Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-08-22
Eagle 5iyer. Wis. Aug. Z. 1913.

~ t4AG k&~14U1 0A4&8h &44[ O0x&Qky
bols 81 tlIe couiiies ii Vhas,
Forest, Oneida, Iron and Price.
| Gentlemen: In Re proposed
State Forest Reserve.
Ibeliege each and all of you gentle
men are somewhat familiar with the
general aspect of the scheme embod-
led under the name of the State For
est Reserve. 1t is also likely that you
are all to some extent informed as to
what has been done to preserve the
territory proposed to be included in
| this State Forest Reserve from be-
coming a jungle and to keep it open
for settlement by farmers and others.
However, | feel that it can do no
harm to 60 over the ground a little as
it must be understood our fight for
our lives has only begun. In the first
place the territory which is included
and which Griffibh's friends are deter
mined shall finally become the State
Forest Reserve is the following:
In Forest county all that portion
situated north Of the north line of
township thir6y-seyen 80 north: in
Oneida county all OF THAT portion
north of the north line of township
bhirty-seven 1871 north, except the
east half of township thirty-eight(3 49,
north, range nine (9) east, the south
two-thirds of township thirty
(38l north range ten t10} east, town
ship thirty-eight (38l north, range Ill
east, and township thirty-nine (3g
north range six (6) east; in Villas
county all except the south half Of
township forty (4O) north, range six
CO.. east, township forty (40) north,
range ten (l0l east, township fortyone
(41) north, range ten l1O) east and the
north tWo-thirds of township forty
one AL north range eleven III east:
in Iron county township forty-one(4D
north ranges two ~, three ~ and
four al east and townships forty-two
(42) and forty-three (43J north of
range four { Al east: in Price county
townships thirty eight 1881 thirty-nine
(39) and forty (40) north of range
three 81 east.
According to the figures Of the
State Forester contained in his report
for the years 1911 and 1912 the amount
Of lands TO be taken from each of the
counties is, Villas county 500, 900 acres:
Oneida county $4,000 acres: Forest
county 5000 acres: Iron county 1l5-
900 acres: and Price county 10000
acres or in all 1,2S9, 600 acres
From the same report we learn that
at this time the state owns in each Of
these counties the following acreage
of lands: in Villas county III, 1913 Ii
acres; in Oneida county -, 554 64 acres
in Forest county 37,34663 acres;
in Iron county 80, 354 AS acres and in
Price county 1851 81 acres.
At the past session of the legislature
We succeeded in having passed the
so-called Steven Whiteside bill which
was Bill 4S7A introduced by Assem-
blyman w j Whiteside. This bill
prohibits the further purchase ofland
for State Forest Reserve until after
committee Of three senators and five
assemblymen have made an inyestiga-
ton to determine whether the lands
within the proposed State Forest Re
serve are not better adapted to farm
ing than to forestry or other purposes
and until July lst 1915. This commit
tee will soon be appointed and will
probably do more or less work this
fall. We also succeeded in passing
the s0-called Stevens state land taxa
ton bill. Under the provisions of
this bill the state WILL commencing
in 1914, pay taxes on the FULL vALU-
ALTON of all lands within the State
Forest Reserve that are owned by the
state at a rate of one and one-quar-
ter per cent for school, town and
county purposes.
We also succeeded in defeating
Joint Resolution No. 24S This Joint
Resolution sought to amend the
state constitution and provided
that all lands now owned or hereaf-
ter acquired by the state should for
all time be and remain the property
of the state. In other words the
state could not after the passage and
adoption of this constitutional amend
ment sell any of it's lands regardless
of how desirable they might be for
farming. This Joint Resolutios was
passed by the legislature in 1911 and
had it again been passed by the legis-
lature and adopted it would have