?= MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



MICHIGAN elation, represented Director J. C. Knox of this saving by abolishing the land office en-^ 



l-V^n r 1 OT-O Cail '" ac - irrl - v - Forestry is already >aving the State 



AND r vJl\ll,k5 1 .b " U ' rc were also ' )rescnt Mr - Steckley of over $50,000 a year and will save it a great 



rarer o, The Michi.an Road Makers Aviation and ^^"^ ^ Mr. Jay Bassett of Detroit. deal more, in the actual cash of the tax-payer. 



Michigan Forestry Association. Alter some preliminary discussion Mr. Roth ~- The State land office and the auditor 



70 Larned Street West, Detroit, Michigan. reviewed the work of the last seven years general's office have had a clean-up and 



Enured u Second-cias, Matter April 27, 1907. the Post office at DC- and particularly the work of the Forestry change of front. 



troit. Michigan, under the Act of Congress oi March i. ig79. ^ Association during the live years of its exis- :! - The State has definitely and finally 



Frank E Carter E( jj tor tence. This is what he said: Seven years ago abandoned the policy of throwing away its 



- forestry in Michigan was practically without P"or lands and thereby encouraging a miser- 



PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH recognition; what little was said or done was able form of " Iand shark" business, and in- 



B y due to the patient efforts of such men as Mr. ste:| d it has established and accepted a prom- 



THB STATE REVIEW PUBLISHING CO., Garfield, Dr. Beal, Mr. Bissell, Professor isi "S forest policy. 



Spalding and others. The position of the * Hundreds of young men study forestry 

 RI ^YABL ?N rDVANCB! A ****" State - was anomalous. The lumber industry, at the University and the M. A. C, and for- 

 _ . ,, ._ _ the second in the State, was rapidly disap- estrv is recognized in the work of at least 



PROGRESS OF THE GOOD ROADS pearing; millions of money were leaving the " nc '"_ our \ormal schools. 



State to be invested elsewhere; millions were 3 - There is a general, intelligent sentiment 



ILUZA. sent out to i m p crt our b etter g rac i es o f ] um . among our people which is ready to support 



Interest in good roads throughout the state her, forest fires were destroying millions of the legislature in any proper effort for for- 

 is steadily increasing, and while reports indi- property every few years; only a third of the estr y. 



cate that a certain element among some coun- ] an d i n the State was used; millions of acres r >- Numerous public organizations, com- 

 ty boards of supervisors is somewhat slow in were [ e f t to rev ert partially or entirely for mercial bodies, women's clubs, etc., have tak- 

 seeing the light, the reduced majorities, where non-payment of taxes; nearly a third of opr en "P th is work and are carrying along a 

 votes have been taken refusing to submit the i an d s was in an unused cut and burned-over campaign for forestry. 



question to the people, are strongly indicative waste land condition with little chance or fit- " Th e lumbermen and timberland owners 

 of a growing sentiment, which will almost cer- ness f or any ot h e r use but forest. And yet are organizing to give their forests better 

 tainly in time become an insistent demand, as i ate as 1903 the State took no interest, the protection and in this way are doing pioneer 

 for better highways with all they must mean legislature paid no attention to any of these work in the direction of forestry. 

 to the communities that build them. matters and the State officials of those days, Aml '" a " thcse results the Michigan For- 



It seems plainly evident that in several notably the land office and auditor general's cstr y Association can well claim a goodly 

 counties where the supervisors have refused office denounced and opposed every effort of share. 



to submit the county road question to the progress. Mr. W. B. Mershon explained the great 



popular vote, their decision does not coincide Things had changed but little by the year possibilities in the direction of game and fish 

 with the wishes of the people. In Oakland 1905 when the association was organized. But preservation and expressed the belief that 

 county for example, where some townships from this time on there was improvement. In twenty million dollars per year and more 

 are known to be 25 to 1 in favor of the propo- 1907 the first victory was won in the creation could easily be derived from tourist and camp- 

 sition, the supervisors refuse to submit. In of the Commission of Inquiry. This commis- er if our wild lands and our wild animals 

