I20 FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 



these resting or landing places for the general use of fishermen 

 and the public." 



An examination of the acreage of islands sold in 1876 and 

 1877 shows that islands as small as one-half acre were con- 

 sidered in those sales. 



One reading these reports of the different Land Agents since 

 1877 must be struck by the varied opinion as to the number and 

 value of islands belonging to the State^ — some considering the 

 State as having disposed of practically everything it had, and 

 others considering the State as still retaining many valuable 

 islands. This cannot be wholly accounted for by the fact that 

 a general increase in value of coast property for summer resort 

 purposes, made the smaller islands of importance and value. 



The cause, I believe, is rather lack of information at the 

 Land Office as to the source of title of islands on some sections 

 of our coast, where Massachusetts or Maine have made few 

 or no conveyances, and there are many valuable islands, — the 

 reports reflecting the opinion of individual land agents on the 

 State's title to such. 



From the time of the large sales in 1876 and 1877 to the 

 present time Maine has continued to dispose of a few islands 

 from year to year. For a while by act of the Governor and 

 Council until that body adopted a settled policy or reserving the 

 remaining islands to public use and refused all applications for 

 them: and then by resolves of the Legislature. 



The policy long ago adopted by the Governor and Council of 

 saving the remaining islands and ledges for public use, has been 

 gaining favor in recent years, and culminated in the last Legis- 

 lature in the following act : 



Chapter 132, Section 2, Laws of 1913: "The title to all 

 islands located in the sea within the jurisdiction of the State of 

 Maine, except such as has been previously granted away by the 

 State, or are now held in private ownership, shall remain in the 

 State of Maine and be reserved for public use." 



Thus ends the history of island legislation by two of the 

 great sources of island titles, with a complete reversal of that 

 policy of 1876 which sought to rid the state of every island it 

 owned. 



