The Ely miner., 1930-02-21
MEETING CITES
Recommendations
OPEN MEETING CALLED BY FRANK
LOZAR POST ON .SHIPSTEAD-
NOLAN BILL ATTENDED BY
LARGE CROWD OF INTERESTED
CITIZENS.

Inc Legion TOOlu AC CIle community
Center was well filled on Monday
evening in response to request sent
out by the American Legion post of this
city to talk over matters relating to
the Shipstead- and Pittenger
bills now before Congress.
Fred Vibert of the Minnesota Power
g. Light Company was present and
spoke of the hearings in Washington
which he had attended and also gave
the Power Company side of the
question. After Mr.. Vibert had con-
cluded, general discussion followed.
Many expressed their opinions. All
those speaking seemed to be in favor
of the aims of the bill In general but
were at variance in regard to the
language of the same, the territory
embraced and the effects of the bill on
industry were it passed without amend
ments.
After considerable discussion during
which views were generally expressed,
a vote was taken and it was decided
to recommend to the committee ap-
pointed by the Commercial Club that
the territory be restricted to conform
to the lines laid down by the citizens
of Lake and Cook counties and the
committee of sixty which met at st.
Paul a year ago and whose recon-
mendations were given the legislature.
It was also decided to stand behind the
lines as laid down in the Pittenger bill,
viz; north of line SO, east as far as
range 8 and west to the st. Louis
county line after excluding the Cook
and Bear River farming territory. 1t
was also decided to recommend the
adoption Of the amendments made to
the bill by the senatorial committee
two years ago.
The Duluth Herald in editorially
commenting on the Ely meeting had
the following to say and which COM
ment states the case exactly as the
Miner has contended ever since the
agitation was begun by people remote
from this section to eventually make
National Park of vast territory that
Is destined to play part in keeping
the state in the front rank in mining
and timber and keep industry supplied
with these necessary resources. The
Herald said:
1.-THE citizens of Ely in a mass meet
ing held night before last, voted to de-
mand that the area covered by the
Shipstead-Nelan bill be greatly re-
dueed,
"The reduction proposed is substan-
TALLY that which every senator and
representative from Northern Mime
sofa except one voted for when this
issue was before the legislature year
ago. It Is also substantially the area
proposed In the Pittenger bill.
'"This bill, with the area it affects
reduced as the people Of Northeastern
Minnesota manifestly wish it to be re-
duced, would still reach the original
purpose of the measure, which was to
stop the Backus plans for exploiting
the border waters.
And the reduction in area would
free from the sitting effect of the
measure large area which the Ar
rowhead communities need to have
developed and cannot afford to have
paralysed.
How many people, including many
who favor the Shipstead Nolan bill,
realize, for instance, that as it now
stands 1t includes an area Of nearly
four hundred thousand acres in the
Littlefork valley of Northern st. Louis
county that is entirely outside Of the
border watershed, that has utterly
nothing to do with the Backus plans,
and that so far as the Superior nat
ional forest is concerned is adequately
protected already?
"Yet this area includes seme of the
finest farm land in the state, 1t
covers the districts that support the
wonderful farm developments of the
Cook and Bear River sections.
Minneapolis may look on COM
placently while congress puts an en-
barge upon the development of such
areas as this, but Ely cannot, the Mes
aba range communities cannot and
Duluth cannot.
eff the Shipstead- Newton bill cannot
be amended to reduce its area to that
proposed by the people of Ely, then the
best interests of the Arrowhead re-
quire that it be defeated entirely.
"And if it is defeated, the fault will
be with those supporters of the bill
who have refused to compromise on
the area it covers, and who compelled
the authors to reintroduce it at this
session without the amendments that
had been agreed upon at the last
session."