Out of the large number of bills introduced in the Legis- 

 lature regarding various phases of the North Woods six have 

 passed at this writing, though most of the other more import- 

 ant ones are on the calendar and will be passed ultimately, if 

 the present sentiment of the legislators is any indicator. 



House File No. 389, an act changing the term "forest re- 

 serve" to "state forest," wherever it appears in the statutes, 

 was the first to pass through the legislative mill. It is pointed 

 out that this makes the statutes conform to the national laws 

 in which the federal timber lands are referred to as "national 

 forests." 



The second measure to receive legislative sanction is an act 

 dealing with the cutting and sale of timber on state lands. 

 Technically it revises Section 41, Chapter 204 of the General 

 Laws of the State of 1905. 



Under the new act any person cutting timber on State lands 

 must post notice to the effect that timber will be cut at cer- 

 tain locations beginning on a certain date. This notice must 

 be posted in a conspicuous place in the company's camp and 

 notice must be sent to the state forester at the time opera- 

 tions begin, so that the state rangers may visit the camp and 

 see that slashings are disposed of in a proper manner. 



The bill, popularly known as the Itasca park bill, has been 

 reported favorably by the committee, and according to the 

 present outlook, undoubtedly will be passed by the Legislat- 

 ure. 



State Auditor Iverson has gone on record as favoring a leg- 

 islative committee to sit between sessions to prepare a com- 

 prehensive plan for a department of public domain to be acted 

 on by the Legislature of 1915. He also favors the submission 

 of a constitutional amendment, creating a separate office of 

 state land commission to take over all state land business 

 from the auditor and head the new department. The state 



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