River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-04-07
State Capitol News
by VIM. J. Anderson


ferent branches of the state service
are given consideration the members
of the law-snaking body are getting
over the panicky feeling they were
thloWn into earlier in the session by
the suggestion that there had been
gross extravaganza SHOWN in the
administration of the states affairs,
and that the state treasury could no.
meet the demands upon it. The few
cases Of extravaganza discovered
proved not to be worth talking bout,
and it has been found that the bo-. IS
and commissions administering the
states affairs have been as DESTROYS
for economy as the legislature itself,
1t has also been found that the state
treasury is in an unusually prosper
Gus condition. It costs more each
year to administer the. affairs OF the
state Just as it costs more each year
to keep a growing family comfortable.
Nothing is surer than that taxes Will
increase from decade to decade, and
a public official who promises to re-
duce taxes is either knave or TOOL.
1t is certain to cost more to carry on
the states functions for the coming
two years than it cost the last two
years. There is just one way to avoid
this. and that is to cut certain actlv-
tiles. If the people of the state do
not wish state board of health,
dairy and food department, or an IN
dustrial commission, or do not care to
have their school system properly
administered, and they can secure the
repeal of the laws requiring these
bodies to function,
The total figures are not yet avail
able, but DIR. Eliason, State Veterinar-
ian. and DR.. j. S. Healy, both Of the
State Department of Agriculture, re-
port that q, 428 head of cattle were
shipped out of Wisconsin IN 1919 for
breeding purposes, while only 4,l4T
head were brought into the state.
These figures emphasize the impor-
lance of the work being done by the
State Department of Agriculture IN
eradicating tuberculosis, and thus
creating an increased demand for
cattle.
Wisconsin now has more than r.
600 silos, the largest number OF any
state, and the largest number in the
same area of any country. In 1920
more than 100000 tons of silage
was fed to cattle in Wisconsin as
cording to the figures prepared for
the state department of agriculture
by J. A. Becker, Joint Crop Statician.
DR.. Purcell, in charge of that work
for the state department of agricul-
ture, has sent letter to the heads
of those institutions where stock is
raised asking them to cooperate IN
the effort to control hog cholera. Dur
ing the past year, DR., Purcell says,
hog cholera broke out on 480 farms
in SO counties in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin dairysnen. it is alleged,
have been hit less severely by the de-
cline in prices of farm produce than
any other class of farmers in this or
other states. Since 1890 Wisconsin
has been rapidly changing to dairy
and livestock state, as shown IN the
increase in the number of cows from
1872, $40 in 1890 to 1846,000 in 1920;
and as shown in the increase in the
acreage of hay and forage crops from
1881, SCI acres in 1890 to 5,27l,OO0 in
1920.
Rabies is robbed of its terrors for
victims of dog bites who send the
head of the dog promptly to the state
laboratory Of hygiene at the unlver-
sity. If the head is not damaged SO
that careful analysis of the brain IS
made possible, the laboratory is able
in all cases to determine whether the
animal had rashes. When positive
report is made, bite victims can take
the Pasteur treatment from the lab
oratory with practically complete as
surance of immunity from danger OF
contracting rabies.
Governor Blaine on Wednesday OF
last week vetoed the thirty thousand
dollar special appropriation bill OF the
conservation commission, on the
ground that instead of keeping ward
ems employed, the conservation fund
should be used for building. The Con-
servation Commission is one of the
few departments Of state government
that more than pays its own way.
Since its creation in 1915 it has cost
The state to carry on its activities ST.
231 $50, and it has turned into the
state treasury S1,369,326. Besides
this, its prosecutions have turned into
the school fund in the same period in
fines S169, 1850, so thai in six years