Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1922-11-23

of one to the other by the tlllers or
the soil and the business men and
workers of the city or town, for the
interest OF each is absolutely inter-
dependent upon the other.
Practical forestry Policy.
Meanwhile the lumber industry,
which has meant so much to the state
heretofore, should, in the interest Of
posterity be perpetuated and the &C
tivities of the Mississippi Develop
ment Board will be directed to the
end that a permanent system of lum-
bering be maintained. To accomplish
this an intelligent and practical for
estry policy for the state is essential,
and there must be proper apprecia-
ton of the mutual and individual in
terests, rights and obligations by the
lumEermen on the one hand and by
the public on the other in order that
such policy may be established and
maintained.
Experienced lumbermen and prac-
teal and technical foresters seem to
be agreed that adequate protection
against forest fires, so far as the
south is concerned, constitutes from
rs to 80 per cent of the problem in
volved in perpetuatfon Of the forests
Der supply for, the country. In the
providing and maintenance of proper
fire protection, it is agreed that there
must be active cooperation between
the public, state and federal govern
ments, and private owners of timer
lands.
Since a timber crop does not ma
ture in year, as do ordinary farm
crops, but must be carried over long
period Of years before the tree crop
can be harvested and the proceeds
of the harvest realized upon, it is rec
ognized by foresters that the special
crop must be accorded special treat
ment in the matter Of carrying charges
and hanonng, especially In the matter
of taxation. In order that the public
may deal justly by the timber land
owners, and in order that private land
owners may be permitted to partici-
pate in reIorestation and perpetuation
of the country's timber supply with
out financial disaster, there must be
modification OF the present system OF
annual and general property taxation,
in so far as it relates to lands de-
voted to refcrestation.
Provision also should be made by
the state for state forest reserves
which do not have to pay taxes, and
upon which the public may grow trees
on a vastly larger scale than private
enterprise could be expected to grow
them, and which in the years to come
would be valuable revenue producers
to the state through the timber and
forest products sold from them.
Need Cooperation of All.
These are three of the important
points that the most mature thought
on the subject of forestry deems most
essential in a state forestry policy,
and in order to establish these things
fire protection, modification of the
present timber land taxation and
stat forests-legislation is neces-
sary. In the establishment and main.
tenanee of these essential things the
federal government stands ready to
assist the state with funds, informa-
ton, cooperation and technical aid.
But in all efforts to obtain such
legislation there should be no spirit
Of bias or prejudice whatever, and
no drastic, unreasonable provisions
that would mean the imposing of I'M
Just burdens upon any class of citi-
zens or property owners or depriving
them of any of their rights On the
contrary, such legislation must be OBJ
tanned through sympathetic co-opera-
ton an. proper appreciation by both
the timber land owners and the pub
lie OF each others rights, duties and
obligations.
There must be an efficient official
organization created by the state to
have charge Of all forestry matters
and such an organization and it,
work must be kept entirely and abso-
lutely free from AL political influences
or manipulation.