 Charlevoix county, also, where only two years sion, especially through the fearless efforts of wollkl receive protection and care. 

 ago, one supervisor alone refused to vote on Carl Schmidt of Detroit, its star member, laid Mr. Bigelow emphasized the needs of fire 

 a resolution condemning the system, now the whole situation bare, .it showed the peo- protection and the lamentably unfair and 

 many have been won over to its support and pie that the State was fooling away its lands vicious phases of our present forest taxation. 

 the last vote of the board, recently taken, at about one-tenth their value, that good for- Dr. L. L. Hubbard laid stress on the neces- 

 showed one-third of the supervisors on the est was practically given away, that the old sity of disposal of brush and debris generally 

 right side. methods led to forest devastation and were in forest operations to prevent serious con- 



Some boards refused to submit the question merely helping to make waste lands. Further- flagrations. 



at the spring election because of what they more, that the State was wasting the taxpay- Mr. Bissell spoke of the value of the asso- 

 considered lack of interest among the bene- ers> money at a rate of about $150,000 per year ciatirn in giving tangible and active support 

 ficiaries of the system, in that they had not for useless advertising and clerk hire in con- to the Public Domain Commission, an assis- 

 petitioned for the voting privilege. nection with tax lands, and that thousands tance which would probably become neces- 



Those who look beneath the surface, how- of " lake resort lots " worth about 10 cents sary as soon as this commission would begin 

 ever, will find the most hopeful indications all a P iece wg re reverting for non-payment of its real work and operate on a larger scale. 

 over the state, for the good roads idea is taxes > and causing an expense of nearly $1.00 Mrs. Mantner and Mrs. Sharp described the 

 coming into its own in the favor of the people a P iece each year for advertising and clerk work of the women's clubs and the enthusiastic 

 with whom the decision must ultimately rest! hire. support which the association's work received 



_ In the next session, that of 1908-9, and for through these bodies. 



MT _ HTrAM -._,_ the first time in the history of our State, the In discussing the future work of the asso- 



RY ASSOCIATION Legislature was thoroughly interested and elation it was agreed that the great tasks of 



CHANGES. alive to the matter of forestry and at last the association were really accomplished, that 



On January 20 a meeting of the Officers created a new Forestry Commission with a certain amount of time and development of 



and Directors of the Michigan Forestry Asso- proper powers, such as had been asked for existing agencies must be allowed to take 



ciation was held at the office of the Vice Pres- by the friends of forestry for years. place and that for these reasons the method 



ident, Mr. J. H. Bissell. The following offi- Today, with the association only five years of work might well be changed. It was 



cers and directors were present: old. we have in Michigan: therefore- unanimously decided to abandon the 



President Chas. W. Garfield. ]. The Public Domain Commission (the regular publication of a paper, and in its 



Vice President J. H. Bissell. new forestry commission) with jurisdiction place issue from time to time such bulletins 



Secretary Filibert Roth. over all state lands, and with the express duty or circulars as seem desired or necessary. 



Assistant Secretary H. G. Stevens. of setting aside at least 200,000 acres is doing " On motion of Mr. Stevens, a vote of thanks 



Mrs. L. L. Mantner of Saginaw. what it can with present funds to better and was unanimously tendered to Mr. F. E. Car- 



Mrs. J. C. Sharp of Jackson. protect these lands, and to promote forestry ter. the editor of Michigan Roads and For- 



Mr. W. B. Mershon of Saginaw. in the State. ests for his interest and his efficient help in 



Dr. L. L. Hubbard of Houghton. It has also largely stopped the great ex- placing the needs and' work of the association 



Mr. C. A. Bigelow of Bay City, President pense of tax land advertising, etc., and in a before the public and especially in interesting 



of Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' Asso- few years, no doubt, will be ready to add to the press during the periods of struggle. 



