Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-01-19

New York owning about q million and
half acres. acquired both by purchase
and by forfeiture nader the tax laws, and
Pennsylvania an area of 100000 acres, OBJ
tanned by purchase and tax sales The
famous forest of Fontainebleau in France
is growing upon soil originally no better
than the wastes OF south Jersey. IT.
yields an annual income in forest prod
ucts Of $4,000 while it occupies territory
no more extensive than Essex county or
about one-fourth that of Cumberland
county. Experiments in forestry in Ber-
gen county for revenue fa~ the last eight
years show an annual faturn of 5 per
cent. Twenty-Five thousand dollars worth
of timber has been cut and vet the forest
is worth more than when the experiments
began. The state forests OF Europe pro
vide revenue reaching from 70 cents TO
$3.50 an acre. Alsace-L Lorraine derives an
income of $350.000 a year from this source
the duchy of Baden $667 600, the kingdom
of Murttemberg s607 600. the kingdom of
SaXony $1.946 GEO. Every one of them is
smaller than the state of New Jersey
This revenue is derived, not by depicting
the forests but by scientific cutting of the
mature trees to make room for their
younger and better companions. We have
thousands of acres of land in this state
part of it mere brush land part of it
abandoned and waste all of it unsightly
and all capable of growing trees that
would beautify the landscape, afford at
tractive driveways. furnish places of
recreation for the well and health resorts
for the sick and be q source of income
to our commonwealth. Much of this land
can be purchased for a dollar an acre
and in some cases can be obtained for
taxes.
l suggest this subject for your consid
GRAFTON and recommend that within
proper limits the state by purchase or
condemnation secure this waste and UNI
profitable land and develop it as forestry
reserves. For some time at least the ad
ministratiye work in this connection
could be performed with little or no ex-
pense by the state board of geolo ical
survey, and our game wardens coule act
as fire wardens.
Agriculture.
The population of our state and the CON
tributing population in the near vicinity
amounts to about 100000. This vast
market for our products makes the agri-
cultural interests of New Jersey of spe-
cial value The wealth of our farms,
$780, 100000 with an annual product of
$44, COO 900, is worthy of encouragement by
the state. Our appropriations for agri-
cultural purposes have been wisely in
creased during the last ten years. and the
state can well afford to make further
investments for the encouragement and
development of this resource. Farming
has ceased to be mere gift of nature,
it requires the aid of science and skill.
Other states have given special attention
to education in this direction. Short
courses in agriculture in the winter
months have proved enlinently success
full New Jersey can well follow their
example We have facilities at the Ag
ricultural college for school of this
character where such instruction could be
civ 70 rod In acyrio 1raJ
pursuits as would add to the wealth and
productiveness of our soil. knowledge is
power in the fields as well as in the
office.
Riparian Lands.
Most of the riparian grants Of our
state have been disposed of in fee sim
pie and are no longer state assets. Ri
parian rights yet in our possession are
worth perhaps $4,000 900. These rights,
especially such as are located along the
Hudson river, will grow in value with
the growth of the country. Nature has
fixed their limit They cannot be multi
piled and the business demands upon
them are continually growing. If in the
past the state had not parted with her
rights in this respect, she would now
have an immensely valuable asset and
one that would be a source of perpetual
revenue. If the policy of the past has
been mistaken one let us at once cor
rect it. The legislature can provide that
riparian lands shall no longer be dispos-
ed of in fee simple, but shall be leased
on rentals which at proper periods
shall be readjnsted on fair basis Of
increased value. Such establishments
could be determined, in cases of dispute,
by a representative of the state and
representative of the lessee, which would
insure fairness to both parties.
One riparian grant made twenty years
is a assessed at a five times
larger than was paid for it. another made
ten years ago at $50 front foot is now
valued al $1,000 front foot, and still an
other made less than five years ago is
now held at many times its cost to the
grantee. There are many similar in
stances. l submit that is unwse policy
for our state to part with this valuable
source of income.
The preservation and development of
the resources and interests of our COM
monwealth are the legitimate functions of
government. God has bountifully blessed
our state in the years that are gone. Let
us prove worthy of his mercies in the
years to come righteousness exalteth
a nation, and patriotism rather than par
tisanship should mark the administration
of government. Such policy tends to
the public good develops a spirit of civic
pride and makes every citizen of the
state feel that he has a direct and per-
SOnal interest III the SuCCeSSlul
tration of her affairs. Good government
is not only the desire of the people, but
a just obligation imposed upon their Off
Gals. 1t demands that useless offices be
abolished: that state boards unneces-
sarily large be reduced; that public Off
Gals render full services for the compen-
sation they receive; that the system of
abolishing fees in public office, SO auspici-
ously begun, be extended throughout the
state, and that spirit of wise economy
peryade our councils. The cry that the
state is rich, even if true, does not justify
the unwise or needless expenditure of a
single dollar The surplus in the treasury
is not dangerous, nor indeed, has it yet
exceeded the proportions of a safe and
necessary working balance; but, whatever
its amount, it belongs to the people and
should be prudently employed. The state
of New Jersey will not be rich until it
has sufficient money to provide school
accommodations for every child in the
state, to care properly for every state
dependent, to complete the system of
good roads to pay necessary expenses of