No. 32, S., An act to appropriate to the commissioners of fisheries a certain sum of money therein named. No. 31, S., An act to encourage the artificial propagation of fish in Wis consin. No. 73, S., An act to facilitate the execution of trusts assumed by the state of Wisconsin by her acceptance of the grants of land made by acts of congress, approved respectively June 3, 1856, and May 5, 1864, to aid in the construction of certain railroads in said state. No. 94, S., An act to authorize the secretary of state to audit certain accounts. No. 95, S., An act to provide for settling railroad license fees in certain cases. No. 2, S., An act to authorize Nicholas Abrahamson to build, keep and maintain a dam or dams across the Wiergor river, a tributary of the Chippewa river, in Chippewa county. No. 7, S., An act to amend section 1997, chapter 91, of the revised statutes, relating to religious societies. No. 21, S., An act to appropriate the sum of two thousand dollars to the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. No. 30, S., An act to amend chapter 135 of the laws of 1876, entitled an act to revise, consolidate and amend the charter of the city of La Crosse, approved February 19, 1869, and the several acts amendatory thereof, approved March 7, 1876. No. 36, S., An act to appropriate the sum of one thousand dollars to the Northern Wisconsin Agricultural and Mechanical Association. No. 45, S., An act to amend section 8 of chapter 178 of the general laws of 1875, entitled an act for the division of the counties of Clark, Marathon, Lincoln and Chippewa, and the erection of the county of Taylor. No. 56, S., An act to legalize the action, therein set forth, of the Columbus Town Fire Insurance Company. No. 58, S., An act to appropriate to Dewit C. Fyler a sum of money therein named. No. 59, S., An act to appropriate to John Weirick a sum of money therein named. No. 63, S., An act to provide for the election of justices of the peace in the city of Watertown. No. 70, S., An act to repeal chapter 53, private and local laws of 1872, en titled an act to provide for county printing for the county of Waupaca, and chapter 99, laws of 1876, amendatory thereof. No. 72, S., An act to appropriate the sum of two hundred dollars to the Columbus Union Fair Agricultural Society and the Lodi Union Agricultural Society. No. 75, S., An act to amend section 378, chapter 25, of the revised statutes, entitled of the university. No. 76, S., An act to provide compensation for compiling and transcribing of the journals of the senate and assembly. No. 83, S., An act to amend subdivision 6 of section 2982 of the revised statutes of 1878, entitled property exempt from taxation. No. 148, S., An act to provide maps of Wisconsin for public use in certain cases. WILLIAM E. SMITH. MESSAGE FROM THE ASSEMBLY. By J. E. ELDRED, chief clerk thereof. MR. PRESIDENT: I am directed to inform you that the assembly has concurred in the passage of No. 60, S., A bill to amend the act entitled an act to establish and maintain a public library in the city of Milwaukee, approved February 7, 1878. No. 134, S., A bill to provide for the laying out of a state road in the counties of Waupaca, Shawano and Oconto. No. 158, S., A bill to authorize James and William Johnston to erect and maintain a dam across the Willow river in St. Croix county, Wisconsin. No. 183, S., A bill to repeal chapter 93 of the general laws of 1872, relating to the improve-ment in the capitol park. MESSAGE FROM THE ASSEMBLY. BY J. E. ELDRED, chief clerk thereof. MR. PRESIDENT: I am directed to inform you that the assembly has indefinitely postponed No. 131, S., A bill to amend the charter of the city of Milwaukee. And laid on the table No. 25, S., A bill to provide for discharged convicts and the appointment of a state agent for that purpose. No. 188, S., A bill to regulate the practice of medicine in the state of Wisconsin. And has passed and asks the concurrence of the senate in A bill to appropriate a sum of money therein named to Frank Shomer, A. W. Farrand, E. Gallagher, M. T. Battis and J. F. Morse, as bounty for the invention of a steam road wagon, under the provisions of chapter 134 of the laws of 1875, thapter 182 of the laws of 1876, and chapter 293 of the laws of 1877. ASSEMBLY MESSAGE CONSIDERED. No 254, A., Was referred to the committee on State Affairs. MESSAGE FROM THE ASSEMBLY. By J. E. ELDRED, chief clerk thereof. MR. PRESIDENT: I am directed to inform you that the assembly has passed, and asks the concurrence of the senate in the passage of No. 244, A., A bill to amend and consolidate an act to incorporate the city of Oconomowoc. ASSEMBLY MESSAGE CONSIDERED. No. 244, A., Was referred to the General File. On motion of Senator Rankin, The senate adjourned. Senate met. President in the chair. