imum price therefor. It would therefore seem wise to have 

 a careful examination made of all the lands belonging to the 

 State, with a view of ascertaining what portion of them are 

 unfit for agriculture and could properly be set apart for for- 

 estry. With such knowledge the legislature could safely pass 

 an act placing the State's non-agricultural lands in charge oi; 

 the Forest Service. With a view to accomplishing this re- 

 sult I, in the early part of the session of the last legislature 

 after consulting the State Auditor, carefully drew up a bill 

 for this purpose, a copy of which I give below. I thought 

 there would be no use of introducing it unless it had the 

 approval of one of the committees on public lands, and I 

 therefore transmitted it in duplicate form to the Senate Pub- 

 lic Lands Committee through its chairman, Mr. Boyle of Eve- 

 leth, St. Louis county, with the letter below. I also appeared 

 in person before the committee and advocated the introduc- 

 tion and passage of the bill. One great benefit from the bill, 

 aside from its promoting forestry, would be that it would 

 enable the State Auditor to know exactly the character of the 

 agricultural lands and be of great benefit to people who wish 

 to buy and improve them. The State's vacant lands are prob- 

 ably worth fifteen million dollars and the amount provided 

 in the bill for their examination is comparatively a very small 

 item. The intelligent public sentiment of the State is in 

 favor of such legislation. Any good business man owning 

 such property would not let a year pass without undertaking 

 such an examination as the bill calls for. 



General Andrews to Senator Boyle: 



Office of the Forestry Commisioner, 



St. Paul, Minn., Feb. 14, 1911. 

 Hon. James P. Boyle, 

 State Senate. 

 Dear Sir: 



With reference to the bill which I sent you providing for 

 the examination of vacant lands belonging to the State, I 

 would submit the following: 



Three examiners could probably work to advantage at call- 



12 



