Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-05
\ Town Without Taxes.

The town of Faleide, Norway, i'm
poses no taxes on its lucky inhab-
tants,' says the London, England, By
stander. During the last so years
the authorities at Faleide have sold
over $5,000,000 worth of trees; AMI,
by judicious replanting, have provided
for a similar income every so years.
In consequence of this source of CON-
mercial wealth. there are no taxes il
Faleide, and local railways and tele-
phones are free, as well as education
and drinks upon the kings birth
day"
How Utopian the suggestion, at first
blush, of a town without taXes,"
Think of it. people of Rock Island and
Rock sland county and state of Hi
nois, who annually step up to the
treasurcr's office and unload year :
savings to keep the wheels of local
government moving! Yet the expland-
ton is simple. Instead of permitting
all of its forest lands to become prl-
waite property, to be cut over, burned
over or converted into a source of in
come in other ways to private indi-
viduals or corporations, this Norway
town has simply retained an area for
its own use and has administered the
forests thereon for the benefit of the
whole people of the town. In conSe
quence the community enjoys a per.
manent income from a permanent es
tate, an income, furthermore, suff
ciently large to render taxation unnec
essary.
| There still remains some of the pub
| lie domain in this country and some u
Natures gifts to mankind in Illinois
Portions of these are occupied by oul
national forests. Other portions ar
occupied by coal lands. Shall we b.
/ wise in time and secure these Goa
lands, by wise laws. for the benefit O.
the whole people, or shall we PERM
them. too, to pass into the hands O
! trusts. which. when another coal fam
inc comes. may charge us what tn.
traffic will bear? The experience o
this Norway town, above related. elO
quently presages the possibilities o
| Jul AihttlClAtll lOlCSlH. do tilllDtl SlduS
ter ON privately owned forests contin
ues and the price of lumber and al
lumber products scars aloft like tn,
! Fourth of July balloon.
During a recent visit to nOrtherl
Michigan, the writer saw hundreds o
thousands acres of denuded pine bea,
ing lands. the second growth. inStea
of being conserved and preserved. a
ready became an unsightly waste C
lblackened ruins from forest fires: an
further saw the mills scattered owe
that section working day and nigh
cutting into boards the hemlOcE an
the hard woods that still are to b
found i'll large tracts. No effort appar
emily is made to save the growing tin
Der or renew that cut down and dc
stroyed.
Through the same reckless matter
ton of the public to its own interest
hundreds of thousands of acres of coz
lands in Illinois, are being acquired b
specializing corporations for privat
gain. The coal beneath these acres
being held out of market to be mine
as may seem most profitable to thos
; who are securing the title" to it
r Is it in this way that the God {
Nature intended his beneficent prov
. siOns of timber and of coal to be Q
| plotted? Is it too late to inaugurate
7 this country methods by which con
! munities and states shall become ia
| less through the generosity of til
, Creator to His creatures? The Unite
! States forestry department and Il
I American Forestry association al
doing something, at least, to conser'
our natural heritage for the benei
of all the people throughout all tim'
-, but the work cannot be advanced {
it should be until every communit
' every county, every state shall Jo
in taking measures for saving Il
l. woods and the coal veins from Il
i hand of monopolistic corporations al
, ruthless spectators.