The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1914-05-29
bayfield, KNOCK
AGAIN RESERVATION
Poor Policy At This Time
For Such Stuff
BIG LuA8EE|RlIIHEGD INDUSTRIES THRIvED
That Build up These Towns Off
Indian Pine.

The old reservation enigma, is or is not
| the Red Cliff reservation a detrinent to the
proper advancement of the Bavtield Pen
Einsula. rises up once more this spring IL the
controversy existing between the authorit-
lies ofsthe town Of Russell and the United
States government concerning the bridge
] problem in the village of Red Cliff. The
authorities of the town of Russell claim the
/ building of the bridge is a government res
| possibility, while the government ONES
hack with aat refusal and throws the cost
isetc., uponNthe town of Russell. Now, the
/ question is, should the town Of Russell be
| compelled to spend several thousand dollars
| for the purpose of building a bridge in and
flor territory owned and controlled by the
kgovernms snt, the lands Of which are non-tax
paying, and the residents upon which are
non-taxpaying, and who, though paying no
Iportion Of the cost of all said bridges throu-
! gh taxable methods, receive practically the
entire benefit thereof: and especially should
this town be compelled to MAINTAIN a high
way for the benefit of those non-tayable
voters, when the tax paying population Of
1.-the town is served through the Medium OF
two other good hlghways'
The present instance is not the first con-
tgoversy which has arisen to prove that the
! existence of a reservation on the Peninsula
is a big drawback to the development of
| this region. A little over year ago the
county hoard of supervisors of bayfield, cod,
1nty wiped out from the county system of
/ highways all that portion extending from
| Bayfield, north through the reservation and
Sand River country 10 Coruucopia, simply
Ebecause a small portion Of the road traver-
/ sed through the land OF the governments 81
ssssfts. ard this same bridge propos:sfIss
/ fronted the county highway coumiSsoners
/ That the reservation idea was the objection
al feature was evidence by the fact that the
county board re-eStabliShed this route in the
county highway system with the exception
of that potion contained within the bound
aries of the reservation, substituting therefor
the cut of route to the Four Corners.
sGhe consensus of opinion among the tax
paving population Of the entire Peninsula dis
trict whether within the. boundaries of the
the town of Russell or not, is that the exis-
tance of reservation in this county is de-
Itlimental III large degree to the proper de-
i velopment of Bayfield, county, and further
that if the Government believes itself just
/ fled in longer maintaining a reservation and
compelling the taxpayers to build roads and
bridges for its particular wards, why it Shon
| id not deem that justice demands it assume
at least a. portion OF the burden.
| We note in the above article that the tax
payers are now claiming that the reservation
| in that county is detrimental to its advance
ment. It is not many years since when this
same reservation that is now considered
detrimental to the County of Bayfield, was a
/ God send to it and welcomed by all its
good citizers, but now as its valuable timb-
er supply is fast diminishing it is no longer
considered This same town of Russell,
undoubtedly. as is the case on this reserva-
ton, each year the lumber industry thrived
collected thousands of dollars in taxes from
that source, which they otherwise could not
of gotten. Now they holer when asked to
expend some of that money in the repair of
roads and bridges for the benefit of the
people thereon. Are they not as much en-
titled to at least some of the money .hus
derived as the people that do not reside on
the reservations As is the case in practic-
ally ever instance throughout the country
the Indian is given no consideration, tie
policy seems tc be take all he has got but
return nothing. We believe the people of
BAYFIELD, County as well as this county owe
lot to the Indian and his reservation and
instead Of attempting to deny him the small
repairs he may ask for his reservation they
should readily grant them for the debt thhy
owe the Indian for the benefit they have
received from him is so great they can
never repay. Bayfield, ike Ashland has IN
the past received thousands of dollars yearly
from the Indian and what have they did for
the Indian or any member thereof they have
not received value for--nothing but get his
MONEY. No it is not up to no person or
persons to beride the Indian at any time
much less when his capital is depleted, but
instead think of what he has done for.you
in the pass. bis money has and still i worth
100 cents on the dollar and no discount
either. Shame on Bayfield, County for its
snallness in this matter, pay back by
r5iakihg this road, some Of the benefit your
county and township has received from
these same government wards, thousands Of
these roads would dnever repay.