57th Wisconsin Legislature

57th Wisconsin Legislature
57th Wisconsin Legislature
	Wisconsin State Capitol ca.1915
Overview
Legislative body	Wisconsin Legislature
Meeting place	Wisconsin State Capitol
Term	January 5, 1925 – January 3, 1927
Election	November 4, 1924
Senate
Members	33
Senate President	Henry Huber (R)
President pro tempore	Howard Teasdale (R)
Party control	Republican
Assembly
Members	100
Assembly Speaker	Herman W. Sachtjen (R); (until Dec. 31, 1925); George A. Nelson (R); (from Apr. 15, 1926);
Party control	Republican
Sessions
Regular
Regular	January 14, 1925 – June 29, 1925
Special sessions
Apr. 1926 Spec.
Apr. 1926 Spec.	April 15, 1926 – April 16, 1926

The Fifty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14, 1925, to June 29, 1925, in regular session, and reconvened in a special session in April 1926.^[1]

This was the first session in the history of the Wisconsin Legislature with female legislators. There were three in this session: Mildred Barber, Hellen M. Brooks, and Helen F. Thompson.

Senators representing even-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were elected to a two-year term. Assembly members and even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 4, 1924. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 7, 1922.^[1]

Major events

January 5, 1925: Third inauguration of John J. Blaine as Governor of Wisconsin.
March 4, 1925: Second inauguration of President Calvin Coolidge.
April 7, 1925: E. Ray Stevens was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
June 18, 1925: Wisconsin's senior United States senator, Robert M. La Follette, died in Washington, D.C.
June 24, 1925: A statue of Hans Christian Heg was unveiled on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Capitol.
August 8, 1925: Roughly 30,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan paraded through Washington, D.C.
September 18, 1925: The Green Bay Packers played their first game at City Stadium.
September 29, 1925: Robert M. La Follette Jr. won a special election to succeed his father as United States senator from Wisconsin.
December 31, 1925: Wisconsin Assembly speaker Herman W. Sachtjen resigned from the Assembly after being appointed a Wisconsin circuit court judge.
March 16, 1926: Robert H. Goddard launched the first liquid-fuel rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts.
May 20, 1926: The Air Commerce Act was signed into law by U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, establishing the first flight safety regulations in the United States.
November 2, 1926: 1926 United States general election:
- Fred R. Zimmerman elected Governor of Wisconsin.
- Incumbent Wisconsin governor John J. Blaine elected United States senator from Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin voters ratified two amendments to the state constitution:
  - Allowing the Governor's salary to be set by legislation rather than fixed in the constitution.
  - Allowing the recall of elected officials to be initiated by public petition.
November 11, 1926: The United States Numbered Highway System was established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Major legislation

May 21, 1925: An Act ... relating to the minimum wage for women and minor employes, 1925 Act 176. Created new regulatory and permitting powers for the Wisconsin Industrial Commission to ensure adequate compensation for women and children in the workplace.
1925 Joint Resolution 7: Joint Resolution ratifying an amendment to the constitution of the United States relating to child labor. Wisconsin's ratification of the Child Labor Amendment.
1925 Joint Resolution 16: Joint Resolution to create section 12 of article XIII of the constitution, relating to the recall of elective public officers. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to enable the recall of public officials, initiated by public petition. This amendment was ratified at the November 1926 election.
1925 Joint Resolution 24: Joint Resolution memorializing congress to provide for earlier seating of senators and representatives elect. Endorsed moving the start of congressional sessions from March to January.
1925 Joint Resolution 26: Joint Resolution to amend sections 2 and 3 of article VII of the constitution, relating to the jurisdiction of the judiciary over acts of the legislature. In an attempted power grab by the Legislature, this amendment to the state constitution was proposed to require a two-thirds majority of the state supreme court to find an act of the legislature unconstitutional. This amendment was never ratified.
1925 Joint Resolution 29: Joint Resolution memorializing the congress to propose an amendment to the constitution of the United States providing for the election of president and vice-president by popular vote.
1925 Joint Resolution 33: Joint Resolution to amend section 21 of article IV of the constitution, relating to compensation of members of the legislature. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to update the legislator salary to $1,000 per term. This amendment was rejected by voters in 1927.
1925 Joint Resolution 52: Joint Resolution to amend section 5 of article V of the constitution, relating to the compensation of the governor. Second legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to allow the governor's pay to be set by legislation rather than fixed in the constitution. This amendment was ratified at the November 1926 election.
1925 Joint Resolution 61: Joint Resolution to amend section 1 of article VIII of the constitution, relating to taxation of forests and minerals and of forest and mineral lands. First legislative passage of a proposed amendment to the state constitution to adjust taxation of forest land. This amendment was ratified by voters in 1927.

