Show I FOE OF WISCONSIN LOBBYIST I Charles McCarthy runs tho legislative reference refer-ence department of the Wisconsin legislature That doesnt mean anything until you analyze It Then you find that It has saved the state or Wisconsin Wis-consin millions of dollars directly that It has rte benefited tens of thousands of citizens of the commonwealth to an Incalculable amount that It d r has practically put the lobbyist out of business at Madison and that for all these good things the 1 taxpayers have paid less than 5000 a year and 4 that for a very few years Mac Is a Ph D He understands law and N lawmaking lIe believes It Is cheaper to make a St bill right before It Is enacted than to find out Its weak points later after expensive litigation lie furnifahes the salons bales of statistics on every subject under consideration On one occasion Mac discovered that a certain cer-tain affable gentleman addicted to the liberal purchase of refreshments had tho legislators going on a proposition to donate 100000 to a charitable enterprise Ho told them 35 states had already contributed That night the legislative reference department telegraphed to 35 state capitals When the legislature met next day the answers to those telegrams had been received and placed l before the lawmakers who had asked for Information Infor-mation about their subject matter They were about as different from the affluent and affable strangers representations as a Wisconsin white pine tree Is from a blueberry hush The legislature smelt an Ethoplan In time woodpile wood-pile and that bill for the appropriation of 100000 for a certain patriotic purpose pur-pose was not heard from thereafter McCarthy Is the rural legislators friend He sets him right on Intricate propositions and punctures tho hot air arguments which tho persuasive lobbyist forces on the bewildered legislator Before McCarthy was made a doctor of philosophy ho played football at Brown university and was a member of an American team He retains so much of his athletic vigor that ho does not feel very much embarrassed when a husky lobbyist frowns at him He can hold his own In argument of several kinds and moreover does an occasional stunt at tho state university univer-sity delivering lectures on economics I |