Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-01-07

the owners of the land, which, not
only causes annually great damage
to them but also material injury to
the State as a whole by wiping out
each year a greater or less quantity
of it's assets. The damage done each
year is, of course, dependent upon
the rainfall. not, particularly the
gross amount, but IT'S distribution as
to location and time. He called at
tention to the following table:
| Damage by
! Forest Fire Expenditure
in Maine in Maine
| Forestry Dist. Forestry Dist.
1918 1.334to 77,41e93
| 191S-- 7.291.2h l69, 547.54
| 1919 6,30J.50 11I7S4.0i
! 1920 143,152b0 19..6427
| 192L-*450. 00C.0H sn70,000. 90
Approximately
The State Assessors value the
property in the Maine Forestry Dis
tionabIy represents d great asset TO
! the State and it's preservation: is a
matter which may well demand and
receive the best thought of it's citi-
Zen..
Mr.. Pierce suggested briefly certain
additional laws for the consideration
of the members of the Association.
| Certain veryI advisable improve
ments in the service could be made
if additional revenue could be pro-
cured. The source from which such
additional funds ought to be raised
was, Mr.. Pierce said, ii matter of i'm
portance. AS a matter of abstract
Justice it would seem that the State,
itself, might make a direct appro-
priation, that the lands pay a large
State and county tax already from
which they receive no benefit, and
that the only service which does in
sure to their benefit is the Forestry
fire protection which is paid for out
of the district tax to which the State
makes no contribution. On the other
hand, there is strong objection in
the minds of many, he said, to which
lie was personally inclined, at least,
to some extent, in asking for a di-
rect State appropriation in that if
that course were adopted it would be
increasingly difficult to keep political
considerations from the management
of the Forestry Commissioners Of
flee. If the wardcns, the deputy war
dens. etc. continue to be paid entire
ly from the funds raised by such tax
upon landowners, landowners can
very forcibIy object to the introduce
ton of politics in the disbursements
of such funds, while if large part
of the funds spent by the Commits
sonor come from the general Treas
ury of the State. those financially in
tereSted might be more bothered than
at present by the practical politicians.
In conclusion. he urged upon the
members of the association the re-
Sponsiblity which rested upon them
in safeguarding the timber industry
!, of Maine for the years to come "Un-
! less YOU gentlemen deal with these
problems wisely. cOuraCeously and
: far seeingly. the woods of Maine
where Thoreau wrote and which
Roosevelt loved will in the not far
distant future be no more.
Reforestation in Maine
The average person. when retores-
tation is mentioned, thinks of plant
ing trees or of sowing seed. AL
though in many cases such artificial
reforcstation is the only means feaS-
iblc for adequate renewal Of the for
est cover, it is nevertheless true that
, artificial rcforestation is not always
!, the only means or best means of
perpetuating forest growth, said
. Douglas A. Crocker of Bangor in his
address upon the subject. "Refores-
tation"
From the point Of view of practical
and profitable forestry Maine is for
tunatc in that the two most desir-
able softwood species found in the
State. pine and spruce. can be profit
, ably handled on short rotation.
1t will perhaps interest you to
know thot in recent article in one
of the trade journals. Mr.. Austin
Cary, one OF the best known for
esters in the country, holds up New
England. and particularly Maine. as
an example of actual practical ac-
complishment in reforestation. We
sometimes think of our own State as
being still more or less in the wild
crncsS stage and not as one which
can be held up to the rest of the
country as an example. but
in accomplishment in fire protec-
ton and other legislation favoring
either artificial or natural reforesta-
ton. or both. we have in SOME re-
spcctS been leaders
Mr. Crocker pointed out that i'll the
o-called forestry district of Maine
this State is well on the way to pro-
vidinS efficient fire protection.
Outside the Forestry District con-
ditions are different and one of the
things this association should devote
its energies to, is he building up of
an efficient fire protection system
outside of the Maine Forestry Dis
trict. This system should as far as
possible. in my belief. be under the
supervision of the Forest Commits
sioner's office.
The speaker emphasized the point
that a proper system of forest taxa
ton must come il reforestation on a
large scale is TO be carried on by
anyone but the State or Federal gov
ernment.
In the case of the man who tries
to raise second crop by artificial
! reforestation, the financial incentive
today is largely furnished by the
prospective rise in stumpage values
during the period in which his crop
is maturing. Ii his land exclusive
Of the growing crops can be taxed