Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-01-11
CONSERVATION


conservation bill, known as H. F. 1913.
introduced by Rep. S. A. StOckwell Of
Minneapolis, and others i'm the recent
special session of the Minnesota Leg
islature, was debated on the floor of
the House and passed there by a
vote of II to 80. 1t died in the Sen
ate through inactiOn.
Rep. Stockwell said in his argu-
ments that this is truly cOnserva-
tiOn measure. That it provides neces-
sary power for the State Conservation
Commission long needed. There has
been much talk of conservation. set
ting aside lands fer their best uses,
in the past it has amounted mostly
to talk.
Retaliating to Rep. Pfaender. chair
man of the Appropriations committee,
who objected to the bill. Mr.. Stock
well said that the gentleman from
New Ulm, refuses to cooperate in the
restoration of stolen goods. Pictur-
ing the natural resources of the state
of Minnesota the able and veteran
legislator from the Mill City, likened
it to house where the furniture,
rugs, and most needed things had
been stolen and only a few kitchen
utensils left. Rep. Stockwell argued
that what is left must be conserved
and enlarged upon. 1t must have an
opportunity to grow. Good water sup
ply and trees will put the state back
to normal conditions. Tons and tons
of the finest virgin soil has flowed
down the creeks and rivers through
the Mississippi valley down into the
Gulf of Mexico. This proposed law
which would have levied a tax of
$4,000 the first year and a total
amount of $750,000 over a period of
twenty years would have brought
back to the state four-fold of that
spent, maintained the Hennepin cOun-
ty legislator.
Objection to the bill was also raised
by Rep. Hitchcock of Hibbing, on the
grounds that it would be further
throwing the state into debt. Being
a strong conservative who always adj
vocates private ownership, the views
of Mr.. Hitchcock would naturally
place him against a measure of this
type. Mr.. Stockwell stated that there
that Rep. Hitchcock is so scared of
as the word conservation and re-
minded House members of Mr.. Hitch
cocks protest against the bill de-
signed to conserve peat resources of
the state of Minnesota which was con-
sidered in the last regular session.
Reps. Powers, Hart, and Carr also
spoke in behalf of the bill. Mr.. Pow
ers of MahnOmen county, stated that
the total cost to the state, including
interest, would be about SAC per acre
and that the federal government had
paid as high as S. per acre for some
of the lands which have recently been
converted into forest areas. There
are about PA millions of acres to be
acquired by the state.
Mr.. Hart of Carlton county, said
that he is just as much opposed to
the spending of the states money as
anyone, but strongly urged the adop-
ton of the conservation bill. He
stated that it was not bill for just
a certain portion of the state. For
those who think northern Minnesota
is trying to get something for their
special benefit, he explained that 500
of the states trust funds from the
sale of timber comes from northern
Minnesota.
Mr.. Carr of Proctor, spoke OF the
devastation of timber, the landscape
shorn of its beauty and cOntended that
this can be restored through the pas
sage of a good conservation measure.
The beautiful forests, the large tim
bers, the lakes and rivers in some
of the foreign countries is due, he
maintained, to a sensible program OF
conservation.
The state would likely have pur-
chased large areas for forestry pur-
poses which would include much peat
and swamp lands. There is alto
gether about eight million acres OF
land that is tax delinquent for five
wears or more, or will soon be delin-
quent for that many years. Much Of
that land is unfit for agriculture ant
through the Thwing law enacted In
1927 will eventually become the prop
erty of the state without purchase
However, some conservation men ar
que that it would be cheaper to buy
land outright at Csc to 34c per acre