The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-31
NOTE Of WARNING
Timber Lands Should be
Assessed at Their True
Value in Money.
y Prominent Lawyer of IIarnctt Cpun-
~ Urges Vigilance Upon the Part
OF titc People to Prevent Con-
troll hy the Lumber Trust.

MN bS III IkltitllffI 1Iu-t.
To the Editor.-As a citizen and tax
payer OF this State [ believe il ug duty
to sound a note Of warning To- tine peo-
pie Of Eastern Carolina as t. what an
pears to be u concerted action ou tae
part Of certain lumber companies
Enhanced mostly 10y Northern capitaD
composing Il combination known a.
the North Carolina Pine Association
and operating a trust IL defiance of the
law.
1t is a well known fact that these
different lumber companies. compos-
ing this unlawful combination. or
trust, have within the last few years
purchased almost the entire growth Of
standing timber in the eastern part Of
this state at prices varying from thirty
to fifty cents per thousand. and this,
too, has been done by means OF
schemes and plans cCncocted at head
quarters and pcrpetrated pom the peo-
pie il; a instances by unScTupu-
lOus and dishonest methods by the tim
Der buyers and agents of these compa
MES. In some INSTANCES they claim to
have paid as much as one dollar per
thousand for this timber. but this was
based upon an estimate Of the timber
furnished by an c~Stinatcr in the en-
plOy OF one or more of these CDnlna-
mics. Thus 4 great fraud has been per-
pctratcr upon the people Of the state
and caused them to part with thtir
timber in many instances for a trif-
ling sum.
The law requires the county COM
m~issioners in the different counties to
appoint tax assessors on the first Mon
day in June, 1907, whose duty it shall
be to assess the timber values of these
lumber companies, as wen as other
property values. These assessors are
appointed every three years. and III"
county commissioners to be elected
this year Will appoint the assessors III
the different counties on the first
Monday in juno. 1907.
Whenever it becomes necessary for
these companies to condemn the lands
of an individual for the purpose of q
right Of way Owe said lands. the law
requires them to file q petition before
the Clerk of the Superior Court in the
county in which they operate to have
said lands condemned, and it becomes
the duty of the Clerk to appoint three
commissioners to view the premises
and assess the damages to the land
owner before said right of way is
granted. In all special proceedings for
the sale of undivided interests in
lands and timber Il petition is filed
before the clerk of the court in the
county where the timber or land is
located and the clerk has to pass upon
the questions involved, and in many
49, lllIbAC1 VI l I'LL
p~ortance to the lumber companies are
often brought before the clerk of the
court. such as filing and passing upon
bonds in Injunction and other matters
Having stated the above in brief,
n can readily see that it would be to
the interest of this great lumber trust
to have elected this year, in the diff
ferent counties where they operate,
clerk of the court and county commits
SlOnerS who would be friendly to their
n nr-nC G - n1i ~f "
many ways, aid or delay this great
combination of lumber companies in
proceedings had before them
which would effect their rights. Thus
We can see how important it would be
to these companies to control tht nom
nations Of certain men for clerks of
the court who would be friendly to
interests. In the same way we can
how important it would be to
them to dictate and control the nOmi-
nation of certain men for county com
m1SSlOnerS who are friendly to their
interest and who would appoint tax
assessors in June. 1907. who would be
to their interests.
A great kick is already being made
by these lumber companies against
the taxes now charged against them,
and in some counties on the first Mon
day in last June. they actually had the
gall to appear by representatives and
by counsel, and ask the commissioners
of the county to reduce the assessed
value on their timber holdings to 10
per cent. of h amount tina they
actually paid for said timber. This
same combination and trust. in open
has advanced the price of
lumber from eighteen to thirty dol
lars per thousand. which cost from
thirty cents to fifty cents per thousand,
and notwithstanding this fact they are
e~ndeaVorlng to reduce the taxes on
tA1S to 10 per cent of what
actually paid for it. Would it
not be a great hardship upon the tax
of the State, who are taxed on
the full values, of their property. to
these lumber companies only pay
on - per cent. of the purchase
money they paid for the timber. which