Party summary

Senate summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)			Total

	Dem.	Soc.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	0	3	29	32	1

Start of Reg. Session	0	3	30	33	0

Final voting share	9.09%		90.91%

Beginning of the next Legislature	0	2	31	33	0

Assembly summary

	Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)				Total

	Dem.	Soc.	Ind.	Rep.		Vacant
End of previous Legislature	1	10	0	88	99	1

Start of Reg. Session	1	7	0	92	100	0
From Apr. 15, 1925^{[note 1]}				91	99	1
From Dec. 31, 1925^{[note 2]}				90	98	2
From Jan. 3, 1926^{[note 3]}				89	97	3
From Aug. 20, 1926^{[note 4]}				88	96	4

Final voting share	8.33%			91.67%

Beginning of the next Legislature	2	8	1	89	100	0

Sessions

Regular session: January 14, 1925 – June 29, 1925
April 1926 special session: April 15, 1926 – April 16, 1926

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Henry Huber (R)
President pro tempore: Howard Teasdale (R–Sparta)

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: Herman W. Sachtjen (R–Madison) (until Dec. 31, 1925)
- George A. Nelson (R–Milltown) (from April 15, 1926)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Fifty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature:^[2]

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Door, Kewaunee, & Manitowoc	John E. Cashman	Denmark	Rep.
02	Brown & Oconto	John B. Chase	Oconto	Rep.
03	Milwaukee (South City)	Walter Polakowski	Milwaukee	Soc.
04	Milwaukee (Northeast County & Northeast City)	Oscar Morris	Milwaukee	Rep.
05	Milwaukee (Northwest City)	Bernhard Gettelman	Milwaukee	Rep.
06	Milwaukee (North-Central City)	Joseph A. Padway	Milwaukee	Soc.
07	Milwaukee (Southeast County & Southeast City)	William F. Quick	Milwaukee	Soc.
08	Milwaukee (Western County)	Harry Daggett	West Milwaukee	Rep.
09	Milwaukee (City Downtown)	Irving P. Mehigan	Milwaukee	Rep.
10	Buffalo, Pepin, Pierce, & St. Croix	Walter H. Hunt	River Falls	Rep.
11	Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, & Washburn	Marcus A. Kemp	Superior	Rep.
12	Ashland, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, & Vilas	James H. Carroll	Glidden	Rep.
13	Dodge & Washington	Herman J. F. Bilgrien	Iron Ridge	Rep.
14	Outagamie & Shawano	John Englund	Wittenberg	Rep.
15	Rock	Alva Garey	Edgerton	Rep.
16	Crawford, Grant, & Vernon	Edward J. Roethe	Fennimore	Rep.
17	Green, Iowa, & Lafayette	Olaf H. Johnson	Gratiot	Rep.
18	Fond du Lac, Green Lake & Waushara	William A. Titus	Fond du Lac	Rep.
19	Calumet & Winnebago	Merritt F. White	Winneconne	Rep.
20	Ozaukee & Sheboygan	Herman E. Boldt	Sheboygan Falls	Rep.
21	Racine	Max W. Heck	Racine	Rep.
22	Kenosha & Walworth	George W. Hull	Whitewater	Rep.
23	Portage & Waupaca	Herman J. Severson	Iola	Rep.
24	Clark, Taylor, & Wood	William L. Smith	Neillsville	Rep.
25	Lincoln & Marathon	Joseph L. Barber	Marathon City	Rep.
26	Dane	Harry Sauthoff	Madison	Rep.
27	Columbia, Richland, & Sauk	George Staudenmayer	Portage	Rep.
28	Chippewa & Eau Claire	Herman Lange	Eau Claire	Rep.
29	Barron, Dunn, & Polk	Carl B. Casperson	Frederic	Rep.
30	Florence, Forest, Langlade, Marinette, & Oneida	James A. Barker	Antigo	Rep.
31	Adams, Juneau, Monroe, & Marquette	Howard Teasdale	Sparta	Rep.
32	Jackson, La Crosse, & Trempealeau	V. S. Keppel	Holmen	Rep.
33	Jefferson & Waukesha	John C. Schumann	Watertown	Rep.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Fifty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature:^[2]

