Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-09-14

to the fact that their forests are gone,
ana must be replaced at any cost.
Names forests are following fast.
Shall we sit idly by and let them go?
We still have an immense amount of
timber, and can. by judicious laws, pre-
vent its waste and ultimate destruction.
We can keep To ourselves, AMI to our
Childrcn's children heritage, the value
of which. in face Of q rapidly approach
ing timber famine. is incalculable.
But if We let it slip out OF our hands.
il will DC gone forever, for we havn't
the money To replace it.
The causes are various. but first and
foremost is our system of Destructive
Taxation.
Pennsylvania suffers from the same
cause. and the enlightened people of
the State propose the same remedy
advocate Log Tax in place Of a Land
Tax.
BY this do not mean a tax on stand
ing trees. for that would increase the
evil. but tax on the Log after it is
cut down and ceases to be q tree.
That this is the right system. is
shown by the fact, that, almost without
exception. those who have given the
matter careful thought have reached
tn" same conclusion.
The accompanying editorial from the
Philadelphia Press of Aug 9th. shows
the enlightened opinion of Prnnsylva-
MA on the matter
Mr ID. H. Darling, IF Gardiner. Me-.
E,r@clv identified with tile lumber inter-
csts OF Il At State, notes with grave con-
Germ the RAPIDLY approaching, exhaustion
of that States timber supply. He aschibeS
il To the fact that tic state conpols the
owners Of trees to throw them on the
market to escape the hrIvy annual tax
upon them.
A State should ain, in its legislation to
conserve ard pclpctuate its supply of
like those Of most Of tn" other States.
tend to DESTROY forests. Tres that pay n
tax every year on their market value.
that is. tL"ir valuc as logs. have to be
converted int" logs and marketed or they
Will impovcrish tho owner. The true pol
icy of tn" state is to tx al logs 1T a
proper rate and to let the trees alone.
AS lorg as tie owner is willing to post
pone his profit on the trees the State
shonld postpone the tax. y tax on land
values. which is estimated by adding the
valu" of the trees or timha- to the value
of the land is tax on trees The only
Nav to escape that tax i to Hut down
the trees and sell then Cor what they
will bring. That is tic policy pursued 50
generally that tie countr,- is becoming
deforcstcd. The trees are disappearing in
most of the States because they are taxed
to 'icath.
We have tried to rcIredv this in Penn
sTlvania i.y allowing n rebate Of a TOR
tinn of tho taxes where land is growing
timber. This does not seem to 10 n great
WAYS in protecting trees Tn" inst and
scientific policy is to ignore the trees in
estimating the value Of land f1r taxation
and tax the tree crop only when it is har-
vested. The county AMI township get all
thcv are entitled To in that way. The
amount of tax levied will 10 4 matter IF
loo n discretion. hut ii Will not cnmncl the
telling Of trees until they arc needed
This rule has been proposed for Penn
svlvania. and Mr. Darling proposes il fNr
Maine. If generally r1optcl AMI int, lii
gent and efficient precautions are taken
at tho sar1c time against forest fires. the
destruction Of our forests will cease to
I've 50 extremely rapid rs if is now ana
tn" rCfnroSta;ion Of oUr now hare hut
once wooded hills viii prnC"od NOR" hopC-
fully and rapidly than is now possible.
Pennsylvania has allowed herself to-
get into this prcdICamcnt and is now
seeking Il way out.
Maine is rapidly coming to the same
state, but must turn aside before it is
too late.
ID. II. DARLING, Treas,