The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1912-05-03
MESSAGE SENT TO
THE LEGISLATURE
Gov. McGovern Presents Docu-
ment at Extra Session.
URGES AID TOFLOODED CITY
State Can Afford to Be Generous
in Giving ReIiefto Black River Falls,
Says acknowledgements
Made on Other Measures.

Madison.-Goy. T. f. McGoverns
message, delivered to the Wisconsin
Legislature at the special session CON
Vening Oh April 80, is as follows:
Fellow Citizens of the Senate and AS
If faithful performance of public duty
ever entities q legislature 10 official re
pose after the close Of its regular ssS9Ion'
you gentlemen of the legislature OF L9II
should be relieved from the obhgatloh
of assembling again 1t is no disparage-
ment Of others to say that the WORK you
did here last year was greater III variety
and amount and transcends I'D mp AM
the achievements Of any OF your preoe-
cessors This work moreover was so wen
and cOnscientously done as 10 evoke IN
mediate widespread and general approval
Tested therefore by the value OF the sefV-
ice rendered you are clearly entitled 70
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
# necessary for me to convene you in
special session.
RELIEF FOR BLACK RIVER FALLS.
On October 6, 1911, after a week of ex-
ceptiOnally heavy rains, the dams across
Black River in Jackson County at DellS,
Hatfield and Black River Falls gave way
in rapid succession and the latter city was
overlooked. More than two-thlrds or the
entire business section was almost instant
~ blOtted out, many people were leIt
homeless and property estimated at more
than half a million dollars III value was
destroyed. The river left its customary
channel, undermined the lower portion or
the city and swept away not only the
buildings that marked the principal bust
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
and protect life and property. Under the
command Of Major Williams they remained
at Black River Falls about two weeks I'M
til system of relief had been organized
and the danger from the flood had passed.
Meanwhile n Relief Committee was ap-
pointed consisting of State Treasurer An
drew II. Dahl, George f. Cooper of Black
River Falls Eltinge Gilmore of Milwau-
kee, b. l.. Van Gordon of Taylor and
Major G. r. 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
mittee S42,32321 have been received.
portion of this fund was expended from
day to day for the relief of restitution and
the construction Of works to protect the
city from further imminent disaster.
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
assistance. The improvements now being
constructed by the Relief Committee can
not be fully paid for out of the money
collected by private subscription. They
Itself is apparently helpless. Before the
food it was bonded to its full debt limit.
Now after the loss of so much property
It is unable to raise any money what
ever. Its sewage systeta has been practi-
cally destroyed and unless soon repaired
will prove an increasing menace to health
as the season advances. There appears
to be adequate legal authority for the
construction OF the dam now being built
to furnish the city with light and power
In this situation the people of Black River
oil hnU tIIrn IN hn of for oi
and you gentlemen of the legislature are
the sole judges of the extent to which this
appeal shall be needed
Relief is asked for under three principal
heads.
First is a request for assistance for
those who were rendered homeless or des-
of the Supreme Court of this state in the
case of State eX rel New Richmond VS.
Davidson, ia Wis. 563, there be little
doubt that the Legislature has power law
fully to appropriate money for this pur-
pose. SO also may public money be ex-
pended to gather up and remove debris
scattered by the flood, 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 al
the same time transferring an equal sun
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
a public one
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
point of the expenditure of the money OF
the state the first of these purposes is To-
cal and the second is purely private; Meth
er is public. The legislature has no au
thority therefore to make an appropriation
for either of these objects.
The third and remaining basis for ap
plication to the state for financial assist
ance Is the necessity of a retaining wal
along the river bank east of the city to
protect it from further injury in the flu
ture. Were this proposal to appropriate
money from the general fund it woulC
meet the legal obstacle interpoSed by sec
ton 10 of article " of the Constitution
of Wisconsin which prohibits the stat,
from contracting any debt or being party
In carrying on any work of internal i'm
provement." The Supreme Court of thi:
state in the case of State ex rel Jones VS.
Ere" Zen. ll5 Wis 80, a Portage =, leye,
may be obviated in the case of the re
tanning wall at Black River Falls as i
has been twice obviated heretofore in tn,
case of leveeS at Portage by making tn,
appropriation from the drainage fund in
stead This is a special fund derived from
the sale or swamp and overlooked land
SidHNtu 10 tue state Dy the FEDERAL govern
ment in the year 1850 for the construction
OF necessary levees and drains to reclaim
the swamp and overfowed lands within
our borders. Investigation shows that Their
are lilo quarter quarter sections of Sucl
lands within Jackson county of which
Black River Falls is the county seat Four
teen Sucn forty acre tracts lie within on
mile of the city; 20 are within two miles
81 are within three miles: 81 are within
four miles; SO are within five miles: Is!
are within six miles; PIT are within sever
miles; 29I are within eight miles: 81 ar
within nine miles and 459 are within tel
miles 1t Is true that at present the great
er portion OF the money belonging to III
drainage fund was years ago tran ferrp,
by an act of the legislature TO tha DON
eral fund. Whether this transfer he Ieera
or not it was plainly not required nv FL
trust impressed upon these funds nv RI
federal grant To the extent thar sncl
funds may at any time be needed for n
ACCOMPLISHMENT of the purpose for ubin
they were originally set aside there ca
be little doubt that the legislature Ia
power TO retransfer such portion of theT
as may be necessary from the general finn
back into the drainage fund The expens
OF building retaining wall could the
be met wholly or partially from thi
source. Any appropriation from this spe
cial fund the legislature may see fit [
make for the construction of a retainin
wall to reclaim and protect these lands {
or near Black River Falls would thus b
effective
The Joint Committee on Finance Ia
considered these suggestions. has yisite