Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-09-16
COUNCIL GET.
Ting SCARED
Word Sent out From Des Moines
That Wall Lake has not Been
Leased, but the Record
is Otherwise.
MERELY A RANK sUBTERFUGE
Mr.. Austin Seems to Have the Agree
ment Just as he Wants It.
-0ne-sided.

It seems that the executive coun-
Gil of Iowa is taking cegnizance of
the storm aroused by their action in
leasing Wall Lake to Fred Austin
OF Clarion and is now looking for
ways and means to escape from the
with of the sportsmen of the state.
Word is now sent out from Des
Moines that the lake has not real
ly been leased-that is, the council
can cancel the lease at any time.
Here is what dispatch sent out
from Des Moines a few days ago
says:
1t appears that somebody has been
circulating a great many statements
about Wall lake and other lakes that
aren't so.
1t is stated at the proper Office in
the state house where such things
are of record, that nobody has any
lease of Wall lake, but the council
entered into an agreement with a
resident of Wright county for i'm
provement of the lake bed and ex-
penditure of money. Any lease Of
Wall lake or any other lake is sub
ject to cancellation at any time un-
der the laws of the state.
Members of the executive council
will go to Wright county as soon as
the trip can be arranged, to person
ally inspect the summer cottages
said to be erected on the shores Of
Wall lake, to take ride in the ex-
cursion steamer, etc. They will also
go to Rush lake in Palo Alto coun-
ty. as the trip they had planned to
this lake in the summer was aban-
doned because of>the governors ILL
ness. The council will soon have up
for consideration the proposals in
regard to Goose lake. In regard to
Rush lake there is the most conflict
ing testimony. 1t Is said to be dan
gerous to health and breeding
place for millions of blackbirds
rather than few ducks. 1t is also
shown by the records there is not
enough water there to make of 1t a
lake no matter what might be done
in regard to dredging it out.
The state executive council is
said to be following about the same
line as for number of years re-
garding these lakes, namely, that
whenever and wherever any pond
or lake can be saved or improved and
be made into beauty spot or a
game preserve this is to be done;
but where the demands Of health or
considerations of the property Of the
people demand it, upon the most
conclusive evidence. the state will
permit drainage of the lake and con-
version Of the land into useful
farms. But primarily the state is
seeking to save as many of the lakes
as possible rather than to have them
abandoned. The right of the state
to take a hand in the drainage of
the lakes or their improvement
arises solely from the superior right
of the state to look after the health
OF the people.
The Freeman-Tribune doesn't
know the purpose Of this dispatch,
unless it is sent out to lull the oppo-
sition to draining the lake into a
blissful silence. At any rate 1t is
misleading, because the lake has
been leased, or at least an agree
ment has been signed whereby Fred
Austin can retain possession for at
least twenty-six years. Here is a
copy of the agreement:
"This article of agreement made
and entered into on this l4th day of
June, 1913, by and between the ex-
ecutive council of Iowa. party of the
first part, and Fred r. Austin, par
ty of the second part.
Witnesseth: That the party OF
the first part has this day employed
the party of the second part to drain
and improve a certain lake known
as Big Wall lake. 1t is understood
and agreed that the party of the
second part shall have six years