The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-08-26

Taxation is a big factor in this problem. If we
exempt certain timber lands from taxation. as
they have seen wise to do In some Of the older
countries. 1t will encourage the seeding Of that
land to timber. AS it now stands millions of acres
that might. and really should. be yielding timber,
are sown to other products and bringing a mig
gardly return.
This Is simply because this Is timber land and
timber should be on it. The farmers. however.
consider that since 1t is taxed they must sow some
thing which will bring an immediate return. There
are 100000 acres of nontillable land In Illinois
alone.
1--WE have in the United States 81. 100000 acres
Of what Is called denuded :and. and more than
4OO.OOO,OO acres of what we call cutover land.
Denuded land is land on which forest fires have
occurred and where the fire has eaten its way SO
deep into the soil Us to destroy the seedlings that
might spring up.
"Cutover land is land from which timber has
been taken and on which a second growth Is posi-
BILE and often times springs up. Such land will
make forests In a period OF some forty years II 1t
Is taken care of. Taking care Of such land is
another phase of the forestry problem"
The National Forests, created In 1905, now con-
tain 155, 100000 acres OF forest and grazing land.
They are managed by the forest service. a bureau
Of the agriculture department. Col. w. b. Greeley
is forester. Presumably he Is well informed on
forestry conditions. Here are some figures he
gives which show how the changed and changing
conditions have affected a particular part Of the
country. Says Colonel Greeley:
Chicago is the greatest lumber market In the
world. Since 1890 an average of over 1000. OOO, 600
feet Of lumber has come into Chicago every year.
In 1920 the figure was nearly $500. 600 900 feet. go
per cent of which went into local construction and
manufacturing Industries. In 1900 the average
freight paid on lumber coming into Chicago was
less than So per thousand feet. Since that time
the local sources of supply for this territory have
been exhausted one after another. Lumber ship
ments have traversed greater and greater dis
tances. and the average freight bill paid by the
Chicago distributor has steadily risen to more
than $12 per thousand feet.
I'm other words. the increased transportation
charge on lumber shipments into CHICAGO. rs a re-
suit of the exhaustion Of the forest regions sur
rounding 1t. represents a toll Of SO. 500, 900 an.
nually. And while this has happened there have
accumulated in the central and lake states nearly
q. 0 900 acres OF l%ogged-of forest land which Is
producing neither farm crops nor timber; 500.
10000 Is the yearly tax which the wood using In
dustries and home builders. supplied through Chi.
cngo. pay for the idleness Of a large part Of the
soil in the surrounding states which should fur
nish the natural supply for this district. This sum
would plant every year 100000 acres of land with
forest trees.
This illustration may be extended to cover the
four states Of Illinois. Indiana. Wisconsin and
Michigan. These states consume annually be-
tween 4,OO0.0 OO,O 600 and 5000. OOO, 900 feet of timber
In furniture factories. sash and door mills. fac.
tories manufacturing agricultural implements,
wood-turning establishments and other wood using
industries. Sawmills are excluded from this esti-
mate, also the requirements for general construc-
ton and housing. and the consumption Of lumber
on farms.
"The manufacturers referred to represent an
invested capital Of $70O.O0O.0OO and enroll $4,000
skilled employees. This great manufacturing To-
dustry was built up on the softwood forest Of the
lake states and the hardwood forests Of the Ohio
and upper Mississippi valleys. whose products
were available ut Z low transportation cost. In