Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-10-06
STATE LOANS NEW
LAND CLEARING AID
BILL PROPOSES TO ADVANCE
FARMERS MONEY NEEDED TO
BUY POWDER.

off lands, on a scale more restricted
than was provided by the Murphine
law enacted in 1912 but along lines
sufficiently broad to permit the clear
ing and cultivation of thousands of
acres of land that is now untillablc.
+ is the purpose of bill which will be
presented to the next session of the
legislature. The bill has been drawn
by S. F. Woody, former mayor of
Bothell and one of the chief protago-
nists of logged-off land legislation in
this state.
Contrasted with the Murphine bill,
the measure which the next legisla-
ture will be asked to consider is dis
tinctive in that it provides, not that
the state itself shall purchase and
clear land, but that the state shall
loan to farmers owning logged-off
land, money to purchase the powder
necessary for the blasting out of
stumps. The bill also limits the
amount Of money which shall be
loaned to a single farmer and stipu-
lates the terms under which the loan
shall be made.
Differs From Murphine Bill.
The Murphine bill provided that
the state might issue bonds to acquire
unlimited tracts of logged-off land,
and to clear the land ready for cult
walton. The land thus acquired and
cleared, by the terms of the Murphine
law, could be sold to settlers on easy
terms.
Although passed by the legislature,
the voters Of those counties in the
state where the matter was submitted
refused to authorize the issuing of
bonds, seemingly fearing that the ex-
penditure of funds, once started,
would be difficult to control and
might result in a greatly increased
burden of taxation.
The Woody bill, which was APP
proved by the Logged-Off Land Con-
gress that met at the University OF
Washington last June, specifies that
the administration of the law shall be-
in the hands of board Of agricultu-
raj development commissioners, con-
sisting of the county auditors, county
engineer and the chairman of the
board of county commissioners. It
provides that the state shall loan to
farmers a sum not exceeding $500 to
any one land owner which shall BIO
used to purchase powder for land
clearing purposes.
When a loan is made to farmer
he is required to deed to the state the
land owned by him, but is given a
preferential contract to repurchase
the land. At the time the loan Is
made the state advances $50 as pur-
chase money in addition to the
amount of the loan. The farmer Is
given ten years in which to repay the
loan and the money advanced and In
terest is charged at the rate Of per
cent.
The bill further provides that the
board of agricultural development
commissioners shall not issue bonds
in excess of $25O,OO0 to raise revenue
for the purpose of the measure. The
tax levy for this purpose must not
exceed one mill and the total levy per
year must not exceed $4,000.
Far mAgent to Approve.
Before any loan can be made the
county agriculturist is required to ex-
anime the land and determine its Mt
ness for cultivation after the stuinps
have been removed. The cost OF
clearing the land must not exceed
$40 per acre.
At the Logged-Off Land Congress
last June a committee Of six, among
the members of which were N. b.
Coffman of Chehalis, State Senator
Ralph d. Metcalf, Austin E. Griffiths
and Prof. Henry X. Benson of the
University of Washington, was ap-
pointed to investigate the merits OF
the Woody bill. This committee has
given the bill it's endorsement.
A meeting of those interested IN
the logged-off land problem will DO
held during the Northwest Land Show
in Seattle. The committee appointed
last June will make its report at this
meeting and ask endorsement OF the
bill.
One Of the chief benefits claimed
for the bill by its author, who is now
in business in Seattle, is that 1t Will
vastly increase the area of land IN
Washington which is taxable at the
rate applying to improved farm prop
erty. Woody believes that the IN
creased taxes will more than pay for
the expenses to which the state Will
= that he