Senate Dist.	County	Dist.	Representative	Party	Residence
31	Adams & Marquette		Robert B. Wood	Rep.	Adams
12	Ashland		Bernard F. Mathiowetz	Rep.	Ashland
29	Barron		Frank Roemhild (died Apr. 15, 1925)	Rep.	Prairie Farm
29	Barron		--Vacant from Apr. 15, 1925--
11	Bayfield		Alfred M. Warden	Rep.	Washburn
02	Brown	1	Malcolm A. Sellers	Rep.	Green Bay
02	Brown	2	Gustav J. Zittlow	Rep.	Lawrence
10	Buffalo & Pepin		Marcellus Dorwin	Rep.	Durand
11	Burnett & Washburn		Erick H. Johnson (died Jan. 3, 1926)	Rep.
11	Burnett & Washburn		--Vacant from Jan. 3, 1926--
19	Calumet		Carl Hillmann	Rep.	Brillion
28	Chippewa		Paul H. Raihle	Rep.	Cadott
24	Clark		Arlo Huckstead	Rep.	Neillsville
27	Columbia		Robert Caldwell	Rep.	Lodi
16	Crawford		Archie J. McDowell	Rep.	Soldiers Grove
26	Dane	1	Herman W. Sachtjen (until Dec. 31, 1925)	Rep.	Madison
		1	--Vacant from Jan. 1, 1926--
		2	James C. Hanson	Rep.	Deerfield
		3	Carl M. Grimstad	Rep.	Mount Horeb
13	Dodge	1	John M. Dihring	Rep.	Brownsville
13	Dodge	2	Fred E. Moul	Rep.	Burnett
01	Door		Bert D. Thorp	Rep.	Ephraim
11	Douglas	1	C. S. Geraldson	Rep.	Superior
11	Douglas	2	R. Bruce Johnson	Rep.	Superior
29	Dunn		James D. Millar	Rep.	Menomonie
28	Eau Claire		C. N. Saugen	Rep.	Pleasant Valley
30	Florence, Forest, & Oneida		S. J. Gwidt	Rep.	Rhinelander
18	Fond du Lac	1	Math Koenigs	Rep.	Fond du Lac
18	Fond du Lac	2	Thomas Dieringer	Rep.	Campbellsport
16	Grant	1	George Slack	Rep.	Platteville
16	Grant	2	Charles E. Tuffley	Rep.	Boscobel
17	Green		William Olson	Rep.	Monroe
18	Green Lake & Waushara		Hellen M. Brooks	Rep.	Coloma
17	Iowa		Charles W. Hutchison	Rep.	Mineral Point
12	Iron & Vilas		Richard C. Trembath	Rep.	Hurley
32	Jackson		William F. Dettinger	Rep.	Hixton
33	Jefferson		Henry W. Stokes	Rep.	Waterloo
31	Juneau		Clinton G. Price	Rep.	Mauston
22	Kenosha	1	Conrad Shearer	Rep.	Kenosha
22	Kenosha	2	Don J. Vincent	Rep.	Genoa City
01	Kewaunee		Anton Holly	Rep.	Carlton
32	La Crosse	1	James D. H. Peterson	Rep.	La Crosse
32	La Crosse	2	John Larson	Rep.	West Salem
17	Lafayette		James U. Goodman	Rep.	Lamont
30	Langlade		James A. Cody	Dem.	Antigo
25	Lincoln		George Frederick	Rep.	Merrill
01	Manitowoc	1	Robert Naumann died Aug. 20, 1926)	Rep.	Manitowoc
		1	--Vacant from Aug. 20, 1926--
		2	Fred A. Fredrich	Rep.	Maple Grove
25	Marathon	1	Mildred Barber	Rep.	Marathon
25	Marathon	2	Henry Ellenbecker	Rep.	Wausau
30	Marinette		Frank L. Kersten	Rep.	Crivitz
09	Milwaukee	1	Thomas H. Conway	Rep.	Milwaukee
09		2	Michael Laffey	Rep.	Milwaukee
04		3	Frank J. Weber	Soc.	Milwaukee
04		4	Thomas Duncan	Soc.	Milwaukee
07		5	Julius Jensen	Rep.	Milwaukee
06		6	B. Z. Glass	Rep.	Milwaukee
06		7	Alex C. Ruffing	Soc.	Milwaukee
03		8	Frank Cieszynski	Soc.	Milwaukee
06		9	Julius Kiesner	Soc.	Milwaukee
08		10	John W. Eber	Rep.	Milwaukee
03		11	Olaf C. Olsen	Soc.	Milwaukee
05		12	Henry A. Staab	Rep.	Milwaukee
04		13	Ernst Pahl	Rep.	Milwaukee
07		14	Herbert H. Smith	Rep.	Milwaukee
05		15	Theodore Engel	Rep.	Milwaukee
08		16	Charles B. Perry	Rep.	Wauwatosa
07		17	Clarence C. Krause	Rep.	Lake
04		18	Frank L. Prescott	Rep.	Whitefish Bay
08		19	George C. Hinkley	Rep.	West Allis
05		20	William Coleman	Soc.	Milwaukee
31	Monroe		Earl D. Hall	Rep.	Greenfield
02	Oconto		Samuel P. Walsh	Rep.	Oconto
14	Outagamie	1	Fred A. Mueller	Rep.	Black Creek
14	Outagamie	2	Anton M. Miller	Rep.	Kaukauna
20	Ozaukee		Fred J. Busse	Rep.	Theinsville
10	Pierce		Theodore Swanson	Rep.	Ellsworth
29	Polk		George A. Nelson	Rep.	Milltown
23	Portage		Ben Halverson	Rep.	New Hope
12	Price		Helen F. Thompson	Rep.	Park Falls
21	Racine	1	Wallace Ingalls	Rep.	Racine
		2	Edward F. Hilker	Rep.	Racine
		3	John H. Kamper	Rep.	Raymond
27	Richland		Elias R. Cushman	Rep.	Viola
15	Rock	1	George W. Blanchard	Rep.	Edgerton
15	Rock	2	Herbert Moseley	Rep.	Beloit
12	Rusk & Sawyer		A. C. Schultz	Rep.	Bruce
27	Sauk		Carl Koenig	Rep.	Loganville
14	Shawano		August Beversdorf	Rep.	Belle Plaine
20	Sheboygan	1	Ernst A. Sonnemann	Rep.	Sheboygan
20	Sheboygan	2	John Mentink	Rep.	Cedar Grove
10	St. Croix		Ethan B. Minier	Rep.	New Richmond
24	Taylor		J. C. Hoffman	Rep.	Medford
32	Trempealeau		George Schmidt	Rep.	Arcadia
16	Vernon		August E. Smith	Rep.	Viroqua
22	Walworth		Frank E. Lawson	Rep.	Walworth
13	Washington		Jacob Leicht	Rep.	Germantown
33	Waukesha	1	Evan G. Davies	Rep.	Wales
33	Waukesha	2	W. H. Edwards	Rep.	Sussex
23	Waupaca		George W. Meggers	Rep.	Clintonville
19	Winnebago	1	John C. Thompson Jr.	Rep.	Oshkosh
19	Winnebago	2	Nels Larson	Rep.	Neenah
24	Wood		Elwyn E. Royce	Rep.	Marshfield

