WEDNESDAY, January 20, 1915.

10:00 O'Clock, A. M.

The senate met.

The president in the chair.

Prayer was offered by the Rev. Donald D. MacLauren. The roll was called and the following senators answered to their names:

Senators Ackley, Albers, Arnold, Baxter, Bennett, Bichler, Bray, Burke, Culbertson, Cunningham, Everett, Fairchild, Glenn, Hanson, Huber, Jennings, Kellogg, Martin, Monk, Mulberger, Perry, Potts, Rollmann, Skogmo, Staudenmayer and Whitman-26.

Absent-Senators Barwig, Richards and Weissleder-3. Absent with leave-Bosshard, Scott, Stevens and Tomkins-4.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

Upon request of Senator Martin,

Leave of absence was granted to Senator Weissleder for this session and the remainder of this week.

The journal of yesterday was approved.

BILLS FOR REVISION

Senator Cunningham filed two bills; Senator Burke, one bill; Senator Culbertson, one bill; Senator Potts, one bill; Senator Ackley, one bill; and Senator Everett, two bills, at the chief clerk's desk for revision.

RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED

Jt. Res. No. 2, S.

By Senator Monk. To committee on Legislative Procedure.

BILLS INTRODUCED

Read first time and referred:

No. 1, S.

(Revision No. 1). By Senator Burke. To com

mittee on Education and Public Welfare.

No. 2, S. (Revision No. 2). By Senator Burke. To
committee on Finance.

No. 3, S. (Revision No. 3). By Senator Cunningham.
To committee on State Affairs.

No. 4, S. (Revision No. 4). By Senator Huber. To com-
mittee on Judiciary.

No. 5, S. (Revision No. 5). By Senator Bichler. To committee on Education and Public Welfare. (Revision No. 6). By Senator Bichler. To committee on State Affairs.

No. 6, S.

PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

Pet. No. 1, S. By Senator Ackley. To committee on Education and Public Welfare.

Department of State

Madison, Wisconsin, January 14, 1915.

The Wisconsin Senate,

HONORABLE O. G. MUNSON.

Dear Sir:

Chief Clerk,

I have the honor to transmit herewith the printed report of the Legislative Joint Committee on the White Slave Traffic, created by Chapter 339, Laws of 1913, which report was filed with this department December 5th, 1914, with the request that the same be forwarded to you upon the organization of your honorable body.

Very truly yours,

J. S. DONALD,
Secretary of State.

The report was referred to committee on Education and Public Welfare.

Madison, Wisconsin, January 14, 1915.

The Wisconsin Senate,

HONORABLE 0. G. MUNSON,

Dear Sir:

Chief Clerk..

We are sending herewith for the use of your house the following certified copies of enrolled joint resolutions proposing amendments to the State constitution and agreed to for the first time by the Legislature of 1913.

The certified copies which were referred to the committee on Judiciary are as follows:

[Jt. Res. No. 17, A.]

JOINT RESOLUTION

To amend section 3 of article VIII of the constitution, relating to the loan of the credit of the state to individuals, and section 6 of the same article, relating to public debts.

WHEREAS, The free public lands of the United States which are suitable for farming purposes have been almost entirely disposed of; and

WHEREAS, There are thousands of men in Wisconsin and elsewhere who could with great benefit to themselves

and to the state of Wisconsin engage in the occupation of farming on the undeveloped farm lands of this state if they could be assisted in obtaining the capital necessary to purchase and develop these lands; and

WHEREAS, Farm tenancy has increased in the southern counties of our state largely as a result of the increase in land values until fifteen of these counties report that from twenty to thirty-four out of every hundred farms are operated by renters; and

WHEREAS, Easier means of borrowing money are needed both to help the renter to become a farm owner and thus prevent the rise of a wide-spread system of tenant farming, and to enable the settler on the cut-over lands to develop his farm; and

WHEREAS, Our existing banking and other moneylending agencies can not or do not provide the funds needed; and

WHEREAS, The experience of New Zealand, Australia, the Philippine Islands and other countries and the experience of eight of the United States clearly demonstrates the possibility of successfully managing a state system of loans to farmers on the basis of real estate security; therefore, be it

Resolved, by the Assembly, the Senate concurring, That section 3 of article VIII of the constitution of the state of Wisconsin be amended to read: (Article VIII) Section 3. The credit of the state shall never be given, or loaned, in

aid of any * * * association or corporation. The state

may issue bonds to obtain funds to promote the general welfare of its citizens by making loans to individuals on the security of agricultural land to assist such individuals to acquire or improve agricultural land within the state for their own use and occupancy for farm purposes, but the state shall never give nor lend its credits to individuals in any other manner nor for any other purpose.

And be it further Resolved, by the Assembly, the Senate concurring, That section 6 of article VIII of the constitution of the state of Wisconsin be amended to read: (Article VIII)

Section 6. For the purpose of defraying extraordinary expenditures, the state may contract public debts, (but such debts shall never in the aggregate exceed one hundred thousand dollars). Every such debt shall be authorized by law, for some purpose or purposes to be distinctly specified therein; and the vote of a majority of all the members elected to each house, to be taken by yeas and nays, shall be necessary to the passage of such law; and every such law shall provide for levying an annual tax sufficient to pay the annual interest of such debt, and the principal within five years from the passage of such law, and shall specially appropriate the proceeds of such taxes to the payment of such principal and interest; and such appropriation shall not be repealed, nor the taxes be postponed or diminished, until the principal and interest of such debt shall have been wholly paid. For the purpose of obtaining funds to promote the general welfare by making loans to individuals on the security of agricultural land to assist such individuals to acquire or improve agricultural land for their own use and occupancy for farm purposes, the state may contract such public debts as the legislature by a vote of a majority of all the members elected to each house, taken by yeas and nays, from time to time shall authorize

JOINT RESOLUTION

To amend section 1, article VIII of the constitution relating to taxation.