The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-03-10
Il IILL1INOCS Law.

LTSUED.
House File No. 20, introduced, Jan.
1G, 1897, by Judge Hicks, is one of the
NEST iniQuitous pieces of legislation
ever brought be fore the Legislature
of Minnesota.
Tue lumbermcn, it is wcll-known,
proceed to cut the pine off their land,
and then refuse longer to pay taxes on
it, and the state has to buy it in. But
some ingenious scamp, not satisfied
with taking the cream and leaving
the commonwealth the skim milk. got
up a scheme the most far-rcaching we
have ever heard Of.
Under cover Of the pretence that
the state must preserve its forests,
this bill provides for the establish.
ment of what it calls Forest Reserve
Areas" arih no limitation Us to the size OF
the SANE. Then it constitutes Min
ncsota Reserve Forestry Board -
which is to receive deeds Of all lands
conveyed to it and hold the same for
| ecef-free from taXatiOn-and the
state declares its purpose to "reforest
| cut-ovcr and denuded lands. foresting
waste and prairie lands. preventing
destruction Of forests by fire." Our
readers can see the immensely Of the
work cut out for the Board. 1t might
include half OF the lands Of the
state, timbered and prairie.
But the meat of the bill is found in
q tnl, f<lj
ANY person or corporation being
the owner in fee simple of any cut
over Or denuded, or partially cut-over
or partially denuded, natural forest
lands, which will not prOba bly, be util-
IZcd Tor many years for agricultural
purposes, or any bare or waste, or par
| italy bare or waste, rough prairie
lands, or any very sandy, very rough
or very rocky lands, in this state, or
any lands deemed absolutely neces-
sary for the preservation of water
courses, tall to be determined by said
same to the State OF Minnesota for
forestry purposes, Preserving minerals,
oils coats, and mineral paints. srdh tie
right to liant for, dig, mine and CORY droy
TIE su'ne. an q proper and reasonable man
ner, by such temporary machinery,
buildings. appliances, roads, common
or rail, as may be necessary, doing as
little damage as possible to the forest
groWthS thereon, and under the rules,
regulations and requirements of said
state forestry board, or its officers,
agents and executive committee, as
to roads, operating grounds and de-
StructiOn Of treeS) all lands so decided
to the state for forestry purposes by
any person or corporation are HEREBY
FOREVER DEDICATED FOR FORESTRY
PURPOSES
Under the provisions of this section,
if it becomes law, the lum bermen,
who are now ready to abandon their
cut-over lands, rather than pay taxes
on them. can turn them over to this
beautiful Forestry Board; and then
the state takes care of them, and pre-
serves them from fire; and then the
heirs of the donors will have the
right, tor thousand gears to come, to 20
on those lands, and, if they can find
minerals" (and that term includes
everything not animal or vegetable),
or coal or petroleum, or mineral paint,
or iron, or gold or silver, to carry
them off; and they may, at any time.
during a period that will endure as
long as the state endures, go on those
state lands to hunt for,dig, mine and
carry away" those products. And this
whether the state sells the land to a
settler or not.
Tie constitution of this state pro-
vides, (Sec. Is, Art. l, Bill of Rights, J
that "all lands within this state are
declared to be allodial, and feudal
tenures Of every description, with all
their incidents are prohibited" That
is to say whatever land man owns in
this state he owns altoge Their; there
can be no title within title. But
this bill proposes, under cover of
creating rains O. or some other such
tom fcolery, that a new feudalism
should be established; and that the
scamp who gave away land in 1897, be-
cause he did not think it worth pay
ing taxes on, could reserve to his heirs
in 1897, or 2S97, or 5697, the right to
take anything of mineral value that
III hO W AOuuu upOu IL. Anu once
such a bill was passed, and lum Der.
man turned over his denuded lands
TIC the 'Board,' our courts would un-
doubtedly declare it contract" and
the Legislature could never repeal
ill.,!
And they had got this scheme quiet
ly worked through every stage of it's
passage, and the final vote was lust
about to be taken, when we rose and
exp osed its iniquity, and it was refer
red back to Judge Hicks. We did
Judge Hicks the justice Of saying that
we felt sure he did not prepare any
such bill, and he seconded our motion
to have it returned to him.
We have been making some in.
quiries since as to the parentage of
this monstrous proposition. and we
are sorry to say that we find that it
came from, 1.-THE State Forestry AS.
ISOLATION" of ,chich M. s. M. Oren is
president!
We are sorry and ashamed. Sorry
and ashamed that man the PEOPLES
Party once highly honored could be