The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-30
ABOUT TAXATION OF
 WOODLAND
Public Hearing Before Spe- cial State Commission at Hartford, Today.

The invitation recently sent out for a public hearing at the Capitol on the subject Of taxation of woodland has brought out some lively discussion. Here is what some Connecticut people say.
 An owner in Litchheld who has
 many acres of woodland and is plant ing new forest, writes the secretary of the commission as follows:
 ~I am distinctly and positively of the opinion, however, that intensive forestry will not make very great Iro- gress in Connecticut or anywhere else, unless some change in the tax laws is made so that the owner of wood annual assessments on property which produces no annual income. Aside from this, however, my own ex- perience leads me to believe that a bring more to the community than any system of annual taxation which it would be possible economically to devise,-certainly more than the Sys- tenn now in force. For the present system takes almost no account of the timber value, except when 1t is extra ordinarily high. When timber is cut, the assessment of the land is reduced, but it is almost universal in this State, I believe, to ignore the timber value after 1t passes the cord-wood stage. When the timber is assessed, the rate becomes such as to compel immediate cutting. l. is the unceI- tainty as to when such an assess ment will be made that discourages the investment of capital in the large acreage of and in the State which is suitable for nothing but forestry and which ought to be profitably em- ployed.''
 A member of the last General As Sembly writes in reference to reforeS- tation, as follows:
 'sIn recognition of the fact that our State is parting with one of her most valuable assets by the indiscrim1nat- fng cutting of the forests, and the terrible destruction wrought on our most valuable timber by the chestnut blight, that such encouragement shou d be given to the reforestation Of our waste places as. shall be a benefit to the State, without mater ia1ly reducing the revenue of the town in which the land is situated
 ''The enactments of the last Gen eral Assembly, together with previous enactments, remove from taxation tracts of land that have been planted under certain conditions, the eXemp- tions might be still more enlarged.
 Rough p'aces and rocky hills>des where planting as specified cannot be attained, or where land is growing up to a desirable growth, and reforesta- land, if valued not to exceed $1O per acre, might be exempt, say for ten years.
 '.The weak point in our provisions IS that or IuS 1dI0 IEdI S4OGAd be in wood, is so situated as to ren- der it impossible to comply with the requirements. If best results are to be obtained a graduated system is necessary to meet the varying condi- tions and greater latitude granted to the supervisor now determining what should be required of each: tract II concessions are to be obtained.
 "@The smal' CT towns canot stand for a diminished revenue, consequently only land that is listed low should be included in the exemptions.
 A manufacturer and owner of wood land says:
 q am glad you are busy with the question. It would seem to me that we ought to develop along the line Of taxing land and timber separately, putting only the most nominal tax on he latter while growing, a little higher while mature, and a fair tax based on market values when cut and sold. We must have such a change in tax laws as will not only cease to penalize holders of forest land but which will encourage owners Of land to keep same planted. The large benefits which come to the people, as ! whole. from growing timber, iusti- ies us in a policy even of generosity to all timber growers, so that steps such as above asking only for justice oueht not to be hard to take.
 T am interested in this matter not only as a citizen but as Secretary of the Sunset Rock Association which 1as made a beg ming in the owner ship and conservation of timber land m our suburbs. and because of my connection with a Company which is a areer consumer of hard woods of which Connecticut could supply a con siderable larger part if foretry in the State were given a good chance
 Equitable taxation of woodland is a i've question now in all the New England states. It has been the sub ect of special investigation recently n New HampShire and in Wisconsin. As early as 1905 Massachusetts be- gan looking into this question.
 At the first conference of New zn and tax officials held January Is | and 19 this year at Boston. Mass. this subject was given a place on the pro gram and it brought out lively dis ;ussion and much valuable informa-