The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-10-28
WOULD PERPETUATE
STATE FORESTS
SUBCOMMITTEE MAKES FINAL
REPORT TO STATE FOR.
EsTRY COMMISSION.
Declares in Favor Of Timber Tax
Payable When the Trees Are Cut
Plan Would Remove One Strong Mo-
tive for Rapid Differentiation Of
Lands Under Private Ownership.

Z = + 81
Seattle, Oct. 24.-That virgin timber
should be exempt from taxation until
1t is cut, and that as an encourage
ment to private capital to hold cut
over land for second cut, the state
exempt both the land and the grow
ing tree from taxation until the tim
Der is cut. were the final recommends
tons made by the subcommittee on
forest taxation of the state commits
sion on forest legislation. The report
was presented by Prof. Frank G. MIL
Ter. The other members Of the COM
mfttee were: e. G. Ames and J. J.
Donovan.
Conservation Measure.
The committee suggested in it's re-
port that the change in the method of
taxation proposed would be highly to
the interest of the state as a whole ''in
that it would aid distinctly In perpet-
uating the forest as resource"
The committee, among other things,
said in its report:
This investigation has shown that it
is not so much the amount of the
taxes, but the system that is objected
to. Many an owner would hold his
timber for number Of years and pay
the accumulated tax with interest
when he harvests his crop, but would
be obliged to harvest early where the
tax must be paid annually.
Taxes Increasing.
"The tax on timber land has in
creased rapidly in the last few years,
and there is strong pressure being
brought to bear on tax officials con-
stantly to increase 1t still further. This
pressure will be stronger in the future
than it has been in the past, for as ad-
ditional land is cleared, and in conse-
quence yields less tax revenue, the ten
dency will be to make the uncleared
land make up the difference. The fac
ing of this almost certain increase, to-
gether with. the annual recurrence of
the tax whatever 1t is, with no income
from the property itself with which to
pay it, is going to have the inevitable
result of fastening the cutting unduly,
which means enforced waste through
the rushing of timber OF on weak
market In fact, there is just now de-
cided movement in this direction
Statistics Are Compile.
The committee submitted large
amount of statistical information
showing the timber tax scale for West
ern Washington and what it amounts
to for various periods if compounded
at per cent interest. Tables show
ing the working out of the proposed
stumpage tax were also submitted.
Prof. Thatcher, in the discussion that
followed the reading of the report,
pointed out that one objection to the
plan was that it might be construed as
giving a preference to timber as
against other resources. r. w. Doug
las pointed out that under present
laws fruit trees we're exempt from
taxation. E. G.. Ames declared that
this rule had fostered the planting, of
large orchards yielding annually thou
sands of dollars worth of fruit.
Not favorltl$ms
Mr.. Douglas stated a plan OF taxing
the timber only at the time it was cut
would not give timber a preference in
that it would merely put timber taxa
ton on the same basis as other crops.
Prof. Thatcher presented report OF
the logged-off land committee.
Those present were: ]. ]. Donovan,
chairman; r. w. Douglas, secretary;
Prof. H. K. Benson, Prof. B. w. Thatch-
er. Prof. Frank G. Miller, e. G. Ames,
Frank H. Lamb, all members OF the
commission. The following were also
nresent: B. w. Rawden, Harry Thomp-
son, b. w. Sawyer, v. o. Baker, !. 3.
Jones.