Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-04-07
PARK BILL VETO
Is DEBATED
Interesting and Timely Topic al
NJ. E. Mems Club
Meeting

y timely and illuminating debate on
the subject. Resolved. that the Nor
thern Lakes Park bill should have be-
come q law. was argued at the meet
| ING of the Mems Club in the NJ +.
church recreational rooms Monday
ing.
George Benson led off for the affirm
afive SIDE with a strong argument in
favor of the bill, cOntending that the
state needs the park and that the gov
ernor should have signed the bill after
its passage by the legislature That
bit of primeval forest and beautiful
lakes comprising some $500 acres in
Price and Sawyer counties. should
certainly be preserved for the benefit
OF all the people, owing 10 its natural
beauty and accessibility. contended Mr.
Benson
He was followed by Alden ]. Laid
law, for the negative. who maintained
that. as the state already owns several
parks only partially improved besides
between two hundred thousand and
three hundred thousand acres of state
land, much Of it in the lakes region
of Wisconsin. which might be convert
ed for park purposes, the governor did
the wise thing. III view of the high
taxes in Wisconsin. in vetoing the
Northern Lakes Park bill He denied
that the tract is easy to reach, saying
that to get to it one must either swim
or walk. He ridiculed the alleged
beauty of some of the lakes. and char
acteriZed at least one of them as be-
ing "aS black as the shades of night. :"
Delights Audience With Flip Flop
Rev, c. W. Emery had been cast for
the negative side of the question. but
as Mr. Benson had been left alone on
the other side. his colleague having
failed TO show up at the meeting, the
reverend gentleman with ambideXtrous
facility switched to the affirmative and
made some telling points for the park
and the park bill and showed con
ciusively' that the bill should have be-
come a law,
Closing for the negative, George
Orme argued that the state has parks
enough: that the people are now tax
burdened and that the parks we have
should be improved before the state
buys more parks to add to the already
heavy load the people are carrying.
The park would be a nice thing for the
rich he said. but the great majority
of the people would never see the pro-
posed Northern Lakes Park because
they are unable to get there. He cited
the condition of Greenwood and other
Iadysmith parks intimating that II
there is any surplus money lying loose
around Ladysmith, il could be more
benefcially used in improving the To-
cal parks which may be reached on
foot, than in eXpending it for another
state park.
Produces Proof
In rebuttal TO Mr.. L4aidlaw's asser-
ton that one would have TO swim to
reach the proposed park, Mr.. Benson
produced proof in the person Of one
Of the audience. that one may drive
right into the park tract in an auto
mobile The fellow arose and. seri-
ously. said he did it.
Replying to Mr.. Benson's statement
tAat the park tract contains many mag
nificent hardwood trees two hundred
years old, Mr.. Laidlaw said that hard
wood trees of that age are about ready
TO die and that they are of more value
sawed up into lumber ana put Into
houses IN this time of house shortage
than standing in Il park ready TO die
and fall.
The club members enjoyed the de-
bate and were strictly impartial III
their applause. The judges OF fhe
verbal contest have not as yet, been
able to reach Il decision.
After the debate the members ell
joycd refreshments and good social
! time.