The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-11-19
WOULD PROMOTE
Requesting
LOGGED LAND As
ISOLATION HOLDS ANNUAL
CONVENTION.
Low Tax on PIanted'Tracts Urged De-
fore Observation-Disclosures as to
Best Methods of Utilization St''i III
Progress Under Supervision OF Gov
eminent.

Progress Onoer SUPERVISION "
eminent.
Seattle. Nov. 15.-The Washington
Logged-Off Land Association, at us an
nual convention held at the CONNER
cial Club Saturday afternoon, appoint
ed a committee to draw up bill to De
recommended to the legislature to en-
courage the reforestation of lands de-
nuded of timber and not adapted 10
agricultural purposes, through. exemp-
ton of taxes or the placing of noml-
nal tax upon them. R. w. Thatcher,
director of the state college expert
ment station, told how the $4,000 ap-
propriated by the last legis lature
would be expended in experiments
with the view of ascertaining the most
economical method of clearing land,
These two questions are among the
most vital confronting the association.
Officers for Next Year.
Election of officers for the ensuing
year resulted as follows:
J. J. Donovan, former president OF
Bellingham Chamber of Commerce,
president; Charles Elwood of Seattle,
first vice president; J. w. Brown of
Seattle, second vice president; H. V.
Mathews of Monroe, third vice presi'
tary, and F. E. Barth of Seattle, treas.
urer.
Hon. John L. Wilson visited the
meeting and made five-minute talk.
He characterized the logged-off land
movement as one most vital to West
ern Washington and assured the asso-
citation of his continued support.
Our logged-off lands must ultimate
ly be populated and the sooner we
make them habitable and profitable
the more rapidly are we advancing the
prosperity of the community" said
former Senator Wilson. "An acre of
land on this side of the mountains is
just as valuable as one in the irrigated
belt. Already our dairy business is
one of the most important of our in.
dustries."
Win Prizes for Esasys.
Before Mr.. Wilson arrived the asso.
citation had passed vote of thanks for
his contribution of cash prizes of 500
for the best essays on How to Make
Grass Grow on LOgged-Off Lands. "
Newell Wright won the first prize of
$75 and Louis Treen, jr., the second
prize of $25. Both are students at the
University of Washington. Other
prizes offered by ]. J. Donovan, C. o.
Elwood and ]. w. Brown were also
acknowledged with vote of thanks.
Outlining the experiments which
would be carried on at the state col
lege under the direction of the United
States bureau of plant industry, Mr..
Thatcher said that the cost of remov-
ing stumps by blasting, pulling, explo-
sion and firing would be compared.
Prof. H. X. Benson of the depart
ment of chemistry of the University of
Washington, gave an address upon the
and adaptability of soil.
In concluding, he pointed out that not
enough encouragement was given own
ers of the deforested land to reforest
them. A committee composed of Prof.
Benson, Joseph Shipper and J. J. Don
Ovan was appointed to draw up bill
for recommendation to the legislature
providing for a nominal taxation or
exemption from taxation, if constitu-
tiOnal, of lands on declaration that
they would be reforested. 1t is pos sible
that the bill will provide for the estab-
lishment of state forestry board with
the power of determining desirable
areas for reforestation.
H. w. Sparks suggested that coloni-
cation would be an excellent method of
clearing off land.
Logged-Off Land Problem UnsoIved.
c. J. Zintheo of the Logged-Off Land
Utilization Company, gave an address
on the value of the by-products of
wood. He stated that his company had
succeeded in extracting the following
ingredients from one cord of wood:
Fifty-five bus hels of charcoal, forty gal
Ions of tar, forty gallons of creosore
and $50 gallons of pyrolinous acid.
''The Pacific Northwest affords the
most striking example of the unsolved
condition of the problem of utilizing
the logged-off lands" said Mr.. Zintheo.
I'm the state of Washington, west of
the Cascade mountains, there is an
area of 100000 acres. OF this 5,000,-
900 is in standing timber that is rap
idly being cut down and converted in
to waste logged-off lands, 100000
acres, or q per cent of this area is
now in the form of logged-off land
which means that in it's present con-
dition it does not produce enough to
pay the taxes on it. Only 429,O00 acres,
or per. cent of the whole area, is
under cultivation or improved pasture,
Notwithstanding that this section has
the finest climate and in many cases
E. ~s~ ~~lk nrY