Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-24
MAINE EDITORIAL COMMENT.
The Question of Wild Lands.
Bangor Commercially

| Ndlhe state Grange, in his address de-
ilVered at the meeting of the grange al
Augusta, Tuesday, in reference to
| the subject Of the taxation of wild
| lands, gives credit to the owners Of
| Wild lands of having collected a fund
OF Sl2O0O for the purpose of defeatine
proposed legislative action that con-
tempiated constitutional amendment
| ms legislation was not asked by the
conServat tive, fair-minded members of
the grange but rather by few in
dividuals who had little conccDtion of
| their subject.
In this connection it is interesting to
note that Mr.. Gardner has not been in
favor of constitutional amendment as
may be seen by the following extract
from an interview with Mr.. Gardner
had III October by enc of the editors of
the Commercial. The following OK
tract is from an interview as pub
| lished at that time:
Mr. Gardner in the course OF n con-
vers;'tion with the Commercial repre-
sentative said that it is a mistake to
consider that tn" State Grange is be-
hlnd Il movement to change the con-
St'tutlon in order to place a higher
rate of taxation upon the wild lands of
the state as is asserted by Liber, 4
DcnIIett. Esq. Of Portland. 1T shoud
b" understood i'm this Connection re-
marked Mr.. Gardner that when the
vote was taken at Lewiston two yea-s
ago, endorsing such 4 proposition. q
large number of the delegates had left
for their homes and those present did
DIV 4
matter in the last hurried minutes of
the session. l have talked with menu
bcrs of the order all over the State ard
know that they do not favor any such
proposition. The constitution is clear
and concise and as the foundation Of
our laws should not be changed for
the purpose desired by Mr.. bennett
Even should it be we would be lust
where We are now in the matter of the
wild lands for we would have to take
the question of valuation.'"
The allegation that the timberland
owners collected s12, 900 for the purpose
of influencing legislation, is an out
rageous misStatement. for as a matter
of fact, not One-Quarter of such sum.
less than $4,000 in truth, was collected
paid in any manner that would not
stand the board light of day. The land
owners have nothing to conceal in this
matter and such innuendOes or state
mcnts as those of Master Gardner are
not only false but are absolutely I'M
fair.
The wild land owners are not work.
ing under cOrver in this matter. The
money raised was expended for attor-
neys to argue the case and for hotel
bills at Augusta. just as legitimate
expenses are paid by the grange legis-
lativc committee or by any parties or
corporations that have business before
the Legislature.
The great majority of the wild land
owners are always willing to bear their
part of the burdens of the State and
now that the State is using large por-
ton of the sum Of about 100000. raised
by appropriations, the sale of licenses.
etc, TO summoning persons from all
over this country and even from other
countries to tramp over the wild lands
killing game and setting fires they are
compelled to bear this burden in addi-
ton to the tax assessed. a burden that
hotel and camp owners, the guides and
the farmers.
The greatest question that today con-
fronts the State of Maine in so far as
future generations are concerned is
this matter of forest protection. There
is no other question that even remotely
approaches it in Importance. Without
our forests. our lumber and pulp bust
ness would decline to nOthingneSS and
our water powers from the long drouth
in summer would be hOpelessly ruined,
stopping the wheels of progress and
industry all over the State. 1t is i'm
possible for us at this time to even re-
motley conceive Of the danger that
would be worked to the State, but still
in his address in Augusta, Master
Gardner did not even refer to this most
important question of protecting the
forests from fires.
Commissioner Ring in his report goes
into the matter thoroughly and states
that in addition to the $4,000 apprO-
priation spent by the State about Si0.-
900 is used annually by the timber land
owners in patrolling the forests and
putting out fires, which but for timely
discovery would soon destroy property
to the value of hundreds of thousands
of dollars.
One prominent Bangor land owner.
who is thoroughly acquainted with this
subject, estimates that the amount
spent annually by the owners is nearer
500, 600 than the figures set by Com
missioner Ring. A great deal Of the
expenditure by different owners is
never reported to the State.
In addition to the dangers brought to
these lands by hunters new railroads
have been built and miles and miles of
new track projected, all of which adds
and will continue to add to the danger
from fire.
There is no class more deeply affected
by this question of forestry protection
than the farmers of the State and it
would seem that the master of the
State Grange would have taken a more
manly and proper course if he had de-
voted some of his time to this topic
than have given 1t over to The promul-