NEWS WORTH REMEMBERING
News Worth Remembering Wisconsin's 1911 legislature fulfilled its platform pledges. It adjourned this week after setting a new mark in legislation for the public welfare and the curbing of special...
...Perjury in Lorimer Case When the United States Senate subcommittee, which is investigating the election of Senator William Lorimer, resumes its work next week it will take up the more recent developments in this complicated case...
...These appropriations will enable the university to extend materially its correspondence courses and to establish new centers in the state...
...The bill as passed carries a clause directing that the question be decided by the electors in the 1912 election...
...Frisco Quakes Again In verification of the prediction of President Van Hise of the University of Wisconsin, an eminent geological authority, that San Francisco's 1906 exper-ence with an earthquake, would not be its last, Dame Nature again shifted her position on the Pacific coast and in so doing, terrified a few hundred thousand people...
...In the formal hearings last week Edward Hines made a general denial of the story that he had bragged that he "put Lorimer over...
...Practically all the cities that suffered in 1906 again were reminded of the peculiar geological structure of the Pacific slope although the damage to property up to last reports, was slight...
...The committee naturally reached the conclusion that someone was lying and decided to go into the perjury question...
...William Berri, grandfather of the small boy who gained fame overnight, was exercised over the fake newspaper story that Willie, when lifted up to the table by President Taft, deftly placed his little foot into the President's soup plate...
...Distinguished students of taxation in all parts of the country, however, pronounce the law to be the most complete and logical statute of its kind ever drafted...
...Insurgent Mail Clerks Score While the Post Office Department dominated the Railway Mail Association Convention to a very great degree, yet it was not in full control...
...Almost six months were devoted to carrying out the platform pledges of the Republican party...
...Under the pen-name of "Ironquill," he achieved fame, but his literary work was not confined to verse...
...I may not agree with them but they have a right to be heard, and so long as I am Speaker, the doors of the Speaker's room open inward...
...The new law provides for the publication by the state of a booklet containing information for voters...
...This commission is charged with the duty of appointing inspectors at polling places...
...Candidates are required to make complete statements of expenditures both before and after the primary and election...
...In connection with this act the legislature also passed the industrial commission bill, which creates a commission to take over administration of all laws relating to child labor, woman's labor, factory ventilation and sanitation, occupational diseases, truancy, free employment bureaus, workmen's compensation, etc...
...The holding up at Hull of great supplies of the necessities of life has caused widespread hardship and inconvenience and as a result some of the ship-owners have ordered moderate increases in prices of labor...
...It applies to all candidates both for primaries and elections and is designed, first of all, to preclude the use of great sums of money in securing nomination or election to office...
...It adjourned this week after setting a new mark in legislation for the public welfare and the curbing of special interests in elections...
...In order that employers and employees may inform themselves of this new departure, the industrial commission at Madison has issued a booklet of complete information...
...Other large appropriations were made to provide state aid to communities which establish industrial training schools along the lines advocated by Dr...
...The resolution makes the comment that this discrepancy represents a great economic loss and that it ought to be eliminated...
...Corporations are taxed according to an ingenious method that is expected to preclude misrepresentation of assessed valuation or income on investment...
...Water Powers Conserved A law giving the state control over water-powers was passed...
...They ought to be heard, and so far as I am concerned, they will be heard...
...In other words, a man may send an eleven-pound-package from San Francisco to Rome, Italy, at 12 cents a pound, but if he wishes to send the same articles to New York, he must divide them into packages of not to exceed four pounds each and pay 16 cents a pound...
...Several regiments of United States regulars have been ordered north from the Mexican border...
...He contributed several valuable volumes on law and translated and edited several ancient works on the law...
...Non-partisan laws for Milwaukee were passed...
...A total of $225,000 was appropriated for university extension alone, with an additional $80,000 for agricultural extension work...
...All waterpower companies are to be required to give up their old franchises and to accept indeterminate franchises...
...Under the terms of the state constitution, these resolutions must be reaffirmed by the 1913 legislature after which they will go to the people for ratification...