Committees

Senate committees

Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Labor, and Industries – H. J. Severson, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Committees – A. E. Garey, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – H. J. F. Bilgrien, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Corporations and Taxation – O. H. Johnson, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Education and Public Welfare – C. B. Casperson, chair
Senate Standing Committee on Highways – J. E. Cashman, chair
Senate Standing Committee on the Judiciary – M. W. Heck, chair
Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government – J. L. Barber, chair

Assembly committees

Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture – A. Holly, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and Manufactures – A. M. Warden, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Contingent Expenditures – H. W. Stokes, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Education – G. Slack, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Elections – A. Beversdorf, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Engrossed Bills – E. E. Royce, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Enrolled Bills – T. Swanson, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Excise and Fees – G. W. Meggers, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Fish and Game – F. E. Moul, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Highways – F. A. Frederick, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance and Banking – C. G. Price, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on the Judiciary – J. W. Eber, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Labor – A. M. Miller, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Municipalities – T. Engel, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Printing – G. Zittlow, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Public Welfare – M. Koenigs, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Revision – C. Hillman, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Rules – C. G. Price, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on State Affairs – J. Goodman, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Taxation – G. W. Schmidt, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Third Reading – R. Naumann, chair
Assembly Standing Committee on Transportation – E. B. Minier, chair

Joint committees

Joint Standing Committee on Finance – G. Staudenmayer (Sen.) & G. A. Nelson (Asm.), co-chairs

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: F. W. Schoenfeld^[3]
- Assistant Chief Clerk: Charles E. Mullen
Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles A. Leicht
- Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Carl A. Pfeiffer
Postmaster: William A. Kuehl

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: C. E. Shaffer^[3]
- Journal Clerk: Max H. Albertz
Sergeant-at-Arms: C. E. Hanson
- Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Stephen P. Saunders
Postmaster: Frank C. Densmore

Notes

^ Republican Frank Roemhild (Barron County) died.
^ Republican Herman W. Sachtjen (Dane County) resigned.
^ Republican Erick H. Johnson (Burnett & Washburn counties) died.
^ Republican Robert Naumann (Manitowoc County) died.

References

^ ^a ^b Barish, Lawrence S.; Lemanski, Lynn, eds. (2021). "Historical Lists" (PDF). State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2021–2022 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 467, 471, 475, 479–480. ISBN 978-1-7333817-1-0. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Biographical". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1925 (Report). Wisconsin State Printing Board. 1925. pp. 636–683. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Legislative". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1925 (Report). Wisconsin State Printing Board. 1925. pp. 626–629. Retrieved July 23, 2023.