never suffered a crop failure and this fact is directly due to 

 the protection afforded by the surrounding forests. 



The ninth amendment for state forests will be of direct in- 

 fluence in supplying us with permanent forests and shelter 

 belts. 



The ninth amendment for state forests will directly and in- 

 directly tend to lower our taxes and for the following reasons: 



Minnesota has in addition to the immense tracts of rich 

 agricultural lands, also areas which will never be fit for 

 anything else but tree growth. Thousands and thousands of 

 acres formerly clothed with magnificent pine are now defor- 

 ested, unproductive and of no value to anyone. A good deal 

 of this land is owned by corporations, railroads, lumbermen, 

 land companies, and others. Their only value lies in the pro- 

 duction of timber. 



A Progressive Policy Possible 



The ninth amendment for state forests will authorize the 

 state to adopt a progressive policy of forest management on 

 its own lands. The state will be able to show on its own land, 

 that forestry is a paying proposition. As soon as the state 

 s taken the initiative and proved the fact that lands unfit 

 r farming will be revenue producing if growing timber, cor- 

 rations will follow the example set by the state. As a re- 

 It areas now lying idle will be made productive, labor will 

 employed, industries started, communities revived and 



which now are solitudes will become prosperous. 

 This is no idle delusion or air castle based on supposition, 

 but it is a fact based on European conditions. Sweden, Ger- 

 many, Switzerland, and France has many syndicates, compa- 

 nies and communities who are practicing forestry. The gov- 

 ernment took the lead, proved that forestry was practical and 

 corporations, municipalities and communities followed suit. 



Many communities in Europe own municipal forests man- 

 aged by the community and in numerous instances the profits 

 realized from these forests are sufficient to pay -all the taxes 

 levied in these communities. 



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