The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-08-26

Taxation is big factor in this problem. If we
exempt certain timber lands from taxation as
they have wise to do in some Of the older
countries, it will encourage the seeding of that
land to timber. As 1t stands millions Of acres
that might, and really should, be yielding timber
to other products and bringing 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 immediate return. There
are 5,OOO.OOO acres of nontiable land in Illinois
alone.
I'VE have in the United States 81 100000 acres
of what is called denuded :and, and more than
100000 600 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 destroy the seedlings that
might spring up.
"Cutover land is land from which timber has
been taken and on which second growth is possi-
BILE and often times springs up. Such land will
make forests in period of some forty years II it
is taken Of Taking care Of such land is
another phase of the forestry problem
The National Forests. created in 1905 now con-
tain 155,OOO,OOO acres of forest and grazing land
They are managed by the forest service bureau
of the agriculture department Col. W. B. Greeley
is forester. Presumably he is well informed on
forestry conditions. Here some figures he
gives which show how the changed and changing
conditions have affected particular part of the
country. Says Colonel Greeley:
Chicago is the greatest lumber market in the
world. Since 1890 average Of over 1000 100000
feet of lumber has come into Chicago every year.
In 1920 the figure nearly $500 100000 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 after another Lumber ship
ments have traversed greater and greater dis
a,It thu nqiA t,a
Chicago distributor has steadily risen to
than $12 per thousand feet.
IN other words, the increased transportation
charge on lumber shipments into Chicago as a re-
suit of the exhaustion of the forest regions sur
rounding it. represents toll of 225OO,OOO an
nually. And while this has happened there have
accumulated in the central and lake states nearly
23.OO0OOO acres of logged-oh forest land which is
producing neither farm crops timber S22-
100000 is the yearly tax which the wOod-usng in
dustries and home builders, supplied through Chi
cago 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 4,0O0000,000 and 5000,0O0000 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
farms.
''rhe manufacturers referred represent an
invested capital of S76O000000 and enroll 25OOO0
skilled employees. This great manufacturing in
dustry 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 at low transportation cost In