The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-26


country at large. Secretary Wilson will
make a public address at Plymouth
church tonight. p ~ r
An invitation was read from Chat
tanooga, asking the association to hold
it's next session there. Secretary Bow
ers explained that it was wanted to stimu-
late the movement for an Appalachian
forest reserve. At his suggestion the ex-
ecutive committee was directed to send
two or three speakers to Chattanooga to
hold meeting the subject.
B. A. Fowler of Phoenix, Arizona, was
appointed a delegate to the meeting Of the
National Irrigation association at Ogden,
Utah. -
Colorado was not represented at this
w. G. M. Stone, president of. the state
forestry association, explaining that they
are doing active work toward reform in
forestry methods. ~ y
Timber Taxation Opposed.
An interesting discussion was held on
the subject of forest taxation, treated of
in Professors sBrunckens paper yesterday
afternoons Dfs~Schenck said the taxa
ton Of timber, crops was as Unjust as it
would be on the farmers standing crops.
Some other basis should be. adopted as
gross earnings tax or, a tax on the soil
value. The federal government was in
terested in forest preservation and should
have it's sole regulation. ti~@
=. DR.. Folwell of the university said that
in his belief the property tax would be
abandoned, as. it is in England. George
K. Smith Of st. Louis, secretary Of the
Southern Lumber Manufacturers associa-
ton, said that the only practical method
of reforestation in the south was to with
draw the cut-over lands from taxation
and sale, so~they could be allowed to de-
velop. He promised to do his best to pre-
pare statistics showing the amount Of
cut-over lands%in the yellow pine belt
R. L. Mccormick, president of the Mis-.
sissippi Valley Lumbermen's association
said he looked at the question Of reforest-
alton from business mans standpoint
In the south an 18-inch tree can be
grown in thirty years, and in the NORTH
it would take 100 years. The farmers il
the. southern pine. barrens could be trans.
planted to the northern cut over lands anC
make good living. He favored taxing
by an assessment of. so much thousand
| at the time the pine is cut.
+ "A Lumberman's Idea.
| B: F. Nelson spoke before the associa
ton upon "A Lumberman's Idea Of Refor:
| estation." He said in part:
| The lumbermen Of to-day are Otter
| bitterly denounced as the vandals Of tn,
forest. They are charged with the ruth
less destruction Of virgin timber at tn,
! expense Of. future generations. It
needless to say that the lumbermen resen
tsuch criticism, as they do not feel tina
/ their vocation is without moral excus
or reason; 81
! t'There has been abundant excuse 70
the destruction Of the forests. The for
ests was the natural enemy Of our fore
fathers, and without it's destruction on
| land could not have been settled and ad
vanced as it is to-day. The forests ha,
to- be sacrificed that the great prairie
might be won. The lumbermen are a
willing as most persons to deplore tn
! ravaging of the forest, but they do no
believe themselves any more responsible
for it than the conditions Of society which
demand 1T. They are very naturally II
! favor Of reforeStat1on where the same
| practicable, because Of the many benefi
cent influences accruing therefrom, in tn
effect Of forests on the flow Of streams
| on winds and temperature and on the gen
eral prosperity and welfare of the nation
| We. believe that the greater part of tn
land from which the timber has been re
moved In the northern pine belt is mucl
more valuable. and suitable for cuItiva
!: ton than for reforestation.''
Our Past and Future Forest Policy
was discussed by T. B. Walker Of Mime
apolis. His paper was, in brief, as fol
lows:
| Eat present rate of consumption tn,
amount Of timber now standing will b,
consumed within thirty-five years. In tn,
near future substitutes for wood and cur
tailed consumption, better forestry meth
DDS and reproduction will be necessitated
Responsibility of lumbermen for wastefu
methods should rest equally upon tn,
public generally and Son the government
Our vast hardwood forests have beer
cut away and in large part burned in los
heaps by the pioneer settlers in clearins
their lands for cultivation.l National
state and county government have au
thorized and protected all frontier settler.
and loggers in wasting our forests. Home
stead law and pre- emption and timber
and stone act and the land sales in forty:
acre tracts at public auction scattered
the ownership Of timber lands. Lumber
men could not secure sufficient areas O.
timber to make economical logging opera
tions or apply proper forestry methods
For purchasing lands Of entrymen, lum
bermen have been censured and criti
oized by thus doing what the laws un.
doubtedly anticipated. Violations Of tht
laws are exceptions, not the rule
Premature county organizations anG
heavy taxes on unproductive land where
owners were nonresidents and. derived
no benefit from the tax have aided In de.
nuding the forests to escape this burden
AFTERNOON SESSION
There were several important paners