The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-12-07

fourth to the county, and one fourth
to the town.
That, by the way, disposes of the OBJ
lection to the five cents an acre" act,
that it would establish a bad preced-
ent. Here was precedent set nearly
thirty years ago, though nothing ever
came OF 1t.
The commission is emphatic in the
belief that the five cents an acre in
lieu of taxes should be paid on state
forest lands and that it does not create
a precedent That precedent was
created long ago.
The national government pays Is
per cent of its forest receipts to local
governments The state of PennSyl-
vania pays five cents an acre to local
governments in lieu of taxes. In fact,
1.-The investigation made by the COM
mission indicates that this is well
recognized method of finance employ
ed by the federal government and
many of the states"
The commissions plan to meet this
very grave situation is to get all the
land to work and see that every piece
contributes it's share. Aside from a
refunding measure for the ditch dis
IcSSCo CouiiCiCo, Cild1 CO'clS Ciic
ground.
From private forests, five cents an
acre and a yield tax of 10 per cent
at harvest; from state forests five
cents an acre for local purposes and
the net return to the state. Return
to the public domain forest bearing
lands which nobody else wants under
present conditions and make them
worth something.
These lands now going delinquent
produce one of the great virgin confer
forests of this country, the report
says in summary AS long as they
produced timber, taxes were paid as
readily as in any section of the state.
Having produced one crop of timber,
we know it can produce another. Some
of the lands have recreational value
also but the only known use for most
of it is forestry.
Summary of recommendations.
Delinquent tax lands suitable for
forestry, game refuge or recreation
should revert to the public domain.
State lands classified as forest lands
should be set aside as forest reserves.
State cutover lands should be ex-
changed or sold in order to consolidate
state forest reserves.
State should pay certain amount
per acre annually on state forests to
counties.
The tax rate on auxiliary forest land
should be cents an acre annually, in
addition to fire protection and yield
tax.
Other Recommendations.
Reorganize the department of con-
servation.
In this recommendation, the Min
neSota ReforeStation Commission gets
right down to bed rock
Put it under commissioner ap-
pointed by the governor-no boards, no
divided control, no scattered authori-
ty; put it unoer commissioner as
Governor Christensen recommended
in his plan or reorganization.
Put in it all the powers and duties
of the present department of conser-
walton, the commissioner of forestry
and fire prevention, the commissioner
of game and fish, the department of
drainage and waters and the commits
Sioner of drainage and waters.
Put in it also all the powers and
duties of the state auditor, as COM
|
other capacity, in reference to lands,
timber, waters and minerals.
Make it real department of con-
servation as proposed by Auditor Iver-
son twenty years ago.
The commissions recommendation
strides boldly over the objection that
the auditor is eX-oficio, under the
constitution, commissioner of the land
Office.
"The question has been thoroughly
considered by the commission" says
the report, land a study has been
made of the matter by the attorney
general, and the opinion prevails that
consolidation can be legally ef-
fected."
There is no disagreement as to the
desirability of the consolidation. "The
state auditor agrees with the position
taken by his predecessors that the de-
partments administering timber, lands
and minerals should not be in the
auditors Office, which is essentially
fiscal Office"
But Auditor Chase has maintained
that the change could be made only
by constitutional amendment. The re-
forestation commission says that there
is nothing to that.
The constitutional point is only by
indirection. When the swamp land
amendment was adopted in 1881, it
provided that swamp lands should no
longer be given away but should be
appraised and sold by the same off,
GERS and in the same manner as school
lands "aS provided in Chapter 38 of
the general laws" And in chapter 38
it said the auditor was eX-officio
commissioner of the land office.
When Iverson proposed separating
the land department from the fiscal
Office, some bright lawyer dug up that
constitutional objection and the state
boggled over it ever since.
The reforestation commission drives
right through it.
The provisions of Chapter 38 of the
general statues Of 1878 did not pre-
vent change in the manner Of sale
Of timber. Nor change in the man
ner of sale of minerals. Nor change
in the manner Of appraisals. Nor
change in the officers making ap-
praisalS. All those changes have been
freely made without qualm or a suS-
picion that the constitution was
infringed.
"Ii Chapter 38 is part of the con-
stitution," says the report, then state
land should be sold on a thirty year
term with z per cent interest on de-
ferred payments, "-instead Of forty
years and 4 per cent
1.-THE courts are not likely to take
seriously" says the report, "the con-
tention that the auditor is land COM
missioner by virtue of the constitu-
ton"
Thus riding over the constitutional
DOGGY, the problem Of consolidation Is
much simplif1ed.
No additional powers are required.