Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-05-19
COUNTY LOANS
FOR CLEARING

The proposed system OF county loans
to settlers for the purpose of improy-
ing land is again on the boards, tenn
porarily at least. This was live
subject ten years ago, and it was
largely through Rusk county boosting
that the so-called Reclamation Act was
passed. Through the efforts of Atty.
William Sweet, of Bruce, sufficient
number of applications for loans were
presented to the county board, but
the board refused to act.
Just why the board turned. the mat
ter down cannot be known. The os-
tensible reason was that the law
might be unconstitutional. Nobody
pointed out specific alleged defects, no
body attempted to argue the unconsti-
tutionality. 1t seems to have been
assumed that law intended to as
sist the hard pressed settler, out Of
funds and at the end of his rope must
necessarily be unconstitutional. A
law to buy cut-over deserts of sand
and stone from land SPECTATORS, in
the name of conservation, was not
questioned. The spectators are
''men of circumstance" they spent
their money to lobby the law through
and must have known what they were
doing To question such law would
be to Strike at the fundamentals of
law and order" But a law to help
settlers is "class legislation" and
good Americans mustn't talk about it.
At the recent meeting of the county
board, w. d. Morgan and w. A. Lieb-
hardt were appointed members of a
Board and Governor
Blaine has since appointed d. W. Ma
loney as the third member. This
action doesn't really get anywhere, as
the board hasn't anything to do I'M
til applications for loans are presented
to the county board Moreover,
joker in the resolution passed by the
county board may make it imperative,
but that can be removed if the board
effect.
AT a meeting of the Reclamation
Board, it was unanimously agreed that
there is nothing the board can dO at
present except to encourage and as
sist in the preparation of applications
for loans and this the members will
gladly do Inquiries regarding the
working of the law will be cheerfully
answered. If any community desires
to hold a meeting to discuss the mat
ter, arrangement will be made for
someone to attend and explain the
law. G. M. Householder, Assistant
Director of immigration, is taking a
very active interest in the matteA and
will furnish all assistance possible.
He is preparing forms of applications,
ney generals office, and will be fur
nished to applicants. He is willing
to spend some time in the county per-
sonally. assisting in the matter, as
soon as sufficient favorable sentiment
is shown to make it worth while.
1t is understood that the county
board will meet shortly after the tax
sale, in the latter part of June. If
there is really a demand for this sys-
TEN, now is the time TO get busy.
Talk the matter over, arrange for
in communities where there
are several who wish to take advan-
tage of the system, and prepare and
present to the county board fifteen
or more applications for loans. Then
it will be squarely up TO the board
If you are at all interested in this
matter, don't hesitate to write to some
member of the Reclamation Board
1T will cost you nothing. If you are
not personally interested, but have a
neighbor who might desire loan,
mention the matter to him. If we are
ever going to take advantage of this
law, now is the time to act.
D. w. MALONEY