Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-05-19
WOULD EXPAND
FOREST RESERVES
Report Submitted to Senate by
Special Joint Committee.
ADVANCE "MARY ANN" BILL
Senate Adopts Assembly Bill Limiting
Hours of Work on Public Build
ings of Eight Except in Elk
treme Emergencies.

treme Emergencies.
MadsOn.-Three new bills of con-
siderable Importance on the subject OF
forestry conservation and fire protec-
ton came into the senate, represent
ing the results of the labors of the
special Joint committee which has
been working on the matters for three
months Briefly, the bills provide:
/. Appropriation of $250,000 a year
for ten years for the purchase OF in
tervening forest lands, in order to
bring the present reserve of $4,000
acres up to 100000 acres.
2. a county fire warden system for
the northermost twenty counties OF
the state, to be paid for out Of fund
of about $250,000 to be raised by
special tax of two cents per acre on
all lands to be benefited by the sys
TEN.
5. Creating a Public Domain Com
mission" to take the place OF the
present state board of forestry and
the fish and game warden depart
ment; placing the state forester IN
charge of the two bureaus of forestry
and fish and game, as superintendent
of the public domain commission,
with the state game warden and the
assistant forester in charge of the
two bureaus The commission is to
be constituted as is the present for
estry board-the president Of the
State university, director of the State
Geological Survey, dean of the Agri-
cultural college of the university, at
torney general and one member-at-
large named by the governor, to serve
without pay. Deputy game wardens
and forest patrOlmen and rangers. I'M
der this bill would be used for fire
protection or for enforcement of the
game laws, within the discretion OF
the superintendent and on the sug-
gesti0n of the heads of the two bu-
reaus.
The two frst-named bills take the
place of the original recommendation
of the forestry committee that
2-10 mill tax be levied on all proper
VI
5000, 900 to take care of both the
purchase of additional forest reserve
lands and of the proposed county fire
warden system. AS arranged in the
new bills, tie forest reserve appro
priation is directly from the general
fund, but it is contended that within
a few years these lands will be bring
ing into the treasury at least $4,000,
OG0 from the wood-using industries.
Completion of this reserve also will
protect the water powers by maintain
ing in somewhat primeval state the
headwaters of the rivers OF the state.
The special committee is satisfied
that the protection of the forests and
of the fish and game should go to-
gether. and that much good can be
accomplished by utilizing the warGens,
both kinds for both purposes, at sea
sons of the year when the entire
force might be available.
Adhering to their platform pledge,
the senate Republicans advanced the
Mcconnell second choice primary bill,
known these many years as the MARY
Ann" bill. Three members made
speeches, Senators Whitehead, San
born and Gaylord. In the end the
vote was IS to 9 for the bill, the OPP
ponents being Albers, Burke, Gaylord,
James, Randolph, Shower, Thomas,
Whitehead, Zophy and Lyons.
The senate passed the assembly bill
limiting the hours of work on public
buildings to eight except in extreme
emergencies such as fire, food or
war Senator SanbOrn presented the
resolution for advancement of bust
ness and it was referred to the calen-
dar, The senate passed the bill ma
king the insurance commissioner ar
appointive officer, the vote being II
to TO-
After going through the same
old monOtonous program of wrare
ling over amendments, shouting
for roll calls, disagreeing with the
speaker and then finally coming to-
gether in a peaceful fulfillment IF q
platform pledge of three political
parties. the assembly advanced the
initiative and referendum resolution
This action was important but Of
course il is only one of the preim-
mary steps toward direct legislation;
for the same resolution must be ap-
proved by the 1913 legislature and
then sent to d vote of the people who
must approve the amendments to two
articles of the state constitution
There was considerable discussion
of the obvious points involved in the
question of direct legislation. Most
of the talking was directed to sew
eral amendments offered one by one
by Assemblyman Bichler Democratic