks in the state
are now taxed on the value of their
capital stock and this law was upheld
by the courts. The governor declared
that mercantile establishments paid
both real estate and income taxes and
he saw no reason why banks should
not pay an income tax in addition to
other levies.
The veto message declares that
much of the bank investments are in
tax exempt securities and could not
be reached under the income tax.
Drug Stores May Sell Soda
Drug stores in Wisconsin will be
able to operate soda fountains in their
establishments and have alcohol on
the premises. The Gentleman bill to
exempt drug stores from the soft drink
parlOr provisions of the state dry act
was passed by the senate without a
roll call and is assured passage in the
lower house.
The assembly has passed the bill
empowering the United States govern
ment to acquire land in Wisconsin up
to 100000 acres and cOncurred IL the
bill providing for sterilization of the
feeble-minded inmates of state insti-
tutions.