Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1925-04-18
Conservation Laws
In the Making
Chief Business Before the State
Legislature This Week; Aims to
Increase Revenue.

Madison isconsins big CON
servation program evidenced by bill
377S, carrying stipulated APP
preparation of $245,675 for 1925,
plus three-fifths of the revenue de-
rived from nonresident fishing
licenses charged for at the new rate
of So each. or about S132.4l2 in all,
is the major legislation before the
state senate this week.
While it carries the same set ap-
preparation as that of the past two
years, the bill aims to increase the
revenue that will go to the use of
the state conservation commission
for conservation purposes by the
portion mentioned of the raised non
resident fishing license fee. An
amendment to bill 377S changes that
share of this revenue received going
to the state conservation commits
sion from two-fifth as originally in
tended to three-fifth, or $132,432.
The increased allowance to the
commission is made possible through
the efforts of Senators Herman Bill
grien, A. f. Carey and Harry Sau-
thoff, Governor John j. Blaine and
Conservation Commissioner Elmer
Hall. Senator Bilgrien was respon-
sible for proposing a raise in the
nonresident fishing licenses to SIS
and asking that the increase over
the So figure be allowed the com-
mission for conservation purposes
Senator Sauthoff went Bigrien one
better and amended the bill allowing
three-fifth instead of two fifth The
others agreed to the proposal after
numerous conferences.
In addition to these figures, $32,-
800 is added for property repairs
and maintenance, and $39,250 for
permanent property and improve
ments.
Much misunderstanding has arisen
over what portion of the receipts of
the conservation commission should
be devoted to the purposes Of the
commission, and in an attempt to set
the matter out in its true light before
the public, Senators Bilgrien and
Carey have issued statements show
ing that not all of the receipts APP
proximating $505,000 can be pro-
perly reapportioned to the commits
sion for conservation purposes.
Senator Carey points out that the
receipts of the commission include
about $250,9ll.49 to which the peo-
pie interested in conservation and
the conservation fund cannot claim
credit This would leave balance
Of $3.50, 997 40 which, he says, would
more properly 90 back to the COM
mission for use in conservation
There are a large number of peo-
pie who believe that the entire $505,-
600 receipts should have been credit
ed directly to conservation work,
whereas, according to the senator's,
amounts received from the following
sources as examples should be eX-
Guided from the conservation com
missions share
Nonresident fishing licenses,
6,6t5.31; sale of rough fish,
SIG, 809.7G; fish dealers licenses,
1915; nonresident hunting licenses,
$4,000; park leases and concessions,
$9,l15.65; fire control under the
Weeks law, $12,27765; boat re
ceipts Devils Lake launch. $1,3039l.
According to Senator Carey and
Bilgrien, if the amounts not properly
charged to conservation were
charged off, there would be left a
little less than the sums which the
state has actually appropriated by
the bin. Adding the $132,432 ex-
pected as a three-fifth share of the
nonresident fishing licenses would
bring the total amount Of the app
preparation for 1926 nearly up to the
full amount Of the receipts Of the
commission for the year ending June
30, 1924. they declare.