SCIENTIFIC ASSISTANCE IN LAW-MAKING II 
The Sociology Librarian in New York tries to keep posted on the 
legislative movements of the various states. He makes an effort to keep 
track of the bills which fail to become laws. For this purpose he sub- 
scribes for a newspaper in each state during the legislative session, cuts 
out the news items that may be of interest to lawmakers and keeps them 
on file. These clippings are another means of keeping in close touch 
with the trend of legislative opinion. 
The legislative reference department of the state library of Wisconsin 
is comparatively new, having been organized during the latter months 
of 1901. The librarian devotes himself to the collection of the various 
state reports and compilations which will enable him to have at his com- 
mand the data desired by the legislators. All the bulletins issued by the 
New York State Library are in his possession, so that he practically has 
the consolidated index of all legislation in the United States since 1890. 
He is therefore able to render to the legislators of Wisconsin the same 
service that the Sociology Librarian renders to those of New York. 
Owing to the activity and alertness of political life in Wisconsin this 
department has had an amazing growth, having employed during the 
winter of 1906 and 1907 fifty-three persons, about twenty of whom are 
the regular employees. The entire department is purely non-partisan 
and strictly a civil service affair. All the work of the department is 
clerical, and consists in aiding the legislators in such manner as they 
desire. The department is conducted on the following plan: One group 
of clerks gathers the comparative data and the laws from the other states; 
another group collects the economic data of a political nature relating 
to these laws; a third group gathers and compiles judicial decisions and 
critical data of a legal nature. The material collected by these groups is 
arranged and classified by special clerks. There are also three drafts- 
men who work with the librarian and devote themselves exclusively to 
the preparation of bills. The usual appropriation for the department 
was increased by $15,000 in 1907. The following bulletins have been 
issued. 
PUBLICATIONS OF THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE DEPARTMENT OF THE WISCONSIN 
STATE LIBRARY 
Railroad Co-Employment 
Lobbying 
