124 



We believe that the money has been well expended and that the 

 continued operation of the law will be productive of great good to the 

 State. 



It is furthermore worthy of note that there is a strong effort to 

 make constables of the State game and fish wardens for the future, as 

 they are already fire wardens, thus extending and increasing the suc- 

 cessful operation of the forestry law. 



ASSESSORS' METHODS OF REPORTING TIMBER LANDS. 



We have repeatedly called attention to the inexact method of the 

 assessors in reporting the areas of the timber lands of the State. 

 Such methods might have been tolerated in earlier years, but they are 

 valueless for scientific or statistical purposes, and actually mislead 

 rather than help any one desiring information for personal or State in 

 vestigation. Some better system cannot be employed too soon. 



Attention is also called to a change which might be advantageously 

 made in the act of March 30, 1897. As the law now stands it is made 

 the duty of the County Treasurers and County Commissioners to give 

 notice of lands about to be sold for non-payment of taxes, by publica- 

 tion once a week, for six successive weeks, in at least two newspapers 

 of general circulation, etc. It is thought that the words "four suc- 

 cessive weeks" might advantageously be substituted for "six succes- 

 sive weeks." As the law now stands it is alleged to prove a hardship 

 in some of the more sparsely populated counties. 



ADDITIONAL METHODS OF OBTAINING LANDS FOR STATE PURPOSES. 



We may well profit by the example of the State of New York in some 

 methods of obtaining land for State purposes. Originally it acquired 

 much forest property by purchase of tracts sold for taxes, as we are 

 now doing. It was unavoidable that between the tracts so acquired 

 there would be other areas which in themselves were of equal value 

 and which, if added to the tracts already purchased, would greatly 

 enhance the value of the public possessions. 



Authority was given to those having the State lands in charge to 

 exchange outlying areas for those intervening ones, so that the prop- 

 erty of the Commonwealth might thereby be consolidated. Then too 

 certain tracts were turned over or sold to the State conditionally, as 

 part of the reservation, by the owner, who retained certain privileges. 

 The main purpose of the State was the protection of the water shed. 

 To this all the others were subservient, even the pecuniary value of 

 the timber being of secondary importance. If the owner retained his 

 hunting or fishing privileges, and even his summer residence there, it 

 is certainly conceivable that he might do so without in any way inter- 

 fering with the purposes of the State. New York has wisely recog- 

 nized this and so acquired a number of tracts which are of great value 

 as parts of her already large forest domain. 



