iMICHIGAN 



ROADS ^FORESTS 



DETROIT, MICH., OCTOBER, 1909. 



MICHIGAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



The Michigan Forestry Association was organized in Grand Rapids August 30, 1905, having for its object the promotion of a ra- 

 tional system of forestry in Michigan. The society is managed by the following roster of officers: President, John H. Bissell, of Detroit; 

 Vice-President, Morrice Quinn, Saginaw; Secretary, Henry G. Stevens, Detroit; Treasurer, W. B. Mershon, Saginaw, W. S. Board of 

 Directors S. M. Lemon, Grand Rapids; H. N. Loud, Au Sable; Thos. B. Wyman, Munising; E. C. Nichols, Battle Creek; R. Hanson, Gray- 

 ling; Geo. N. Brady, Detroit. 



MICHIGAN'S FOREST of tne state forestry commission before that office, to buy the saplings. They were mine, 



1V/II irTM 17 body was succeeded by the public domain com- weren't they? 



MULLLC, . . "The commission promised to fix the matter 



mission. He charges the land department with 



at the February meeting, but nothing has been 



- , 



failure to act wisely and alleges that renec- , T-. ., .. _,/>,, ij K,,,, 



In seeking to obtain a clear title to the lands . done y et - Even lf the state would buv 



tions are being cast on the old commission. ; t wou i d not have any place to put them. I 



"About eight or nine years ag6, at least, be- think it's jealousy that is affecting the failure 



which there are tax titles held by individuals fore y wag appointed to the commission) in of settlement with me." 



as a result of the failure, it is alleged, of the 19Q7/ , says Mr Mershon, "the state set aside NEW LAW A SUCCESS. 



forestry commission to have the deeds record- fcy ^ ^ Q{ , egis]ature 24 000 or 25>000 acres wkh $7>U9 deposited in bank the proceeds 



ed, the public domain commission which now of , af]d fof reforestation purposes in Rosco m- of the sale of state tax lands, now known as 



has charge of efforts towards reforestation in mQn and Crawford counties . We never knew the public domain, in Muskegon county, this 



Michigan, wll assert that the forestry commis- ... ., , . A A t( month, State Land Commissioner Huntley 



whether or not the deeds were recorded. If , ,, j T> -A >~A *,; occ^for.+c 



sion should never have bought the lands, but . . ... . R sse11 of Grand Ra P lds and hls asslstants 



the auditor-general has paid out $60,000 to tax have made pre parations for similar sales to be 



should have taken possession of them under .,.,... , . . . . ,,.. c 



title sharks, it is no renecnon on the old com- held in quick rotation at Bay City, bagmaw 



the law. It now will be asked that the com- ^.^ Wg neyer had tfaat much money> and and Cadi]lac 



mission be refunded the amount paid for the thg comm i ssion ; n charge of reforesta ti on "A big success," is the way Mr. Russell de- 



lands in question, and those who bought tax , . , scribes the sale in Muskegon, which was the 



hasn t had that much money since the work , , . , . ., , T __.;__ 



titles be refunded the amount of their invest- . first ever held in the state outside of Lansing, 



has been started. d th first under the new j aw creating a pub- 



ment. This is the view of Secretary Carton of . , , , */ j *.. /> t t. r . 



All we had each year was $7,000, and $1,000 ]j c domain commission to be in charge of state 



the public domain commission, and officers of .... . , , T , . .. , ,,. , . 



of this was paid to the University of Michigan lands. 



the auditor-general's department. prcf RQ ^ ^ worked with the comm ; s _ We sold abo ut twice as much land as we 



Relative to the claim of W. B. Mershon, of ^.^ ^.^ We ]abored m . ever did before," says Mr. Ru,,ell 



son ^ ^ e are . 



Saginaw, to several million young pine seed- der the impression that the lands we wer e know the exact figures for Muskegon count 



, ,. , , ., ... , T at last vear s sale, but they were considerably 



hngs on the reserve, the records of the public working were the property of the state. In J * fi Rures for this year. Not only did 



domain commission show that that body ac- very rare instances we would pay for a 40-acre ^ ^ ^^ pertieS; but the prices they 



cepts his claim that he bought the seeds, but P Iot that was owned b ? some farmer and whlch broUR ht were also better." 



, .. , r it. was on the land we were working. Except for , ., . 



will not admit his ownership of the young "One of the best features of the sale, con- 



those instances the $6.000 allowed yearly was . . , , . . 



trees. The commission is willing, Secretary n(Jed for seeds> ]abor and the carrying on tmued Mr. Russell was that much of the land 



Carton says, to refund him the money he in- o f the work. Our business was not to buy dld nOt ,; a11 ' nt th , 6 hand , S . 



.... ... . , ,, t , . . was sold to people residing in the county. 



vested, with interest, but will not allow him to land, nor to look after the deeds. The nce of SQ many pers<5ns who res ided 



have any of the seedlings, declaring that state " A11 of the records of the forestry commis- ^ ^ county also made the bidding more 



-,, , ,, , sion, while I was a member, were published, 



troops will be called out to protect the pre- , close 



and such a discovery as has been made should ' ,, I~.,A* tncrothrr 



serve ,f necessary. The seedlings are valued hayfi bpen ^^ rs R , ooks to The list of unsold state tax l^s toge the 



at between $1 and $2 a thousand. me as if the land department is to blame and wlth the appraised price of each property, will 



,... be turned over to County Treasurer E. U. Ma- 

 that the preset agitation is due to politics. Ru and any Qne who desires 



* ' 



The story sent out from Lansing relative to Relatlve to ^ershcn s having saplings ,n the * ' ^ ^ county treasurer . s office and 



two counties that he refuses to turn over to . .. _,.,,.. ,; s 



the auditor-general having paid $60,000 for the ^^ ^ ^.^ aTe just nQW At subject purchase the property he wants at I 



lands in Roscommon and Crawford counties of contention> he says: T^eTand was sold to the highest bidder, pro- 



"We had the vacant land, but there was no ^.^ ^ b;d ^ equal iQ Qr above the ap . 



tion, but which were not legally deeded to the money to buy seeds and provide for labor. I ised ke This ; ce is fixed by the public 



state, has aroused the ire of W. B. Mershon, * A to *<; ' ahead and start the young trees, ^^ commission 



of Saginaw, than whom Michigan has no more S \ ^"^ * ^ f ^ Wn **%* * The appraised price was not made public 



seeds were imported and were of the very d ; the auct ion the state land commission- 



honorable citizen, and none who is more in best Now the sap]in&s have grovv n. I want- er on i y informing the highest bidder whether 



favor of the square deal. He was a member ed the public domain commission, when it took^ pr not there has been a sale. 



