Morris tribune., 1910-10-14

sought 60 add an entirely new seCt1ol
to Article TX of the Constitution, to be
known as Section 1S, and which shall
read as follows:
Section 18. To secure a sustained
yield of timber for the use of the peo-
pie of this state, the proper ot1cttais
shall annually levy and collect eot Oh
dollar of taxable property within tnn
state, the proceeds of which shall pe
used for the purchase of land oeCCeF
adapted for forestry purposes than IOt
agriculture for the state at not over
$500 per acre, and for the productloh
and maintenance thereon of forest "o
cording to forestry principles.
"Unexpended balances shall not lapse
but constitute a fund for forestry pur-
poses.
"The timber produced thereon shaI
be sold at a fair valuation and the rev
enue therefrom or from other source
shall be paid into the state treasury
except that one-quarter OF the net Lef -
enue shall be paid to the towns, VI
unorganized, to the county, in Wnlcn
the land is situated, in aid of pupAic
schools and roads.
Should any tract acquired be louLlH
! better adapted for any other PURPOSE
, than the production Of timber, II my
be sold and the proceeds used 1or o."
quiring or developing forestry lano'
Until otherwise directed Dy the les
islature, which may supplement THESE
provisions with necessary enactLhellIe;
the state forestry board shall draw en- an
disburse the money hereby proTg Tl46o to q
and purchase, manage and ContrOI INC
lands and forests.
mo money shall be paid for any
tract until the attorney general Shall
certify to the validity of the title
cit shall be competent for two sue
cessive regular legislatures, by wv
thirds vote of each house, to repeal @n'
! of these provisions.
EFFECT. This proposed amend
ment, and the proposed amendLheMn' en-
hereafter mentioned should be Fea" ~
Eether. They constitute the founua~
tiOn for a plan of State refOrestrdIaC1' 1
AS the constitution stands today WhAA~
the Legislature might pass laws RIO
Viding funds to be used Tor tHe PWA
chase of lands, and the cultivation OA
the same for refOrestratiOn purposes
yet it is not directed to do So
effect then of this amendment IS 10
COMPEL the taxing officers of the state
to annually levy and collect d tax OA
One-ffteenth of one mill on each uOAlA
of taxable property in the state 10 NC
used as the legislature shall direct, hOE
the purchase for the state of AanO
adapted to forestry purposes nut al
u, price not to exceed $S per acre IN m
unexpired balances in the fund AT the
end of each fiscal year shall not Aapse'
but shall be carried over into the funu
thus raised for the succeeding year anu
shall be an addition thereto. A. also
directs the sale, at a fair valuation Oh
the timber produced on such land SO
purchased, the payment of three
fOurths of the money received there-
from into the state treasury, and tne
payment of the remaining One-fOurth
to the town, if organized, or otherwise
to the county i'm which the land Is Slt-
uated, and that the same shall there
be credited to the public school funds'
If after the land is purchased II is
found better adapted for any other pur-
pose than the production of timber,
authority is contained in this amend4
ment to sell it, but the proceeds must
be used for acquiring or developing
forestry land. Until the legislature
provides otherwise, all purchases shall
be under the direction of the State For
estry Board. The title to all lands
purchased must be approved by the
Attorney General before purchase is
made. 1t is further provided that two
successive regular legislatures shall
have power by a twO-thirdS vote OF
each house to repeal any of the fore
going provisions. That is to say, If
after a trial, such plan for any reason
is found to be impTacticabIe or Unde-
sirabIe, and ft so appears to two sue
cessive legislatures, any or all of the
foregoing provisions of the amendment
may be repealed. The Legislature does
not now possess such power and the
same is a distinct change in the meth
DDS heretofore in vogue In Minnesota
I'm the making and revising of the Con-
stitutiOn. Heretofore an amendment
might only be made to the Constitution
or a provision of that instrument elm
mated by direct vote of the electors.
Under this amendment, If it be adopt
ed. that power is not taken away and
also exists. But a new power, that of
repeal by the legislature, as to this
amendment, is created. Such power
however, would extend to no other pro-
vision of the Constitution and affords
an easy method of change in case of
necessity or adVfsability.