Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-01-27
L0CCED-0FF LAND
PLAN PRESENTED
Three Bills Placed Before
Legislature Embodying
Hanson Proposals
TO HELP SMALL OWNER
Local Improvement Districts
and Bonds, Like Street
Improvement Plan

OLYMPIA, Jan. 25.-In an effort to
settle the logged-off land problem of
Western Washington, Miller Free
man of King county, has introduced
in the house three bills, providing
for the formation of loggedoff land
improvement districts the clearing of
land in such districts, and the pay
ment for the clearing on a 10-year
bond plan similar to that now in
vogue in the Improvement of streets,
roads, etc
The bills are offered as against
the proposed $20,000000 bonding plan
that has been proposed. They carry
the plan of state aid to the extent of
examining the land to determine if it
is worth clearing and while they
make no direct provision for state
purchase of logged-off land improve
ment bonds, this idea is proposed in
connection with the measures.
Good Investment for State
1--WE are not going out and asking
the state to buy and clear lot Of
land. We are simply suggesting a
way for the small land owner to help
himself" said Miller Freeman today.
''In this connection it might be stat
ed that the state has always on hand
a lot of money for investment and We
think the purchase of such interest
bearing bonds would be a good in
vestment.
"This, however, is simply incident
al to the plan which has been work
ed out in detail by Howard Hanson,
assistant corporation counsel of Sc
attic. Mr.. Hanson has made study
for years of this problem, and the
bills l introduce are his bills"
Mr.. Hanson, who is in Olympia, in
the interest of the measures, explain
ed them as follows:
"The first bill provides that any
owner or owners of lands in the same
general locality may petition the coun-
ty commissioners for the improve
ment of at least 40 acres of such
lands. This petition is filed with the
county auditor, day fixed for hear
ing, the county engineer makes a re-
port and the superintendent of the
Western Washington Experiment sta
tion makes report thereon, stating
number of matters which it is es-
sential to know
'1f the report shall be in fav-
or of the Improvement, the county
commissioners shall call for bids and
if the bids do not exceed the amount
specified by the property owners in
their petition per acre, contract shall
be let, the work done under the di-
rection of the county engineer, and
an assessment levied upon lands
cleared for the cost of clearing such
lands. This assessment becomes a
lien upon the lands cleared and is
payable as an annual tax covering a
period of 10 years, but the county
commissioners may direct that it is
not to exceed three years.
Paying Is Made Easy.
'After the work is finished, no in
stallments need be paid, but only in
terest, thus making a total of 13
years within which to pay for the
Improvement. The contractor dur.
ing the course of construction will
be paid by warrants upon the spec
ial Improvement fund. When the
work is finished these warrants will
be taken up and he will receive
bonds therefor. These bonds are es-
sentially mortgage bonds. The cost
of clearing AS land being assessed
to AS land without regard to the
lands of any other petitioner.
THE second bill declares a state
policy with regard TO Withdrawing
from sale such state lands as are only
suitable for reforestation, whether
such lands are being cut over or tim
bered.
"The third bill declares a state
policy by providing that the state
shall enter upon the plan of acquir-
ing, either by purchase or by con-
demnation, privately owned logged
off lands suitable only for reforesta-
ton"