The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-05-09
MESSAGE SENT TO
THE LEGISLATURE
Gov. McGovern Presents Docu-
ment at Extra Session.
URGES AID TO FLOODED CITY
State Can Afford to Be Generous
In Giving Reliefto Black River Falls,
Says OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Made on Other Measures.

Madison.-Gov. +. E. McGovern's
message, delivered to 1.-The Wisconsin
Legislature at the special session con-
vening on April 80, is as follows:
Fellow Citizens of tho Senate and As
II faithful , performance Of pn nt,rI,, du ~.
pose after the close of Its regular session.
you gentlemen Of the legislature OF I'LL
should be relieved from the 0bigatlon
@snt Of others to say that the work you
did here last year was greater In variety
1nd amount and transcends In importance
ths achiey Ws Of any OF your % pre @H1i
and conscientiously done as to evoke I'M
mediate, widespread and general approval
Tested therefore by the value OF the serv-
exemption from further call. But unfor-
tunately this Is not the sole criterion !;
emergencies unforeseen by anyone at the
time of your last adjournment have made
IL necessary for me to convene you III
special session.
On October 6, 1911 after a week of ex-
Septtonaly heavy rains, the dams across
Black River in Jackson County at Dells
Hatfield and Black River Falls gave way
III Thplu succession anu the ldtleT City- vas
overfowed. More than two-thirds OF the
entire business section was almost instans.
~ blotted out, many people were ieIt
homeless and property estimated at more
destroyed. The river left its customary
channel. undermined the lower portion OF
the city and swept away not only the
buildings that marked the principal pusi-
ness center but also the very ground upon
which they stood Two companies OF the
National Guard were Immediately ordered
to the flooded district to preserve order
so1 D'Sstse ct s an8 they
at Black River Falls about two weeks un,
til q system Of relief had been organized
end the danger from the nood had passed.
pointed consisting Of State Treasurer An
drew H. Dahl, George F. Cooper OF Black
River Falls, Eltinge Gilmore OF Milwau,
Major c. X. Williams Of Camp Douglas
to receive contributions for the benefit OF
those who were in immediate need. In
response to the solicitations Of this COM
portion of this fund was expended from
day to day for the relief of restitution and
the construction of works to protect the
Golfer dam and retaining wall were built
and by these means the current Of Black
River has been turned back Into Its old
channel. But the city Is sadly In need of
constructed by the Relief Committee can
not be fully paid for out Of the money
collected by private subssTipsion They
iss IS Sspsss thy
nood 1t was bonded to Its full debt limit
Now after the loss of so much property
It Is unable to raise any money what
cally destroyed and unless soon repaired
will prove an increasing menace to health
a. the season advances There appears
to be no adequate legal authority for the
e furnish the city with light and power.
In this situation the people OF Black River
Falls have turned to the state for aid !;
the sole judges of the extent to which this
appeal shall be needed
Relief is asked for under three principal
heads.
First is request for assistance for
those who were rendered homeless or des-
titute by the food. Under the decision
Of the Supreme Court Of this state in the
Davidson. ia Wis. 500. there can be little
doubt that the legislature has power law
fully to appropriate money for this pur-
pose So also may PUBLIC money be ex-
scattered by the Hood, repair the sewage
system and In other. ways protect the
public health. Some have suggested that
the relief to be afforded under this head
should be given by cancelling the indebt-
edness Of the city to the trust funds of
the state. This Indebtedness, which
amounts to about $4,000, cannot how
ever be RENTED or reduced without at
the same time transferring an equal sum
from the general fund to the trust funds
from which the loan was made as the lat
ter must be kept intact 1t should be
borne in mind also that no appropriation
and no transfer can be made from the
general fund for any purpose other than
The second ground upon which assist
ance has been asked is to support the
schools and rebuild the business portion
of the city. Looked at from the stand
Che state the first of these purposes Is To-
cal and the second ia purely private; Meth
er is public. The legislature has no au-
thority therefore to make an appropriation
Tor either of these objects.
The third and remaining basis for ap-
plication to the state for financial assist
Ance Is the necessity of retaining wall
protect It from further injury in the fu,
ture. We're this proposal to appropriate
money from the general fund 1t would
meet the legal obstacle interpOsed by Sec
OF Wisconsin which prohibits tho state
from contracting any debt or being a party
in carrying on ANY work Of internal Inn
provement" The Supreme Court of this
case, has SO held. But this legal dinicuity
may be obviated in the case Of the re-
has been twice obviated heretofore in the
case Of levees at Portage by making the
appropriation from the drainage fund In
stead. This is a special fund derived from
the sale Of swamp and overlooked lands
granted to the state by the federal govern
ment in the year 1850 for the construction
Of necessary levses and drains to reclaim
the swamp and overlooked lands within
our borders. Investigation shows that there
are 2,116 quarter quarter sections Of such
lands within Jackson county, of which
Black River Falls Is the county seat Four
teen such forty acre tracts lie within one
mile Of the city; 20 are within two miles !;
81 are within three miles: "a are within
are within six miles; 217 are within seven
miles; 297 are within eight miles; 371 are
within nine miles and 459 are within ten
miles. It Is true that at present the great
or portion of the money belonging to the
drainage fund was years ago transferred
by an act of the legislature to the gen
sral fund. Whether this transfer be legal
or not 1t was plainly not required by the
federal grant. TO the extent that such
funds may at any time be needed for the
accomplishment OF the purpose for which
they were originally set aside there can
be little doubt that the legislature has
power to retransfer such portion of them
~ may be necessary from the general fund
back into the drainage fund. The expense
OF building. q. retaining wall could then
source. Amy appropriation from this spe-
cial fund the legislature may see fit to
make for the construction OF a retaining
wall to reclaim and protect these lapds nj
or near Black River Falls would thus be
effective.
considered these suggestions. has visited