Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-11

I
ment for forest reservations.
Nonresident Interested
INSPECTOR Ashe charged that until re-
Gently at least. if not now, representa-
tive in the. legislature, also was the
paid representative of a-large nonresi-
dent land owner living in Philadelphia,
whose holdings in Rabun county aggre-
gate 10000 acres OF land formerly held
in the name of the Three States Lumber
company. .-s..
These lands according to Ashes re-
port, are scattered within the area then
in process of being acquired by the FER
eral government for the Savannah Nat
ional forest which is designed to as
SURF the people Of Georgia a permenent
Surety of hardwood timber.
6ucDIe to acquire these lands by di-
rect purchase, Ashe reported, the nom
resident owner had been Informed that
his lands were to be acquired by. con-
demnation. meaning that a jury OF
Georgians would assess the true value.
The land I'm question originally we're &C
ouired. Ashe stated, ABOUT 1909 at
figure approximating SO per acre. The
government had proposed to take them
over at between 81 and IS per acre. but
the profit therein represented was not
satisfactory to nonresident owner. me
inspector added that the lands are now
ty at s2.1O and acre, about one-fourth
their value. The ridiculously low tax
assessment against the land, according
to Ashe, enabled the owner to carry the
lands without loss. He said the same
was true of other large nonresident
owners, while the average small noun
tain farmer paid mucn higher assess
ment on his land.
Ashe pointed out that a half dozen
inUaNyn1Rnt
own the greater portion Of the under
assessed timber lands in the north
eastern section of Georgia, and ne
charged that their paid agents mana
ged to keep down the assessments. he
called attention to lands In the eastern
portion Of Rabun county belonging 10
A. D. Wood and in the western por-
ton OF the county and in White and
Hall counties, tracts aggregating So
900 acres belonging to the Morse Land
and Lumber company. or Rochester N.
Y. Pfister and Voegle Leather com
pany. of Milwaukee, he said, holds near
Nv 80. 900 acres in Union county, while
across the Northern section of Lump
kin county are approximately 5O,OoO
acres of land belonging to the BLOOD
Mountain Lumber company.
Commenting directly upon the alleged
'hostile legislation" Inspector Ashe
declares that il the bill, which was
rushed through the legislature without
an opportunity for careful consideration.
had really sought to protect the small
land owners and farmers, 1t could nave
prohibited the acquisition by arbitrary
condemnation of any homestead Tor nat
ional forest purpose. The state Oh NOT III
Carolina has enacted such legislation
which is entirely agreeable and accept
able to the federal government.
Commission Not Disturbed
The federal forestry commission S
not disturbed by the Georgia SITUATION
though its members regret their lnaoll-
itv TO proceed further. with the develop
ment Of the Savannah national 1orest
pending the repeal by the legislature OF
the legislation passed. The government
will experience no difficulty or emoar-
rassment in withdrawing from Georgia
for the present and devoting itself 10
forest reservation work in other sec
lions of the Appalachian and Whlte
mountains. but the people whose lands
were embraced in the tract OF ZS'oOU
acres which were recommended for pur-
chase may be made to suffer some neon
venience. -.
Some idea of the magnitude or the
government development and eXpedl-
lures of the mountainous section OF
Georgia may be gathered from the
Lpo1CIedgp that since its creation a
few wears ago the forest commission has
invested sS2,44O.S5 in Georgia lands
II has acquired for national forests
1le.765 acres Of land at an average
price of $685. an acre.
In addition to depriving the small
land owners and others of the possible
sale of their unimproved lands to the
government, the Objectionable leglsla-
ton. forcing the forest commission 10
withdraw from Georgia means that the
state treasury and the treasury OF the
mountain counties will suffer heavy
financial loss. The federal forest Flaw
reouires that So per cent of the gross
receipts from the sale Of timber taken
/ from the national forests, or for graz
| ing or other purposes, shall be given
! tn the state and counties in which the
national forests are situated This sale
| of timber in future years will be con-
siderable. and the funds thus derived
would help materially to swell the pup
lie funds Of state and counties.
The Savannah national forest in Ra'
bun county, especially in its present
condition, is not suitable for economi-
cal development by the federal govern
ment through the sale of timber and
otherwise that was one of the chief
reasons why the forest commission was
anxious to acquire the interior holdings
at this time, In the hope that the con-
| solidated government interests might
be turned to god fionancial account for
the state and county.