The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-10-16
STATE LAND POLICY
BRINGS BIG PROFIT
Sale Of Timber Nets as Much to Min
nesota as Wisconsin and Mich
igan Together Secure.
AUCTION WAS HELD YESTERDAY
Sale Brought $5oo,ooo-Method of
Conservation Adopted in 1862 and
State Has Derived $S,OO0,OO0.

conservation ADOPTED IN 1862 and
State Has Derived $s,000,0OO.
Minnesota by it's shrewd business
methods has realized more from the
sale of timber alone than either
Michigan or Wisconsin has received
from the sale of timber, lands and
mineral rights.
A statement given out by Samuel
G. Iverson, state auditor, shows that
this state from its timber sales alone
has derived revenue Of almost as
much as Wisconsin and Michigan to-
gether
How They Compare.
The amount of state lands granted
to the three states by the Federal
government and the amounts in their
trust funds follow.
Acreage Trust Fund
Minnesota ..s,473,18O $34,0OO,000
Michigan 9,132,093 5,SO5,459
Wisconsin 6,366,921 4,3S1,184
Combined Funds $10,187,143.
The combined trust funds of Mich
igan and Wisconsin amount to $10,-
187,143. This amount of money was
obtained under the policy Of selling
all state lands with the timber stand
ing on them and including mineral
rights. The pioneers of Minnesota
adopted different policy-one of
onservation-and as a result the
state has derived $s,OO0,00O, which
is included in $34,00O,000 trust fund
from the sale of it's timber alone.
Much Land Remains.
The huge trust fund of Minnesota
overtops those of the other two
states making them insignificant in
comparison. But Minnesota is not
through. The state still has about
2,250,000 acres of state lands unsold,
Mr.. Iverson said. More than one
half of this area is timbered. There
is also a large area Of untillable
state land, Mr.. Iverson said, that
some day will be covered with per-
petual forests
At the office of Mr.. Iverson yester-
day 100000 feet of timber on
state lands were sold at auction. This
was a portion of the timber that has
brought Minnesota such large rev.
enues and is being sold under the
policy adopted years ago of selling
the timber from state lands and later
selling the lands themselves. The
sale brought 100000.
Timber is Valuable.
The timber on sale consisted of
white and Norway pine, spruce, bal
sam, cedar and tamarack. The pri-
ces, as appraised by state timber ex-
perts, are from SO to $40 thousand
feet. The timber is located in big
area stretching from Cook county to
the Red lakes. It is in mixed lots
on scattered pieces of state lands. The
timber areas range from forty acres
to whole section.
In Danger of Waste.
The timber, itself is that which has
been reported to the State Timber
board as in danger of waste or de-
struction. The sale of this kind of
timber is another feature of the good
business policy of Minnesota. The
state does not sell virgin timber, Mr..
Iverson said Rather, those portions
that are in danger of being lost by
fire, windfall or exposure from cut
ting the timber and adjacent areas
are placed on sale.
Policy Adopted in 1852.
Minnesota adopted its conservation
policy in 1852 and has adhered rig
idly to the provisions Of the law re-
garding the disposal of it's timber.
The receipts from timber sales are
increasing each year as the price of
timber ascends. The highest price
paid last year at the timber sale was
s15.70 a thousand feet for white
pine
Foucault Buys Interest.