MICHIGAN 



RMDS ^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 the state forestry commission before that office, to buy the saplings. They were mine, 



I A iVTPk A*f TnrM F body was succeeded by the public domain com- weren't they? 



LAINU MUUULt . . "The commission promised to fix the matter 



mission. He charges the land department with 



at the February meeting, but nothing has been 



In seeking to obtain a dear title to the lands ^'^ tO '* *** "J '"ff " ^ ^ done yet. Even if the state wou,d buy them 



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



in the Michigan state forestry reserve, against ,, About eight Qr n ; ne yegrs agb> &t j^ fee . thjnk .^ jea , ousy that is affe cting the failure 



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



s a result of the failure, it is alleged, of the ^ m ,, says Mr MershoBi the state set aside NEW LAW A SUCCESS . 



forestry commission to have the deeds record- fcy ^ ^ of , egislature 24>000 or 25;000 acres with $7>ug deposited in bank the proceeds 



ed, the public domain commission which now of , and fm reforestation purposes ; n Roscom- of the sale of state tax lands, now known as 



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



Midiii;an. wll assert that the forestry commis- ... , , , . , T , month, State Land Commissioner Huntley 



whether or not the deeds were recorded. If << c r A -a* r .\A< ! ond hU sccictants 



sion should never have bought the lands, but t .. t<tRnnnn * Russell of Grand Rapids and his assistants 



the auditor-general has paid out $60,000 to tax haye made preparations for similar sales to be 



hould have taken possession of them under ^ ^^ ^ . g no renecuon on the old com . hek , in quick rotation at Bay CitVi Saginaw 



It new will be asked that the com- mission Wg neyer ha( , that much money> and and Cadillac . 

 mission be refunded the amount paid for the the commiss ; on charge of reforestation "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 . . , ,,,*c.v n f T oocino- 



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



r and the first under the new law creating a pub- 



ment. Ihis is the view of Secretary Carton of ... , , , .,,_ -.- , +1 nnn v t. c ^ 



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 f . . ., T , . .. , ,,. , . 



of this was paid to the University of Michigan lands. 

 the auditor-general's department. omm ; s _ . <We sold about twice as much land as we 



> 



Relative to the claim of W. B. Mershon, of . . ,., . , ever did before," says Mr. Russell. I do not 



sion as its technical adviser. We labored un- - " , ,, , .* 



Saginaw, to several million young pine seed- der the impression that the lands we were know the exact figures for Muskeg 



lings on the reserve, the records of the public wor king were the property of the state. In f , last f ar fi s ^ le - but thev WC " ""^"^ d 



, below the figures for this year. Not only did 



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



cepts his claim that he bought the seeds, but plot that was owned by some farmer and which ^^ ^ o better" 



will not admit his ownership of the young *; as " the land ^ e W " C * n * EX " ?t ^ "One of the best features of the sale," con- 



those instances the $6,000 allowed yearly was . , , . , . 



The commission ,s willing, Secretary expended for see ds, labor and the carrying on t' d Mr Russell was that much of. 



Carton says, to refund him the money he in- of l the work . Our business was not to buy dld not ,^ lnt th , e ha " d ?. f S . PeC "' a 



, was sold to people residing in the county. 



vested, w.th interest, but will not allow him to land nor to look after the deeds. Q{ ^ m ^ Q ^ who res ; ded 



^ Q ^ m ^ y ^ Q ^ wo rese 



have any of the seedlings, declaring that state All of the records of the forestry commis- * ajso made the b;dding more 



t,- ps will be called out to protect the pre- si "' while }. Was a member . were PtibHrfKd, , 



and such a discovery as has been made should , .. ,._ m - f t,-, 



serve ,f necessary. The seedlings are valued haye hren unearthed years ago . It , ooks to The list of unsold state tax lands togel Aer 



at between $1 and $2 a thousand. mc as if the ]and department is to blame and w.th the appraised price of each property, will 



,.,. be turned over to County Treasurer K. D. Ma- 



that the preset agitation is due to politics. t, j--:,..- 



.1. goon by Mr. Russell, and any one who desires 



to Mershon s having saplings in the ' ' office and 



. 



The story sent out from Lansing relative to eve o erson s aving sapings in e ^ treasurer ' s office and 



two counties that he refuses to turn over to , , .. __,_:- 



the auditor-general having paid $60,000 for ., , , . , ... , . . purchase the property he wants at the apprais- 



the state, and which are just now the subject *"" a 



lam!-, in Roscommon and Crawford counties o f contention he says- price. 



that were given over to the work of reforesta- "We had the vacant' land, but there was no The > nd ^ as sold to thc "^^"1 bidder, prc 



T vided his bid was equal to or above the ap- 



tion, but which were not legally deeded to the money to buy seeds and provide for labor. This Jg fixed by thfi pub , ic 



state, has aroused the ire of W. B. Mershon, wa " ted fn * ahead and start the y un ^ trees ' domain commission 



so I advanced $600 out of my own pocket. The domaln co1 ... 



of Saginaw, than whom Michigan has no more , , , The appraised price was not made puDlic 



_ seeds were imported and were of the very d ; ^ auction the state land commission- 



honorable citizen, and none who is more in best . Now tne sap H ngs have grown . j want . only informing the highest bidder whether 



"avor of the square deal. He was a member cd the public domain commission, when it took, pr not there has been a sale. 



