in this. Around many of the towns bluffs and other poor qual- 

 ity land can now be acquired cheaply. This land if devoted 

 to the growth of timber, will some day, and not a very far 

 distant date, bring in large revenues to the towns. There 

 are towns in Germany which pay no taxes at all, the municipal 

 forest pays all the bills. It is to be hoped that many towns 

 will take advantage of the opportunity. 



Another important measure was the addition of the state 

 forester to the state timber board. Certainly no such board 

 would be complete without him. It is a common weakness of 

 state governments that they do not make proper use of their 

 trained men in their administration. This is a step in the right 

 direction and there are several others of a like nature which 

 should be made. 



These are the most important features of the new laws and 

 they are good. We must not expect too rapid progress along 

 a strange and new road, and the legislature deserves congra- 

 tulations on the great advance that they have made. There 

 is, however, still something to be desired. It is to be hoped 

 that the next legislature will begin where this one left off, 

 that they will make it possible to increase the ranger force to 

 an adequate footing and that they will make some law provid- 

 ing for the acquisition of non-agricutural lands for state forests 

 which after all must be the true basis of permanent forestry 

 work. There are millions of acres of land in the state which 

 is better adapted for the growth of timber than anything else. 

 It is capable of producing a large revenue for the state, of 

 adding handsomely to the state's development. It can never 

 be acquired cheaper. It is our chief complaint against the 

 legislature that this movement was not started this year. 



