Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-04-01
BLAINE ALWAYS WRONG
Governor Has Yet to See
Anything Good Where
There Can Be No Political
Pap Grabbed Off.


an ass of himself in bucking the
Winneshiek bottoms project, and at
that it but shows how he stands
when there is nothing political for
him to grab. The Oshkosh North
western aptly slashes Blaine for his
attitude in the Winneshiek contro-
versy and says:
The opposition of Governor
Blaine to the so-called Winneshlek
bottoms project cannot but fail to
ALLEVIATE thousands of the COVER
nor's supporters in Wisconsin.
Throughout the state men who
are interested in hunting and fish
ing, and therefore in the conserva-
ton of fish and wild game, have
project, which aims at the estab-
| lishment of federal fish and game
reserve and refuge along the Mis-
sissippi river between Lake Pepln
and Keokuk, Iowa. After arduous
effort, backed by the. Izaak Walton
league and strong public senti-
ment, congress was induced to pass
bill to put this plan through,
with an appropriation of $2,0OO,00O
for securing title to privately
owned lands. To enable the federal
government to assume control and
regulation over this fish and game
preserve, however, it is necessary
for the state legislatures of Mime
sofa, Iowa and Wisconsin to trans
fer state authority to the general
government. Minnesota already
has done so, favorable action by
Iowa is said to be assured, and a
bill is before the Wisconsin legis-
lature for the same purpose. But
Governor Blaine has declared that
if this measure passes the legisla-
ture he will veto it.
Friends of the governor are
amazed at this opposition by the
governor. His argument that the
federal government might fence IN
the tract it would control and deny
its use to the general public is re-
garded as nothing less than ridicu-
lous. There are federal reserves
and parks all over the country,
and instead of keeping the public
out of such tracts the policy of the
government has been just the oppo-
site. Fishing and hunting privi-
leges, Of course, would be regula-
ted, but in way to protect the
fish and game, encourage their
propagation, and thereby add to
the joys Of sportsmen throughout
the northwest. The land that is in
cluded in the proposed reserve vir-
tually is good for no other purpose.
To be sure large syndicate has
been formed to drain portions of it
and convert it into agricultural
land. But the amount of really
useful land is comparatively small,
and the recovery of this would
mean the destruction Of the entire
tract as a natural fish and game
preserve.
Unless the federal government
is enabled to take over this tract
under the present plan and con-
vert it into a national fish and
game preserve, the opportunity to
make this contribution to general
public welfare doubtless will be
lost forever. The enabling acts by
the three state legislatures must
be adopted within two years, and
by the time another legislature
convenes it will be too late. There
is little chance that congress will
repeat the offer-in fact, it is re-
garded as remarkable that the last
congress was induced to take fav-
orable action. By some, the COVER
nors opposition is regarded as a
political gesture. But whatever
his real motive, he may be induced
to change his attitude if he is con-
WINGED that public sentiment is not
with him in his opposition. Those
who are interested in the Winnie
shiek bottoms fish and game pre-
serve should write to the governor
and tell him where and why he is
wrong in opposition to this plan.
And there are hundreds or persons
in this section who are interested
in seeing this project go through,
and should be willing to do some
thing to help it along.