The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-04-22
HASTINGS MAKES
FORESTY TALK
iEPRES TATIV E ROGER
HASTINGS OF TWO HARBORS
VERY ABLY CHAMPIONS RE-
FORESTATION BUT WOULD
LIKE TO ANTICIPATE ITS Eff
FEcTS ON LAKE COUNTY.


During the discussion on Refor-
estation and forestry tax laws held
il, the legislature recently, Repre-
sentative Roger Hastings of Two
Harbors made many telling points
in its favor, however, using Lake
County as an example and speculat-
ing as to effects it would have on its
financial affairs. AS the same condl-
ton applies to many other northern
Minnesota counties and as the affairs
IF Lake county are directly inter
woven with the affairs of this section
we herewith reprint his address from
the Lake County Chronicle. Mr..
Hastings said:
Gentlemen, before entering into
this discussion on Reforestation l
want it understood that my opinions
OF conclusions are based wholly on
the superstition, or rather the fact,
that it is an economic necessity TO
the welfare of this nation and COM
ing generations to have productive
forests as we'll as productive farms
and hence the natural deduction
seems TO be that we should encour-
age agriculture where agriculture
can best thrive and grow trees where
conditions are most favorable to that
particular undertaking.
'The matter of reforestation Is so
closely related to taxation that 1t
is almost impossible to discuss re-
forestation and not take into con-
sideration, to some extent at least,
the probable result that it will have
on taxation which is really the thing
that makes it a vital question and
e matter which should Immediately
arouse the personal interest of every
taxpayer. But before l go into this
phase of the question permit me to
give you the benefit of my findings
relative activities along this line
by other states, and tell you in a
general way, what we find them to
be doing and accomplishing along
this line. You understand, of course,
that the idea of reforestation does
not originate in Minnesota. Some of
the state, Pennsylvania for example,
introduced reforestation SO years
ago, although it has been only in re-
cent years that it has been taken up
on a large scale
According to a report If the U.
S. Department of Agriculture which
made a general survey of state ac-
tivities during the past half dozen
years, there is considerable advance
ment in the working out of state
forest policies, and l take it that
this program is largely the result OF
steady broadening concept on the
part of the public regarding the gen.
eral purpose and scope of forestry
work in the nation as a whole. For
some time the angle of observation
invarious quarters seem to be grad
ually shifting from a statewide to
a nationwide point of view. Idle
forest lands and declining lumber
prices and other attendant evils have
zen forcing the public to inquire
more closely into the underlying
reasons, and hence the result has
been sharp realization of the fact
that our timber supply is rapidly
reaching the zero point and that the
only relief lies in the practise of an
enlarged reforestation policy by the
country as a whole, possibly one
that will knit the various activities,
federal, state, municipal and private,
into a more united effort to bring
about a sufficient increase in forest
supplies to more nearly offset the
use of timber products.
GAS I say, this realization that is
gradually breaking through the crust
of disinterest is creating a strong
S. ntiment through out the country,
especially in the more important for
est regions in favor of this more
general coordination of efforts. The
federal government has taken the
lead in the movement through the
nationwide survey of forest condi-
tions made in 1928 by the Select
committee on Reforestation of the
Senate, through the enactment of
the Clark-McNary forestry law
which authorizes yearly appropria-
tons for expenditures in coopera-
ton with the various states. In con-
nection with this appropriation,
which amounts to $2,700,00O an
npally, it is a notable fact that
nearly all of it is spent on fire pre-
vention, or, in other words, $780,
of the total sum is used for that
purpose.
"Much of the more recent legis-
lation by the states show a similar
trend. In other words, the idea of
continuous forest production upon a
more adequate scale of some sort
is gaining increased recognition as
the goal of forestry in this country.
With this unification of action in
view, the leading factors in recent
legislation by the various states
may be summed up in a general way
ebout as follows: The records show
that within the past or years IS
states have legislated in regard to
general forestry organization and
activities. In some instances the ac-
ton along this line extended to a
reorganization of the departments
Of forestry. The state of Pennsyl-
vania in particular being conspicu-
Gus for the extent in which action
was taken to combine departments
and place forestry on a sound basis
with other real activities.
GAS regards the fundamental
problems underlying forest perpetual