Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-11
]. s. FORESTRY BOARD.
TO SANCTION.
GEORGIA LAND SALES.
Legislation Passed by State
Assembly Alleged to Be in
Interest of NONRESIDENT
Owners of Land

WASHINGTON, u. g. Jan l0.-As
the direct result of an cnecatment by
the Georgia Legislature last summer.
which the federal government believes
TO be hostile toward it and inimical to
the interests of Georgia and Georsians,
the United States forestry commission
has refused to sanction the purchase for
32O5,709, of certain lands lying in the
counties of Union, Fanin, Lumpkin,
Rabun, and Habersham.
The attitude of the forestry commits
sion is represented by the following ex-
cerpt from the minutes of its last meet
ing
Resolved that the government des
clines further purchase in the state of
Georgia until sympathy of the. state of
Georgia is shown with the undertaking
of the government by the withdrawal of
hostile legislation"
The full import of the resolution will
be better understood and appropriated
when the personnel of the forestry COM
mission is considered.
The following distinguished gentle
men compose the board:
Secretary of War Newton D. Baker,
Secretary of Interior Franklin Z. Lane.
Secretary of Agriculture David H. Hous-
ton, United States Senator John Walter
Smith, of Maryland; United States Sem
ator Jacob H. Galinger. of New Hamp-
shire; Representative Gordon Lee, of
Georgia; Representative Willis c. Ham
ley, of Oregon.
The forestry commission took its &C
ton on December IL, last year, when
there was submitted to it for APPROX
al recommendation for the purchase of
SO, 4o5 acres of land in Union, Fannin,
Lumpkin. Rabun and Habersham coun-
these, at price totalling $2O5.7O9.
What Act Provides
The legislation that aroused the re-
sentiment OF the commission is repre-
scented by bill No. 1S7, approved by the
governor on August Is OF last year,
and entitled an act to limit condemna-
ton proceedings by the United States
TO such lands as may, be offered to the
United States in writing in which the
owner consents to such condemnation"
Ostensiply, the purpose of the bill
was to protect the owners of mountain
Gus lands in Georgia from arbitrary
action by the federal government in
taking their lands for national forests,
The government believes, however
that the legislation, far from protecting
the small land owners, the county and
state, was designed chiefly to benefit
large nonresident owners of forest
state and the counties of a large rev.
enue from the sale by the government
of timber. The action of the commits
sion in declining to purchase the Gig
tract Of Georgia land. in accord Ance
With the recommendations, was predicated
upon the report of W. w. AShe, an in
spector in the acquisition division Of
the forest reserve bureau In reporting
upon the legislation and its origin. the
inspector first commented upon the fall
Iacious plausibility of the legislation
as an easy means of defending it's JUS
tice. He declared that the authors of
the bflI probably experienced small diff.
ficulty in convincing the uniformed
that the legislation proposed only to
protect the small mountain land own
er from being arbitrarily deprived OF
his home by the greedy federal gov
eminent lie pointed out, however, that
in its forest reservation land condem-
nations the federal government has re-
ligiously and invariably eliminated all
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