...Investigate Fire Insurance Insurance Commissioner Ekern of Wisconsin is largely responsible for the passage in the Wisconsin Legislature of a resolution directing a special committee to make a thorough investigation into the fire insurance business...
...I have no doubt that government employes have a good many things to complain of and a good many things to suggest for the good of the public service...
...Within the United States the rate of postage on fourth class matter is 16 cents a pound, with a limit of four pounds...
...A ten-hour law for women was passed despite the most active opposition on the part of manufacturers...
...This recent development has to do with obvious perjury before the committee...
...In answer to his appeal for a denial, President Taft graciously wrote a letter denying the charge that Willie had contaminated the soup...
...The Committee, in line with these recommendations, has been empowered to employ counsel and to subpoena whomever it pleases in order to get complete information of the business of insuring fire risks...
...Tall buildings rosked, clocks stopped, office clerks ran for the open places and there was a general panic in department stores...
...Among the defendants are H. L. Satterlee, son-in-law of J. Pierpont Morgan...
...Charles McCarthy in a recent article in this magazine...
...This law, like the workingmen's compensation act, will be subjected to the constitutionality test at an early date...
...The moral and intellectual welfare of women will be enhanced through action of the legislature...
...The crews of the Haverford of the Red Star line and other liners at the docks have deserted in sympathy with the wharf employes...
...It places all waterpowers in the public utility class and makes them subject to the rulings of the railroad rate commission...
...Republicans, Democrats and Social Democrats alike united in the adoption of these changes...
...for all incomes above $12,000 a year...
...Heretofore this power has been vested only in the legislature with the result that the machinery regulations of one year would be found obsolete the following year because of new inventions and improvements...
...It taxes incomes in excess of $800 of unmarried persons while the minimum of untaxed incomes of married persons is fixed at $1,200 with an additional exemption of $200 for each dependent person...
...This money is to be appropriated to towns and counties which make special tax levies for road improvements...
...The incident amused the nation for a moment and then was forgotten by everyone excepting Grandfather Berri...
...Probably the most far-reaching law passed by the Wisconsin legislature is the corrupt practices act...
...Oregon Idea Affirmed Resolutions for an amendment to the Wisconsin constitution clearing the way for the initiative, referendum and recall, were adopted...
...His history of the Iowa volunteer regiments in the Civil War is accepted as the authority...
...The document as passed by the Legislature also says that the matter of rate-making and investments by companies will bear looking into within the coming two years...
...Cities under special charters also were given "home rule...
...Incomes to be Taxed An income tax law was enacted...
...Frank Jay Gould and W. P. Palmer, president of the American Steel and Wire company...
...The United States is party to a treaty under which residents of twenty-nine foreign countries may send fourth-class matter through the United States mails at 12 cents a pound, with a limit of eleven pounds...
...It limits the hours of labor for women to ten in the day-time and eight in the night-time...
...The Convention also provided for a welfare committee and this also has been opposed very vigorously by the Department at all times...
...Ironquill" Ware Dead Eugene F. Ware, former United States Pension Agent, author and poet, died in Colorado Springs on the 2nd at the age of seventy years...
...Many of their vessels are overdue to sail, and this, combined with continued pressure from the board of trade, to effect a conciliation, seems to indicate the struggle will not be much further prolonged...
...Workingmen's Compensation On September 1st the Wisconsin workmen's compensation act as passed by the legislature will become effective...
...The making of rules to prevent accident and disease is to be one of the most important functions of the commission...
...The legislature went on record for complete suffrage for women...
...Seamen's Strike Spreading Prices of provisions are being affected by the strike of seamen in Great Britain...
...It must be remembered that the inspectors have been the cause of practically all the trouble now existing in the Department, although these inspectors are working under direct instructions from the Department...
...I tell them that they have a right to talk to me...
...Rates of Postage Senate Bill 2873, introduced by Senator Bourne of Oregon, reveals the fact that foreign countries are more favorably considered than our country relative to postage rates...
...Work on the docks at Liverpool is practically at a standstill...
