Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-01-17

/ invasion. III, however, IL is used for
mere police duty the situation is
changed and is open to objections. Our
own Guard, and what / say of our men
| is true of guardsmen of other states,
| is composed largely of business men,
professional men, skilled mechanics,
Office men and clerks, all of them regu-
larry employed and are in the main
men whose services are important TO
their business or employers and are,
therefore, an important factor in our
production. These men are all willing
to serve their country in times of war
or threatened war. l dare say, how
ever, that few, if any, would wish to
enlist as peace soldiers for mere police
service. Such service should in my
judgment be rendered by the regular
army and if that force is not sufficient
in strength it should be increased to a
force large enough 10 enable it to rem
der such service, as has been rendered
by the National Guard on the Mexican
frontier.
1 recommend that you memorabilia
Congress to amend the National De-
Tense Act 50 as to shorten the term of
enlistment of the National Guard or
restrict its use by the president to
such service as will justify him in call
ing out reserve forces.
The Protection of Fish and Game.
Our fish and game are natural re-
source that deserves the attention of
the legislature The gradual dimiru-
ton of game birds must be apparent
to every observer. There is also
noticeable decrease in the number of
deer that are now seen in the woods
by hunters as compared with former
years. The necessity Of better pro-
lection admits of no argument. We
cannot hope to preserve our game
birds by declaring an open season each
year, and throwing the entire state
open to the hunters. The control of
open seasons, except for migratory
birds, should be placed in the hands
of the Conservation Commission, in or
der that it may be regulated with re-
gard for the supply which is fire.
quently affected by weather and other
natural conditions. Zones or reserva-
tions should be established of suitable
size where the shooting of game birds
is at all times prohibited. Such pro-
vision should also be made for the pro-
lection of deer. In order to carry out
this plan, | recommend that the in
come from the sale Of fish and game
licenses, and whatever other income
the commission may have from our
wild life, should remain in the state
treasury to the credit of the commits
sion as a fund for its use. recon-
mend, further, that you make an APP
preparation from this fund sufficient to
carry on the work of the commission
that the law prescribes, the balance to
remain in the treasury to be used for
the purpose of establishing game pre-
serves, and also for the purpose of es-
tablishing additional fish hatcheries,
and for the purchase of apparatus
necessary to successfully carry out the
purpose of our fish and game laws.
Provisions should be made that the
surplus funds that accumulate may be
expended by the commission, with the
consent of the emergency board. In
order to increase the income which
can be made available for the purpose
l have stated, recommend an in
crease in nonresident license fee for
fishing and hunting. also a reasonable
fee for deer tags.
Development of Northern Wisconsin.
The problem of attracting settlers to
the northern part of our state and of
developing its Industrial possibilities
deserves your attention. The state
should give reasonable assistance to
any legitimate effort that is calculated
to call the attention of home-seekers
to the agricultural and industrial adj
vantages of that section.
We should not merely attract set
tiers, but it is of even greater import
ance that we attract people who are,
or will be, good citizens. | consider
this feature of our northern develop
ment of first importance. The class of
citizens best fitted for the task of con-
verting our cut-over timber lands into
farms are the young men who have
been reared in our western agricul-
tural section, who will understand the
task that they undertake in opening
up a farm in a timbered section, and
in order to bring the agricultural
worth OF our cut-over lands to the at
tention of that element, l recommend
that you appropriate reasonable
amount of money to the Department of
Agriculture to ho used i'll exhibiting
the agricultural products of northern
Wisconsin 20 the people in the rural
sections OF our neighboring states.
Primary Law.
When the primary election law was
adopted it was represented by its
friends to be an improved system of
making nominations for public Office.
II has been upon our statute books
since, NOS, and it must now be ad-
mitted that it has had a fair trial.
While the law is in some respects an
impro sement over the old caucus sys-
TEN, believe it to be generally con-
ceLed that it is unsatisfactory in it's
present form and should be amended
and changed in many respects.
Despite all that has been said
against conventions it has been fully
demonstrated that there is a strong de-
mand among the people for political
gatherings. Party conventions should
be provided for by law to enable men,
I