The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-05-03
TAXES ARE AGAINST
CONSERVING FORESTS
SAYS TIMBER BARON.
Charles Ruggles Gives Interesting.
Talk at Meeting Of the Com
mercial Club.
TO CONSIDER PROJECTS
FOR PLATING SITES
Committee Reports Accepted; New
Members Admitted; Many
Attend Meet.
TO CONSIDER PROJECTS
FOR PLATING SITES

property in the United States is
wrong. Conservation of forests is
not encouraged by the method
These statements were made by
Charles Ruggles, the timber baron, in
a talk at the meeting of the CONNER
cial club last evening.
Upon the suggestion of the indus
trial committee of the club, Mr.. Rug
giles was asked whether or not he
would consider propositions for the
plating of a three-quarter mile piece
of lake shore property north of the
Birchmont Beach hotel to attract
summer resorters, and for the plat
ting of piece of property on the lake
north of Crookston mill number two
for industrial sites. -~ -......
Considers Proposition. -~
Mr., Ruggles in a talk stated that
he would be willing to consider any
proposition in regard to the sites.
He stated that he favored the in
dustrial site proposition more than
the summer resort proposition, stating
that an industrial city was more in
demand than summer resort city. %
In his talk Mr.. Ruggles outlined
the amount of taxes that he has had
fO 1,,,,o Inv frroa afc in hic
trict. He stated that in other coun-
tries in order to urge the conserva-
tion of forests, timber on lands is tax
ed only when it is cut. In this coun-
try the timber is taxed each year.
Taxes Are High.
Mr.. Ruggles picked out several
pieces of land owned by him in this
vicinity and outlined the taxes that
he has had to pay. ...sa
One FORTY" he purchased in 1882
at government land sale at ST..
Cloud The first year that the land
was taxed was in 1885 and the taxes
amounted to 81 cents. From that
time on the taxes increased until in
1914 he had to pay a tax Of $182.30.
The total amount of tax on this
"forty'' which was purchased for $72,
according to Mr.. Ruggles, was ST.
1862.
Interest is Large.
Another ''forty" picked out by Mr..
Ruggles, purchased at the same land
sale and costing $72, was taxed to
1915 at $1,S13. Mr.. Ruggles figured
that six per cent compound interest
on the tax would amount to $1,138.
so, making the total tax $3,023.5O.
IF you ask me to carry piece of
land until you are ready to buy it,
and to leave the timber standing, you
see you are asking me to carry quite
a burden" said Mr.. Ruggles.
r. Mr.. Ruggles told of his early ex-
periences in Bemidji and this dis
trict.
Self Made Man.
II am a self-made man." said Mr..
Ruggles. "I have followed the ad-
vice of the people who have furnish
ed me money. I started in the tim
ber business at the age of II. When
Is years old I managed match fac
tory at Oshkosh, Wis" .s >~ T.
Good lawyers and good bankers are
the making of city, according to Mr..
Ruggles, who in several stories
brought out this point in very good
manner. r. ..r. .-.. 81. -.-..- ..-=..-
Capital is accumulated labor" "
said Mr.. Ruggles. "The more capital
the better off the labor. The less
unions the better it is for the labor
ers." .-.
He urged a court for settling diff
jferences and stated that litigation is
big injury to city. For every
dollar that lawyer gets, it costs the
government ten, according to Mr..
Ruggles.
Committee Reports.
At the meeting last evening, the
industrial committee reported that
funds were being solicited for the ex-