The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-27
TITLES OF GEORGIA LAND.
Cloud Resting ON Millions of Acres
of Pine Lands Since GOIdsU lith's

Time.
From the Atlanta (Ga). journal.
The legislature has passed 'anSl the gov
ernor has signed an act which will settle
the titles to a large part Of the timber
land of the state, including, millions of
acres of the finest pine lanSi in the south.
For twenty years there HIS been a cloud
on these titles because OF the irregulari-
lies of Controller General Goldsmith, who
was subsequently impeslched for the Off
rial acts which caused all this trouble. He
was turned out of Office in disgrace, but
that did not end the evil which resulted
from his transfer Q tax fl. fas to private
parties who secured immense tracts of
wild land, heavily timbered with pine. by
the mere payment of the tax In one case
which went to the supreme court it ap-
pears that lots of 4S0 acres were sold for
the tax, amounting to about 81 a lot. The
land, therefore, cost the transferee of the
b. ia only about tiVe-sixths of cent per
;lcre 1t was inevitable that such trans
/ lave been the cause of an immense
mount of it. These transfers were not
t pc only irregularities of Goldsmith's ad-
p erforming his legal duty of selling wild
la nd for taxes, he neg ected in many cases
to advertise such lalAd the full twenty
let Eality of many of the wild land sales
W. IS made doubtful, and a cloud was plac-
ed upon JHe Illle so originating.
luring the past twenty years the lum-
bel industry has 81 own to mammoth pro-
por tions in Georgi a, and it has develop
ed largely upon and the title of which
was Jeopardized by the Irregularities of
GotHsmith's adm nistration. Many of the
lots We're ACQUIRE I'd in good faith at sher-
IFS sale, and many have passed to in
tloctnt parties who paid fair prices for
thenR at later Gates. Lumber companies
with large plan IS and many thousands of
dollars invested, have been annoyed with
n
and the price Df pine lands has been kept
down by the danger threatening the IT,
tles. DeVelo pment of the lumber indus
try has been ito some extent handicapped
by the reluC tance of parties to invest
dney in lar d that might give rise to lit
lgatlon, VIM ch would possibly swallow
The supre, ne court has been confronted
with the gu estion several times and has
made three 4 decisions on the legality of
the transfe is of tax Fl. fas. by Goldsmith
In 1879 1t V Eas held that the transfer was
illegal Ii liter, in 1890, it was held that
the lfprme a decision was unsound, but
that afte eleven years had interviewed
ana the p boDle had acted on the decision
or 1879, III was not wise to change il, so
the S;our stood by the decision of 1879
Since thu IN it has rendered another decfs
ion tt1 Il le same effect
In Gas Is arising on the ground of insult
fcient advertisement by the controller gem
era1 the facts in each case had to be inves-
tIgatSd, Iand IT was not always easy to find
the II of newspapers of 20 years ago.
NhChAAlN pilc lIc clOuQ OIL spread
over II ie title of a vast area of valuable
land, 70 bostly in Middle and Southern Geor-
gia, ~ natural seat of the lumber and ma
val So pres Industries, which are only Sec
ond u the cotton crop as a source of rev.
enue to the state. The situation was one
calcll lated to prevent the distribution of
land for agricultural purposes or for per-
mana Mt homes, and had the effect of fore
ing q eople to sell the timber off for low
prices or let it alone. Public policy requir-
ed tn at something be done TO clear these
titleS put quietus on litigation and put
the imber lands in condition for develop
menf To reach this end the bill Just sign
ed 3 y the governor was drawn by Col. w.
G. ilenn. He was asked to draw il be-
cauf Sc he had been frequently engaged by
theI lumber companies as counsel in litiga-
tioI arising from these causes and knew
the extent and nature of the evil. The bill
w5 8 introduced in the Senate by Senator
w S. Thomson of Cordele, and was cham
ply oned in the House by Mr.. Whipple of
u DOLLY county. Both these gentlemen are
y sing lawyers from the pine belt, and
q ushed the bill as a measure calculated to
promote the development of their section
| fhe act provides that all claimants to wild
Aiard by reason of the illegality of transfers
or on account of insufficient advertisement
shall sue for recovery within three years,
and If they do not sue within that time
their claims shall be barred