The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-16

than the Ship Island, and the millmen
have to take the situation as II is pre-
scented to them. If the market shall pick
up In the next few weeks the millmen
will have cause to complain. But the
car famine up to this time has probably
been more of a benefit than an evil to the
manufacturers. One buyer in Hattiesburg
made the remark that the ear shortage
had been the salvation of the yellow pine
trade this season, for Ii had held down
the milmen and prevented them from I'M
loading unstable goods on an already de-
pressed market
The subject of disposing OF the cut
over lands of south Mississippi is again
occupying the minds of the land owners
and the Industrial operators of the state
Efforts of different kinds are making to
bring in settlers who Will cultivate these
lands and make the best of them as
farming possibilities Governor Narda-
man has Just approved the charter Of
the Mississippi Interstate Colonizing COM
, pany, domiclled at Gulfport, with cap
ital stock of SIS, 900, the purpose of which
is to bring the piney woods to the at
tention of settlers The incorporators
are John II. Little, S. d. Stuart, j. r.
Miner, and Charles E. Denton. Its pur-
pose as set forth in the charter is to
colonize the cut-over lands in the pney
woods counties. especially that section
traversed by the Gulf apd Ship Island
bring in large colonies that will form COM
munities of their own.
Cut Over Lands.
One cause that is operating to prevent
the settling up of the cut-over lands is
the fact that the milmen who own the
larger tracts have n supreme confidence
in the. future of this section. and con-
fidently believe that In the course Of a
few years this land will be in demand
for farming land at from $50 to $50 per
acre and more They are able to hold
fast to what they have. while II is
sessed as low 50 per acre. and they
Will listen to the colonization plans that
do not promise them sale of their
holdings at prices which cleared land
would bring in colonization areas that
are well advertised
II has been enormously stated In the
trade publications as well as the daily
press that the. lumbermen. especially the
big syndicates, are making loud complaint
OF the increa sed assessment of their
holdings of timberland In south Missls-
sppi. This report Is apt to do injury
to the interests Of the lumber operators.
who have always made 1t their policy to
stand for the maintenance of the public
institutions and otherwise to identify
themselves with the developmental in
terests OF the state. AS many of the larg-
est cumberland holders residents out
OF the state, the attempt mas Deen mace
to create the impression that they can,
out of the state and are unwilling to
do anything to aid in the building up
of the state. That very impression was
In the main responsible for the failure
of Legislative measures that were pro-
posed before the last legislature. which.
If enacted. would have injured to the
advantage of all the state. while only In
cidentally benefitting the lumbermen
Living here in the center of the milling
area. your correspondent has not heard
single complaint from lumberman
that his holdings had been over assessed
In any OF the adjacent counties. where
valuations of from SIS to $40 were placed
on virgin tlmberland that could not be
bought in the oIen market today for less
than $40 and mighty little of II at that.
The complaint has been raised by others
that the timberland had not been valued
high enough, and there has been serious
talk of enjoining the acceptance of the
assessment rolls because of the low valu-
alton on timber land. The lumber syn
dcates have kept close eve on this as
sessment matter because 1t Is one OF great
Importance to them The real estate as
sessment is made in this state only every
four years. and to have the valuation
sary expense during all that period. The
nmbermen desire to have IL known that
they are willing to share their part OF
the public burden, and that they are not
In this country in the capacity of leeches.
sucking the blood out OF the country and
giving nothing in return.