Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1909-04-01
How the Forestry Bill will Effect the
Farmer.

lie FARMERS OF pennsylvania are
showing much interest in the Forest
ry Bill now before the House Of
Representatives, known as house
Bill No. 226, the essential words of
which are as follows:
THAT the Pennsylvania Depart
mentAof forestry shall have power to
make reasonable rules and regula-
tions and to issue permits governing
the cutting and removal of timber
and wood and the pasturing of live
stock and FALL other occupancy and
use of timber, land and wood land
within this commonwealth.
Here is inserted paragraph de-
claring any violation of the bill a
misdemeanor punishable by fine
not exceeding $4,000 or imprison-
ment not exceeding 80 days, or both,
and then the following:
"Provided" That nothing in this
act shall prevent the use of any lend
in good faiths#** for the marketing
of the mature forest products of
of such lands upon permits to be
issued by the Department Of Forest
tryt* ~.
One Of the direct results of this
bill will lbe that the Pennsylvania
Department of Forestry shall have
the power to make rules and regu-
lations governing the way in which
the farmers shall cut their trees and
wood from their own wood lots in
which they pasture their cattle, and
the farmers will be compelled to Sc
cure permits from the Pennsylvania
Commissioner of Foresting when
ever they desire to cut one or more
trees for wood purposes.
The bill would practically give the
power to the Forestry Commission
er at Harrisburg of saying whether
or not any particular farmer may go
into his own wood lot and have the
privilege of cutting some fence posts,
wood for his house or sugar bush or
a binding pole for his hay rack, or
to cut trees or wood for any other
purpose whatever.
If for any reason the Commission
er of Forestry should decline to
grant a permit in any of the above
cases the farmer has no redress
whatever, but must meekly submit
to a law which confscates his proper
ty.
On account of the high prices of
wood and lumber the wood lots
attached to nearly all farms have in
creased very largely in value, which
fact has become very generally
to the tax assessors, who for the
past few years have and no doubt
in the future will gradually increase
the valuations on said lots for tax.
ing purposes. The result is that
the farmers are every year paying
higher and higher taxes on their
wood lots, and if permits cannot
for any reason be obtained to cut the
trees the result is high taxes and no
income, which means conticicatlOn.
In other words the farmer will be
compelled to pay high taxes upon
lands which he owns and cannot use.
The bill opens up many new
troubles for the farmer. Suppose he
desires piece of timber for some
particular purpose and does not
wish t, delay few weeks in order
to forward an application for per-
nit to the Commission Of Forestry
and wait for an inspector to come
from Harrisburg to view the par
ticular tree and make report, but
imm ediately goes upon his own land
and cuts down the tree and then sup
pose he is seen by a passerby or
troublesome neighbor and reported.
He at once becomes liable to fine
of S500,00 and term in Jail. This
is certainly not the kind of legls-
lature which would promote the
prosperity and happiness of the far.
mers of Pennsylvania.
In another, more indirect, but as
positive a way will the proposed
bill injure the farmer. The lumber
men buy from the farmers and use
annually thousands of tons of hay
and thousands of bushels of grain,
besides being one of the largest of
any classes consuming all other farm
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