The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-07-14
FEW MEN CONTROL
LUMBER INDUSTRY
Commissioner Davies Tells President
Wilson That Lavish Land Grants
and Ill-Enforced Land Laws
Are the Cause Largely.

Washington. D. G., July l4,-Concen.
tration of timber lands in the United
/ States in the hands OF few owners il
| discussed at lnegth in the second and
! third parts of the report Of the bureau
OF corporations on the lumber industry,
submitted to President Wilson to-day by
Commissioner Davies.
Two men hold 40 per cent OF the tim-
Der in southwestern Washington the re
port says; five men hold 80 per cent in
! western Oregon; six have 20 per cent in
northeastern California; 10 have more
| than half in the redwood area, and in
north central Idaho four holders have 80
| per cent.
"The control of our standing timber in
comparatively few enormous holdings,
speculatively held far in advance OF any
use thereof, and the great increase in
the value of timber, resulting in part
from such speculative holding, are un-
DERIVING facts that will become more
and more important elements in deter
mining the price of lumber as the supply
of timber diminishes." says the report
"The main fact shown is that 1904
timber owners hold in fee over one.
twentieth of the land area of the entire
United States from the Canadian to the
Mexican border. In many states these
1904 own no lands at all. In the 900
timbered counties Investigated they own
one seventh Of the area.
''These 6g4 holders own l05,600,O00
acres. This is an area four-ffths the
size of France; or greater than the en-.
tire state of California; or more than
two and one-half times the land area of
the six New England states. Sixteen
holders own 47,s00,000 acres. or nearly
10 times the land area of New Jersey.
Three land grant railroads own enough
TO give Is acres to every male OF voting
age in the nine western states where
almost all their holdings lie.
"Not all this land is suitable for agri-
culture. In the South and in the lake
states and in part of the West large
portion of it can be used for agriculture
after the timber is removed; but in
many parts OF the West the land is
mountainous and adapted chiefly to re-
forestation. Much of the railroad-owned
land outside the timber regions is arid
or semi.arid.
"In the upper peninsula of Michigan
45 per cent Of the land is held, mostly
in fee, by 81 timbers owners. In Flor
ida 80 holders mostly timber ownersi,
hold one-third of the land in the entire
state.
Lavish land grants and loose. ill-en-
forced land laws are the historical back
ground OF the concentration of land and
timber ownership shown in this report. !
A study of the present ownership OF
Z $4,000 acres Of railroad. wagon road, |
and canal grant lands. covering most OF |
the granted lands in the map area. and !
a little elsewhere. shows that Of these |
particular lands, granted long ago to |
single corporations apparently with the /
idea that they would be quickly sold to !
settlers. only Is per cent are now dis
tributed in small holdings. Eighty-fivc /
per cent are owned by the grantees of /
their successors. or by large timber hold
ers. OF S2.500a00 acres granted 10 three 4
western railroads in the eos, the roads 4
still retained 80 per cent in 1910.
Moreover. the states appear 20 have
disposed n the various federal grants
made to them in such a way as to con-
tribute 60 the concentration Of land and 4
timber ownership. Florida l. a striking
Example Of this. Again. .he public land
laws. the cash sale law nov repealed,
the scrip laws. and the homestead and
timber and stone laws operated. at least
IN timber regions, 10 transfer govern
nent lands directly or almost directly
10 great holders.
"NInety-eighty Per cent Of the l,50o,-