Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-03-02
ROGERS SETTLERS RECLAMA-
TON BILL.

IN the Assembly by a. M. RodgerS, Oh New
aid, representing Florence, Forest and
Oneida Counties, whic win undoubtedly at
tract wide spread attention, and in the opill-
ion Of its advocates, revoludonize conditions
in the matter Of the settlement of upper Wis
consin. Mr. Rodgers has been resident Of
Forest county for many years, and has made
a study OF the land problen1i in the north He
has become convinced that the only way to
settle upper Wisconsin is by helping the set
tier.
I'VE can never settle upper Wise onsln
said Mr. Rodgers, in discussing his bill, by
! merely advertising its advantages We must
help the settler to be successful The forbid
ing feature for every settler is the land clear
ing problem, We must put him on his feet,
So that his land will begin paying him divi-
dends at once. The only way to do this is by
financing him to clear the land and I think
my bill provides feasible plan for doing SO. /
The Rogers bill creates i'll the Department
of Agriculture, Settlers Reclamation De-
partment, and provides for Reclamation Com
missioner, to be appointed by the governor,
| for term of forr years This department.
| shall be Jointly in charge of the Secretary OF
Agriculture and Reclamation Commissioner.
! These Commissioners shall cooperate with
| the counties in reclaiming wild and cut-over
| land and shall have charge of the Reclama-
| ton Fund in each county.
| The counties are empowed by appropria-
1 tions, tax levy or sale of special Improvement
1 bonds, subject to the constitutional limit on
indebtednesS to create County Settlers Re-
clamation Fund and deposit tthe same with
the State Treasurer, to be loaned on proper
security, to settlers in said county, for re-
claiming land, removal of stumps, brush or
fallen or standing timber. The State Treas
urer shall place such money to the credit OF
the county, to be loaned under supervision OF
the Settlers Reclamation Department, and
paid out on requisition of the Commissioner
of Agriculture, and a Reclamation Commits
sioner. Bonds issued by counties under the
act shall constitute general county liability
and are non-taxable, payable at the State
Treasnrers office in Madison, at such time as
the county board shall determine. but within
not less than five nor more than twenty years,
The bill further provides. that each county
board coming under the act, shall at the
spring meeting Of the board, appoint a County
"A Agricultural Representative
/ Amy person who is the owner or has under
CONTRACT forty acres or more of good cut-over
stump land, desiring to fa11n and cnifivete
til5 sss4Alv, may make application to the Coun-
/ ty Agricultural Representative, to have five
acres of such land cleared, stumped, brushed,
blasted and otherwise improved aud ready
i Tor a plow, each year for period of three
! years Application shall be signed by the
owner, mortgage, and others interested IN
the land, and the filing and recording OF sacn
1 application. shall constitute a notice OF III
cu1nberance to ali Subsequent purchasers.
The County Agricultural Agent, shall truly
4 Investigate the application and il the land is
good agricultural land which May be re-
clalmed at g cost not to exceed forty dollars
an acre shall forward AZ application with
Hndi1g and recommendation, to the Settlers
4 Reformation Dept. which shall make a fur
verify those of the Comfy Agricultural Com
missioner, they may approve said applies
tl9n. and proceed 10 enter into agreements
ana, contracts to reclaim the land
NOT 80 exceed forty dollars per acre saall
be paid out of the Reclamation Fund Of any
county, for the clearing OF any piece Of land
Any pa ynaents made for reclamation shall
constitute a first lien on the lands reclaimed
to be paid.for in twenty equal installnents,
with per cent interest.
Thestate Reclamation Department. shall
| certify to the Secretary of State, before Cot.
| /, each year, the exact amount spent on each
description of land IN each county, and the
Secretary of State before Nov. !, shall certify
/ to each county clerk the amount due each
county clerk, the amount due each county
/ for reclamation work, on each description OF
| land and the county clerk shall in turn certi-
/ fy the amounts to the town clerks where said
4 lands are located. such amounts to be placed
4 on the tax roll, and collected assother taxes
are collected All such monies are to be
4 again re-deposited with the State Treasurer
4 to be credited to the Settlers Reclamation
Fund OF the particular county.
In case any applicant cultivates, the five
acres reclaimed in any one year. in a manner
approved 10y the County Agricultural Repre-
/ sentative, and the Settlers Reclamation De-
partment such applicant may may make ap-
plicatjon to have an additional FIVE acres re-
claimed, but nc more than fifteen acres, shall
be reclaimed for any applicant.
/ The above synopsis of the Rogers
Bill, we gladly publish by request OF
it's author for the informant OF Re-
view readers. After reading it, it
seems to us that ii contains one OBJ
! iectionable, bnt perhaps unavoidable
feature Giving the state first mort
gage or lien on the land we imagine
might bother the farmer some in Sc
curing local money to build an ad-
dition to the house, barn or any OF the
various purposes farmer frequently
needs another loan for. However MI.
Rogers must have given that due
thought, and should know best about
il. Anything designed to help the
beginner on upper Wisconsin farm
land has our strong approval from
\ the start.