Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-01-15

! and partly BY great hnAa-~ sv-up@Hse-
that reserved title 10 them when they solt
their cutOver holdings 10 settlers. TheS'
companies now pay no taxes on these un
| developed properties. / am told II Is en-
urely practicable quite aoeurateiy to de
their value for purposes OF taxation. Thi.
should nov be done. All such property
should be made to bear its just proportion
of taxes.
At the special session OF the Legislature
| less than year age I called attention
to the fact that out OF ali the controversy
| concerning water powers there had come
a substantial consensus OF opinion tina;
! water power legislation is desirable for
| the accomplishment OF at least three prin-
cipal objects aud then recommended the
enactment OF a bill that had been care
/ fully prepared by the Joint Committee on
| Wster Powers aad Conservation.
As no law upon this subject was passed
| at the special session the problem re-
| mains 10 he dealt with by you and I feel
that cannot do better than renew the
| recommendations l then made.
| In addition, permit me 10 say that so
| Tar as hydraulic energy is required for
/ public purposes the state should reserve
! the right 10 compel the maximum develop
| chtSeS are granted. In all authorizations
! to build dams il should also require In
within the state or outside its borders that
/ its own citizens shall be given the pref
/ erenee-
Forests.
| The general situation concerning the
forests OF the state has not changed great
/ ly since my message two years ago. In
addition to the customary appropriation
/ for the maintenance Of the forestry board.
/ the legislature of 1911 appropriated $780,
/ coo a year for five years for the purchase
/ of forest lands. All OF this money has
| been spent or contracted for TO block up
the forest reserves Heretofore acquired.
| During these two years about "a 900 acres
I have been purchased, and at the present
| time the total area OF the state forest re
serve Is over 100000 acres. However there
are several times this amount OF land
in the northern part OF the state better
adapted to forestry than TO agriculture.
Much Of II Is increasing in value. and the
large Lridings especially suitable for for
| estry purposes are being cut up into small
| er ones and sold piecemeal. II therefore.
the legislature wishes 10 increase the for
est reserve il should act promptly by pro-
yidihg at this session sufficient funds 70
acquire the necessary lands.
But IL we are to retain wood using In
dustries in the state We cannot AFFORD TO
depend wholly on the state forest for ma
tcrial. Here. as in Europe, private enter
prise also must be enlisted IL Is clear
however that this can be done only after
a change has been made in our method
of taxing standing timber. Private own
ers cannot pay the regular rates of taxa
tion imposed each year upon the fun value
of a growing forest and still secure fair
return on their investments. This crop,
be taxed more moderately than other forms
of real estate.
Concerning the subject Of reforestation
therefore l respectfully recommend con
tinuing appropriation TO be derived from
the levy Of fraction OF n mill tax for a
period of twenty years for acquiring land
to complete the forest reserves la tie
northern part OF the state: and that bet
ter method of taxing timber land be de-
yised so as 10 enable private owners 10
hold growing timber on land that is bet
TOR al fah "a Is m no. ri
culture,
MINIMUM WAGE
A bill providing for minimum wages
was introduced in the legislature of this
state two years ago but failed of passage.
| This class Of legislation while reported to
! be wholesome, and effective In Australia
and England is so novel to our system Of
! Jurisprudence and involves such difficult
problems Of administration that the legis-
latuFe should proceed with caption respect
ing it. But we should not again fail to
do anything whatever in the matter.
MOTHERS PENSIONS.
The platform of the majority party in
thl state pledged it's members to the en-
actment II a law for the establishment of
mothers pensions. The fundamental idea
UNDERLYING this proposed reform is that
the home is better place for children
! than a public Institution. and that the
mother is their best as we'll as their nat
urai guardian II mas also been found
cheaper for tax payers to compensate the
mother In proper cases for the care of
her own children than To support them
independently of her However a public
allowance OF this sort should only be made
To mothers who in the judgment Of a
I court are worthy of the custody Of their
\ children and ordinarily 1t should not be
made unless found necessary To save the
! children from neglect. This aid TO needy
/ but deserving mothers should not be re-
garqed as charity but rather as the rec
| ogniuon OF an obligation actually due them
/ in return for their service to the state
| as bearers Of children.
PRISON LABOR.
! One Of the subjects investigated by the
/ Board Of Public Affairs during the past
! year is the ACCESSIBILITY of abolishing the
/ present system of prison contract labor
at Waupun.
The objections to the present arrange
4 ment seem to me 10 be serious enough to
| deserve your earnest consideration In the
| first place. the prison should be self-sup-
| porting. There is no good reason why
4 the law-abioing people Of Wisconsin who
! have once suffered injury by infracton of
| their crir.inai statutes should be further
/ burdened by the maintenance of these
/ criminals after they have been caught and
sentenced Ender proper conditions the
| state prison should not only be self sup
! porting. but the convicts should be made
/ 10 work hard enough aud at emplOyments
productive enough 10 enable be institu
! ton to realize substantial profit each
! year
BOARD OF CONTROL.
! When the State Board of Control was
/ created twenty two years ago there were
| six institutions under supervision Now
] there are ten Meanwhile the inmate pom
ulation of these institutions has more than
! doubled. As a result the work OF the
| Board has greatly increased. 1t spends
| now over million dollars a year. In ad
| dition to the management Of these irsti-
| tutions Ii paroles inmates from the In
! dustrial School for Boys the Wisconsin
| state Reformat0ry and the State Prison.
| 1t administers in part the probation law.
| II is also charged with responsibility for
| the proper business management - the
| new binder twine plant at Waupui All
/ these duties new and old have crowded
| upon the members OF the Board until they
are Oyerworked
i respectfully recommend that the law
/ be so amended as to authorize the Board
| of Control 10 appoint such numbers OF
agents or deputies as may be needed at
| fixed salaries. To make inspection of these
| county and local institutions under its
4 direction.
SETTLEMENT OF FARM LANDS.
! The settlement Of unoceupied farm lands
| In the northern part OF the state IL a
| problem that has engaged the attention
| of the Board OF Public Affairs for more
! than a year. There are about 10000. 900
/ acres of such land. once IN forest but now
| practically stripped Of its timber. The
\ problem is how to bring idle men and
! idle lands together for the betterment If
| both. We should not only invite settlers
/ to Wisconsin bur should encourage and
| protect them in every way possible after
| they have come here in order that they
may become successful farmers and indie
! pendent self reliant citizens.
| The prime need OF new settlers Is capi-
| tai For the most part they are men OF
\ small means and the banks and other
| lending agencies about them are either IN
/ willing or untitled to supply them with ne
! cessary funds to enable them TO farm their
4 lands in proper manner The state should
/ relieve this condition by encouraging the
| development Of agricultural credit fnsti-
/ buttons. whether private or cooperative.
/ especially organized for making long time