The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-04-22

v
so large after all. It's 1,562,967
acres has been reduced by the above
to about one-third or less than 600,-
600 acres on which we collect taxes,
on an assessed valuation of less than
$4,000,000. In other words, we find
that little over oneIthird if the
total area and 46 per cent of the
land area is paying taxes. To make
this more clear 81 per cent of the
land area is state and federal owned
and is non-taxable, and II per cent
is delinquent.
ago that in my opinio Lake county's
agricultural possibilities promise little
development for years to come; at
least l fail to- find any legitimate ex-
cuse why it should. There certainly
is no economic necessity for it -
available statistics are at all reliable.
The Nation is flooded now with farm
produce to the extent that farmers
in many localities, especially in the
middle west, are seeking govern
mental aid and the fact that they
failed to get it does not alter or
change existing conditions so far as
the farmers are concerned. 1t is
very apparent that we have sufficient
lands under cultivation to supply the
needs of the Nation and some to
spare; hence, it is within the bounds
of sound reasoning to expect any
marked development of raw lands,
such as we have in Lake county, I'M
til this condition changes and the de-
mand for farm produce more nearly
equals the supply.
eff this analysis is approximately
correct it does not strike me that we
in Lake county can hope for much
development along agricultural lines
Until the farms already under the
plow can no longer supply the needs
of the country and l would hazard
a guess that this condiUlon will not
come in the near future.
Granting, therefore, that Lake
county promises little from an agri-
cultural standpoint, land with little
hope for any great improvement in
the very near future, and consider
ing the fact that the state owns so
much land in the county, and also
the fact that at the present time II
per cent of the land area is now de-
linquent, and with this delinquency
increasing at an alarming rate each
year, or in other words, considering
the vast area within it's confines of
unimproved waste, barren, cut-over
lands-does it not all point to some
manner of eforestation-and are
we not confronted with but a single
choice unless we wish to remain at
standstill?
"But, we ask, if the state of Min
nesota enters into a broad, extern
sive program of reforestation, and
exempts from taxation privately
owned lands under the pretense of
reforesting- is going to hap
pen to- Lake county already in dire
need financially. We argue that we
are entitled to local government, we
are entitled as American citizens to
our schools, we are entitled to roads
and things which give us content
ment and happiness, and, therefore,
if we appear to- be reluctant in enter
ing into this nationwide movement
of reforestation it is not because we
are blind to it's merits but because,
with us, it is simply matter of self
preservation.
81 believe there is scarcely man
or woman in Lake county today but
who is in favor of covering these
barren wastes of Lake county with
trees, but with reservations. Per-
sonally, 1 am not in favor of this
state entering into any extensive
program of artificial reforestation,
and I am unreservedly opposed to
the idea of exempting privately
owned lands from taxation under the
pretense of reforesting. If the pres
cnt taxes are too high, they should
he reduced in order to keep private
property on the tax list; and I ann
not so sure but that they are too
high, judging from the large areas
that are going delinquent each year.
The present average take per acre
en- wild, cut-over land is approx
mately rs cents. And it would seem
to be far better, in my judgement,
to cut the tax to, say Is cents per
acre and collect them, rather than
to leave them as they are and have
the lands go onto the delinquent tax
list. In other words, it would be my
judgement that it should be far bet
ter to collect $1.00 than to make a
tax rate of $500 and get nothing.
Now in regard to the matter of re-
forestation in Minnesota, I have the
state forester's own statement given
before joint meeting of the Senate
and House committee on reforesta-
ton on Jan &c, in which he said
that, in his opinion, any program
calling for artificial reforestation is
rot only inadvisable but wholly i'm
practicable. He also stated that the
growing of saw log timber under the
reforestation program in this state
is out of the question, and that we
cannot under any reforestation plan
hope to grow anything more than
materials used in the manufacture
Of paper and other small wooden
utilities. And this can be accomp-
lished without artificial reforesta-
ton, and certainly without exemp-
ton from tax the holdings of large
interests or individuals. The elimi-
ration of forest fires and a well de-
fined policy of conservation is the