St. Tammany farmer., 1922-10-28
IS THE TIMBER CONSERVATION
CONTRACT LEGAL?
CONTINUED from page u

effect of fOresting the land Is to re-
duce the value of the land or at least
to prevent it's increase in value thru
preventing it's disability for other pur-
poses, law fixing the assessed value
of such land would appear to confer
a doubtful benefit on the owner
thereof. Certainly, if this law does
not enable the timber grower by con-
tract to escape taxation on the grow
ing timber, it has failed in It's pro-
fessed purpose. For, unless the fix
ed assessment applies to the timber
as well as to the land, wherein does
it encourage reforestation?
Mr.. Landowner, there is another
point to ask your lawyer. IT you
enter into this contract and get. a
new forest growing, will you not be
taxed on a separate valuation of the
timber? Is it not fact that fixing
the valuation Of the land will not
prevent assessment and taxation at
the actual valuation of the growing
timber You are going to be taxed
on your growing timber, where will
be the value to you. in entering into
this contract with the Conservation
Department?
It is all too easy for those who
would like to put the parish back
into a forest to believe that this con-
tract will accomplish that end I do
not pretentd to be forester, and
therefore put the question to those
who are experienced timber men:
Can one man patrol 10000 acres of
land SO as to put out or exclude all
the fires, razorback hogs and other
destructive agencies to growing
forest? If SO, cannot understand
why it is not now being done. At
that rate it would require not much
more than 1000 employees to rotor
est all the denuded lands in the state.
It sounds impossible for if that
were trne it is entirely past under
standing why reforestation should be
considered such a difficult problem
/ can't believe it without some re-
liable evidence.
Yet that is the standard set by
this proposed timber conservation
contract which requires only one en-
ploye to each ten thousand acres.
It seems to me to discredit the con-
tract.
Especially in point of view that
other provision of the contract that
"reforestation shall be by either
or artificial methods" Are
we not now undergoing natural
methods Of reforestation in this par
lsh? What assurance then have we
that the making OF this contract will
accomplish reforestation?
If the Police Jury, obedient to the
public demands, should feel it is
good policy for this parish to pro-
claim to the world that it's lands are
fit for nothing but growing natural
forests Of trees, still we ought to
have a contract with landowners
whose meaning is clear and unmis-
taxable so that we may know wheth-
er the landowner is contracting to
do anything requiring an expendi-
ture and some effort on his part in
return for the reduction and fixing
of his assessed valuation on his
lands.
In addition to the provision for one
employe to each 10000 acres the
contract specifies that such employe
shall live "on or near" the land (tt
does not state how near) and that he
shall make reports to the Depart
ment. I leave it to a lawyer to say
there is another positive, un-
requirement concerning
The employees services in the entire
contract. Is there any requirement
that this employees principal busi-
ness shall be reforestation? Can he
hold another job and this one too?
Can he work all day for the owner
at some other occupation, and wholly
satisfy the terms Of this contract by
living somewhere near the forest
POSSIBLY ten miles away and by re-
porting as required by the Depart
nent when the fires have swept over
hes land and destroyed the timber?
And how many growing trees to
he acre shall be deemed a compli-
ance with the contract to reforest?
And how long can the land stand
1enuded without any trees growing
;hereon (save possibly a stunted lone
'eedling) before it shall be made to
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