Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-07-27

convention was held with the avowed
purpose of forming a statewide Con-
servation council.
Minnesota is fortunate in having
and having had for number of years
two strong, active conservation or
CARNATIONS, the Minnesota Izaak Wal
ton League and the Minnesota Game
Protective League. Both Organiza-
lions are ever on the alert to protect
the natural resources of the state
and to further the cause of conserva-
ton.
| 1t is significant that both of these
organizations declined flatly to par
ticipate in the convention" although
invitations were extended in the name
of conservation. 1t is to the credit of
both organizations that they main
tanned a strict non-political attitude
and refused to be a party to such a
scurrilous method of attacking the
present state administration.
Former Legion Commander Refutes.
Through clever manipulations the
conservation committee of the state
American Legion through the biased
position of the chairman was brought
into the limelight at the political
meeting held. 1t remained for Gerald
v. Barron of CloQuet, former state
Legion commander, to emphatically
refute the ill-advised position in
which the non-political organization
of former seryice-men was thus
placed. The issne will be fought out
on the floor of the Legion convention
to be held in st. Cloud and petty poll
tics will be strictly banned as has
been practice of the Legion since its
very inception.
A closeup of the self-designated
leaders of this political conservation
movement proves interesting.
William T. Cox, deposed commission
er of conservation, who lived in Brazil
long enough to become inculcated with
the dictatorship idea, led the attack
with a bitter TRADE against Gov. Oh
son, including w. D. Stewart, director
of the Division of Game and Fish,
in his virulent remarks. He failed
in his attempt to set himself up as
Minnesota's little conservation dicta-
tor and now has turned revolutionary
with the threat of taking conservation
to the polls. In that statement he
revealed the entire purpose for the
calling of the convention so-called.
Mr.. Coxs good man Friday, DR.. H.
K Endres, who is the husband of the
woman who served as Cox's secretary
when he was state forester, is the
nominal moving spirit presumably of
the new political conservation move
ment. Merely puppet in the filthy
game of Republican politics, he acts
for those who lack the courage of
appearing in their true light.
Disgruntled Politicians.
The convention would have been
incomplete without the presence of
Senator win" Weber, Slayton news
paper publisher and editor of Re-
publican scandal sheet in Minnesota.
He is reactionary of the first water
and served as chairman of the Sem
ate Conservation Investigating COM
mittee that gave the department a
clean bill after spending weeks of
purpose of giving the state admin
istration black eye through conser-
walton. What a fiasco this investiga-
tion turned out to be is now known
to all Minnesotans. A clean bill of
health was given to the Department
of Conservation, yet a new council to
save the cause in Minnesota becomes
necessary. Political subterfuge is the
only answer.
A former Game and Fish commits
sioner, George Mccullough, of Mime
apolis, who happens to be a restau-
rant operator in place of cement
dealer" was prominent at the meet
ing. Like Mr.. Cox, he, too, is dis
gruntled and is sailing in political
waters with conservation seemingly
as the motive power while in fact he
is motivated by nothing more or less
than political ambitions. With Mr..
Mccullough, politics is first in his
scheme of things, conservation only
secondary. Any means to attain an
objective is his apparent slogan.
Not a single dollar of hunting and
fishing license money has been lost
to Minnesota sportsmen since Bill
Stewart, a successful St. Paul bust
ness man, took charge of the Game
and Fish Division. Can the same be
said for former Republican admin
istrations whose leaders are now so
much concerned about conservation?
Minnesotas real sportsmen, the
true conservationists of the state,
4 members of the Izaak Walton League
and the Minnesota Game Protective
League, of Independent sportsmen's
and conservationists' groups, the
rank and file of the American Legion