92 



It was once considered the very essence of equity that all private 

 real property should bear its proportion of taxation, and upon this 

 idea those who prepared the last Constitution of the Commonwealth 

 acted. It now appears that we were leading many of our best citizens 

 by the too rigid application of a sound general principle, to despoil 

 the State, in self-protection. It was the result of a better insight into 

 the relations of the forests to the public that brought a rebate of taxes 

 upon the growing farm timber, which returns to the community at 

 large a benefit for every day that it is allowed to stand. This comes 

 as a direct relief to the depressed agricultural industries of the State. 



Just here another principle may claim brief attention. The care 

 which a savage extends to the sick of his own immediate band, civiliza- 

 tion has developed into a right on the part of an afflicted citizen to de- 

 mand care when he is unable to "do for himself." The outgrowth of 

 this idea is seen in every hospital for which the Commonwealth pro- 

 vides. But even this will fail to meet calls which the near future may 

 press upon us. Just as the most rational medical practice is preven- 

 tive, rather than curative of disease, so the broadest statesmanship 

 will diminish the cost of curing disease, by preventing it, whenever a 

 legitimate function of government can be brought to bear upon the 

 case. Instead of so many hospitals we may have some sanitariums lo- 

 cated among the birch and balsam forests. This is neither sentiment 

 nor fancy. It is an event of the next few years. It will be entered 

 upon because of the cold business fact that it is the cheapest thing to 

 do, and because it will destroy a large proportion of invalidism by pre- 

 venting it, and will give a self-supporting capacity to those who other- 

 wise would have become perpetual charges upon the community. The 

 forest reservations which have been authorized by act of the Legisla- 

 ture will have a large share in the natural development of this idea. 

 The bill creating them was introduced at the request of the Pennsyl- 

 vania Forestry Association. It should be stated here that the For- 

 estry Division of the Department of Agriculture rendered all proper 

 assistance in making its passage possible. 



Then, too, we should call attention hereto the change in public senti- 

 ment in regard to land sold for taxes. It is but a few years since the 

 idea was broached that the State should become the possessor of them. 

 The favor it met with was but scant. During the past session of the 

 Legislature a bill providing for this was introduced as one of the 

 measures suggested by the Division of Forestry, endorsed by the De- 

 partment of Agriculture and desired by His P^xcellency, Governor 

 Hastings. I( passed by a practically unanimous vote. No law en- 

 acted during the session has been more heartily and universally com- 

 mended over the State. 



This bill, however, marks another stage in our passage to a more 

 rational estimate of the relations of the forests to the community at 