...Taft Removes Stigma Little Willie Berri of Brooklyn did not step into President Taft's soup at the Union League dinner in Brooklyn, June 8th...
...So far as I am individually concerned, I have never paid the slightest attention to this 'gag' rule...
...This law contains no exceptions...
...Senator Bourne said: "It may seem strange that there should be a possibility of legislation giving American citizens privileges in the United States mails between themselves equally with those enjoyed by residents of this country in transaction of business with residents of foreign countries...
...Considerable rioting on the part of the strikers is reported from Hull...
...Another bill in the conservation class appropriates $50,000 annually for five years for purchase of northern lands for purposes of reforestation...
...It also is expected that the committee soon will begin calling in members of the 1909 Illinois Legislature who have been mentioned in connection with the sudden switching of votes that "put Lorimer over...
...Hines not only denied this story but put in a counter charge that he had been asked to accept $10,000...
...The convention adopted the initiative and referendum, which the Department is very much opposed to, for this plan will give the members of the Association an opportunity to decide questions of vital interest by secret ballot...
...A law was enacted creating a state highways commission for the administration of $300,000 annually for the improvement of public highways...
...So to sum the matter up, while the Department endeavored to exercise an absolute control, it has failed in a most signal manner...
...The Convention also passed resolutions condemning the methods employed by Department inspectors...
...The commission is given broad powers and will be enabled to investigate all phases of labor and labor conditions...
...Among other things it is empowered to make rules relating to the guarding of machinery, prevention of accidents and industrial diseases and the effect of factory labor upon women and children...
...The resolution sets forth that in the last five years the citizens of Wisconsin have paid $42,000,000 to the insurance companies in premiums while the companies have paid back in losses only $19,000,000...
...This law permits the voter in 3 primary to indicate his second choice and is expected to result in real majority nominations...
...Under this statute they may adopt charter amendments by the initiative, or call charter conventions for the adoption of new charters...
...Wire Trust Heads Indicted Nine indictments were returned by a New York Federal grand jury on the 29th against associations and individuals supposed to be connected with the so-called wire trust...
...It was opposed, of course, by the big interests and subjected to severe criticism...
...A comparison of the Republican platform with the session laws of 1911 shows absolutely every platform pledge fulfilled...
...Large appropriations also were voted for the normal schools...
...The indictments are based on the charge that there has been restraint of trade in violation of the anti-trust law...
...He said also that he did not ask for a $10,000 contribution to a $100,000 "slush" fund from Charles S. Funk of the International Harvester Company...
...Vocational Training Aided The subjects of vocational training and extension work of the University of Wisconsin were treated generously by the Wisconsin legislature...
...I talk to all the government employes who come to see me about anything...
...These laws provide for non-partisan elections in the case of judges and school board members...
...Free speech is one of the fundamental principles of the American people...
...The initiative and referendum will give the employees in the service an opportunity to express their views without fear of being victimized...
...The President himself has removed the stain from little Willie's character...
...Supplemental laws extending the corrupt practices act to city and county elections also were passed, together with a law creating an elections commission in Milwaukee to take over the entire work of compiling poll-lists before every primary and election...
...The Cunard, Canadian Pacific railway, Dominion, White Star, Eller-man, and other combined lines, are all equally affected...
...This law goes into effect next year...
...These statements must show the amounts expended and the uses to which the money was put...
...Gag Rule" Not Right Speaker Clark says that the "gag-rule," to the effect that employes of the government shall not petition Congress about their wants, "or for redress of their grievances is un-democratic, un-republican, un-American and unconstitutional...
...The scale of taxation ascends with the ascending income to as high as 6 per cent...
...The truth is," says the letter, "that there was no soup...
...Violation of the law means forfeiture of the nomination or election and, in some cases, heavy fines...
...Funk took the stand and reiterated his former testimony that Hines asked for the money...
...This will be subject, however, to suits brought to test its constitutionality...
...The general attitude of the shipowners showed a weakening from the first...
...The legislature also passed the bill providing for the second choice in primaries...
Vol. 3 • July 1911 • No. 27
