River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-07-17
REPRESENTATION
BILL is OPPOSED
Whiteside Measure Puts Check
on Forestry Department.

VII UiCStiJ UGpai iiiiOiit'
WATERPOWER is DISCUSSED
| Senate Passes Hoyt's Bill for the
Sterilization of FeebIe-Minded and
Criminal insane-BuII Moose Party
to be Left Off Ballot at the Next
State Election.
Madison, Wis, July 15.-The con-
servation of human happiness and hui
man welfare is dividing attention with
the conservation of waterpowers in
Wisconsin before the legislature. A
bill of much interest was introduced
early in this session by Senator Rich
ards of Milwaukee. This bill provides
that persons desiring to secure Ii
cense to marry must first secure a
certificate of good health from a IL
censed physician. The subject of
eugenics has been given national at
tention, which was an aid to the Rich
ards bill. This bill has been report
ed favorably by the senate commit
tee on public welfare 1t is believed
that the measure will be passed in the
senate.
The Hoyt bill for the sterilization
of the feeble-minded, criminal insane
and epileptics being cared for in state
institutions has been passed in the
senate, only three votes being regis
tered against it. This bill is expect
ed to cause much debate in the assem-
bly, and it is not certain that it will
weather the opposition that will
velop in the house.
Waterpower development and refor-
estration are the two subjects that oc-
cupied the attention of the senate
during the past week. The water
power question will continue to be
discussed for several days, while the
demonstration problem has been tenn
porarily disposed Of
Check Forestry Department.
The senate has passed the White
side bill which for a period of two
years will check the state forestry
department in the purchase of addi-
tional land for the reserve in northern
Wisconsin. No more land is to be
bought until 1915, and in the interim
a special committee of the legisla-
ture, composed of five members from
the house and three members from
the senate, will investigate into the
agricultural possibilities of part Of the
land it is proposed to include in the
forestry area.
Opposition to the demonstration
program of State Forester Griffith
made the charge that a considerable
portion of the land included in the
reserve expansion is good farming
land. A sharp contest marked the
discussion of the Whiteside bill. Sen
ator Husting, chairman of the COM
mittee on conservation, feared that
to pass the bill would be to drive a
nail into the coffin of dead forestry
body. He said that in two years the
reforestratio scheme would be buried
so deep that Gabriels horn would not
resurrect it. On the surface, he said,
the bill did not appear to be particu-
larly destructive, but he maintained
that it was direct attack upon the
policy of the state forestry depart
ment. He warned the senate not to
vote for it, and he was supported in
his position by Senators Bosshard and
Tomkins, also members of the COM
mittee on conservation.
Numerous letters from settlers in
northern Wisconsin were read to show
public attitude on the demonstration
program. Senator Husting insisted
that a majority of the settlers who
are conversant with conditions in
northern Wisconsin favor the carrying
out of Mr. Griff1th's scheme.
Defends State Forester Griffith.
The debate on the bill extended to
the personal honesty of State Forester
Griffith, who was defended by Senator
Husting Senator Teasdale after read
ing several reports of the department
had said that he was unable to ac-
count for '$S1, 900. Senator Husting
said this was ''baseless accusation"
He attributed the inability of the SEN
ator to make figures balance to mis-
understanding of reports covering fis-
cal and calendar years. 1t was mis-
understanding of the system of book
keeping that is used, he said. The
accounts of the department, as point
ed out by Senator Husting, have been
inspected by the secretary of state
and expert accountants on the state
board Of public affairs, who said that
they were o. K, and that every cent
was accounted for.
The fact that the department oper-
ates under three distinct funds was
given as another reason why its af-
fairs were not always understood by
those who were inclined to be un-
friendly to the demonstration program.
Bill Has o. X. of LaFoiIette.
Tho sonata iS face 70 face with the