The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-10-07

sought to add an entirely new section
to Article TX of the Constitution. to be
read az follows:
"Section IS. To secure a sustained
yield of timber for the use Of the peo-
shall annually levy and collect a taS
of one-fifteenth of one mill on eacn
dollar of taxable property within tnls
state, the proceeds of which shall oe
used for the purchase Of land PETER
adapted for forestry purposes than for
$500 per acre, and for the production
and maintenance thereon of forest &C.
cording to forestry principles.
'Unexpended balances shall not lapse
but constitute a fund for forestry pur-
poses. @~@
The timber produced thereon shall
be sold at 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 rev.
enue shall be paid to the towns, or II
unorganized, to the county, in which
the land is situated, in aid OF public
schools and roads. 4-.-
- Should any tract acquired be found
better adapted for any other purpose
l1Ldu Tic pFOuuCllOl VI I4111Uc1, ~ AAe~S
be sold and the proceeds used for &C.
curing or developing forestry land.
Until otherwise directed by the leg
islatu"e, which may supplement these
provisions with necessary enactments,
the state forestry board shall draw ana
disburse the money hereby proy1deo
and purchase, manage and control the
lands and forests.
mo money shall be paid for any
tract until the attorney general shall
certify to the validity of the title.
1T shall be competent for two sue
cessive regular legislatures, by two
thirds vote Of each house. to repeal any
of these provisions"
EFFECT. This proposed amend
hereafter men toned should be read to-
gether. They constitute the fOunda-
ton for a plan of state REPRESENTATION
As the constitution stands today, while
the legislature might pass laws pro-
viding funds to be used for the Pur-
chase Of lands, and the cultivation OF
the same for REPRESENTATION purposes,
yet it is not directed to do SO. The
effect then of this amendment Is to
COMPEL the taxing officers Of the state
to annually levy and collect n tax OF
One-fifteenth of one mill on each dollar
of taxable property In the state, to be
used as the legislature shall direct, fol-
the purchase for the state of land
adapted to forestry purposes, but at
price not to exceed $3 per acre. All
unexpired balances in the fund Mt the
end of each fiscal year shall not lapse,
but shall be carried over into the fund
thus raised for the succeeding year and
shall be an addition thereto. 1t also
directs the sale, ut a fair valuation, OF
the timber produced ON such land so
purchased, the payment of three
fOurths of the money received there
%V>H
payment of the remaining One-fOUrth
to the town, If organized, or otherwise
to the county in which the land is sit
uated, and that the same shall there
he credited to the public school funds
If after the land Is purchased 1T Ia
found better adapted for any other pur-
pose than the production of timber,
authority il contained in this amend
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 twO-th1rds vote OF
each house to repeal any of the fore
going provisions. That is to say, II
after a trial, such plan for any reason
Is found to be impracticable or unde-
sirable, and 1t 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 Il distinct change in the meth
DDS heretofore in vogue in Minnesota
in 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 1T be adopt
ed, that power Is not taken away and
also exists. But n new power, that OF
repeal by the Legislature, ms to this
amendment, il 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 Availability.