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1879. Prayer by Rev. Mr. Richards. The roll being called, the following senators responded to their names: Senators Anderson, Andrews, Bailey, Burrows, Bennett, Campbell, Chipman, Dering, Grimmer, Haben, Hathaway, Hudd, Hyde, Kellogg, Loper, McFetridge, Morgan, Paul, Price, Rankin, Reynolds, Rice, Richardson, Richmond, Sacket, Scott, Swain, Treat, Van Schaick, Van Steenwyk, Welch and Wolf. Journal of yesterday approved. Senator McFetridge offered the following communication, and it was ordered spread upon the journal: To the honorable the senate of the state of Wisconsin: The committee on State Affairs, to whom was referred resolution No. 24, S., directing them to ascertain the number of employes in the offices of secretary of state, state treasurer, school land office, and the office of superintendent of public property, made their report on Monday evening, the 24th inst, which seems to reflect upon me, as superintendent of public property, and, without any further explanation, does me great injustice. It appears by their report that they examined the several departments referred to in the resolution, and ascertained, as their report shows, that all the offices above named had no more clerks or employes than was necessary except the office of superintendent of public property, in which they found that eight men could be discharged without detriment to the public service, and recommend that the force be reduced to the number of twenty. In my opinion, a thorough examination of the matter would convince the committee and the senate that the conclusions of the committee are erroneous. The number on my pay roll is correctly stated by the committee at twenty-eight. They belong to and do service for the following departments: To the executive department, two. To the secretary of state department, one. To the department of public in struction, one. To the office of the attorney general, one. To the railroad commissioner, treasury agent and state board of charities department, one. To the commissioner of insurance and adjutant general department, one. To the supreme court department, one. To the agricultural department, one. To the state historical department, one. To the superintendent of public property department, two. To the carpenter department, two. To the engineer department, four. For day watchman, two. For night watchman, two. For dome attendant, one. For gas fitting and plumbing, one. For water closet department, one. It should be borne in mind that of the entire force about the capitol, twenty-one are soldiers of the late war; many of them crippled; some with one arm, some with one leg, and nearly all of them more or less injured by the results of the war. The same number of men are now employed that were here when I took possession of the office, and, with the exception of four, I have the same persons; but during the summer season the same force will not be required. As it had been the rule with former administrations to give the preferment of places to soldiers, I retained every soldier upon the list. to Did the entire force consist of able bodied men, it will not be denied that a less number could perform the same labor; but does this committee wish to be understood that these soldiers should be discharged, and able-bodied men supplied in their stead? If it was a fact that I had on my pay roll twenty-eight men besides those who do janitor work, I should agree with your committee that the force ought to be reduced, even a greater extent than was recommended by your committee; but such is not the case. Fourteen of the employees do janitor work together with messenger work for their several departments. Four do engineer work; four night and day watchmen; two, carpenter work; one messenger; one gas fitter and plumber, and two out door laborers. In addition to this, most of the employees who do janitor work, do other work in and about the capitol and grounds when not engaged as janitors. I presume it did not occur to the committee that the men who do work as janitors are obliged to be at their work at five o'clock in the morning, in order to get their several offices in readiness for the ness of the day, in In view of all these facts, I think, had your committee made sufficient inquiries, they could not have come to the conclusion that there was an excess of eight employees in and about the office of superintendent of public property. time. busi It is well understood that a larger force is necessary during the winter months, and especially during the session of the legislature, than at any other time of the year, and as is usual, a reduction would have been made during the summer months. Under the circumstances, I respectfully ask the honorable the senate to re-refer the subject matter to the same or some other committee, whose duty it shall be to further investigate the office of superintendent of public property, to the end that a 26 S. J. |