1900. AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 211 



feared. With the appointment of a trust- that the fire law of Maine is the basis for 

 worthy commission, such as that now in that of New York and several other States, 

 office, the danger ceases and with it the the typical character of the legislation in 

 need of legal safeguard, if indeed such the States just cited is made apparent, 

 a safeguard ought ever to be sought Let us turn now to another set of con- 

 in the organic rather than in the special ditions, those of Michigan, for example, 

 law. But no policy of "let alone" can Here we have, as in New York, acorn- 

 keep a forest truly safe, as we have seen mission, but without the reserved State 

 with reference to the Federal Reserves. lands for it to control. Here also, by way 

 That forest officers should be in charge of of further contrast, we find the public 

 forests which they cannot manage, /. <?., sentiment, at least in so far as it reaches 

 harvest, except in cases where protective definite expression in law, hostile rather 

 considerations demand complete stagna- than friendly. Of the citizens of no 

 tion, which is certainly not true of New other State can it be more truly said that 

 York, is from the forester's standpoint those who are not with the forests are 

 simply absurd. There is promise that against them. For one Judas there are the 

 this dilemma a commission able to use others who sleep. And there is no sanct- 

 the forest and a forest that may not be uary in which these can escape responsi- 

 utilized will soon be removed. By leg- bility. Here the lumbermen have, over 

 islation enacted in the last session of the large areas, already completed that work 

 legislature, the commission, in cooperation of desolation, which, if partly the re- 

 with the Division of Forestry, is prepar- suit of their anti-social motives, is also, 

 ing, for the first time, working plans, and perhaps equally, the result of an eco- 

 which are to be laid before the legislature nomic condition for which the people of 

 next winter with recommendations that the State are themselves to blame. This 

 action be taken looking to the repeal of false economic condition is the ultimately 

 the Constitutional amendment. At the unintelligent excessive rate of taxation of 

 end of some two years we may look for forested lands. Such lands when owned 

 the beginning of forest management in the by non-residents are assessed at rates which 

 New York Preserves. prohibit temperate and provident cutting. 

 The New York forest fire law, though The taxes insure either loss for the owner 

 excellent on paper, has never been more or, in the long run, vastly greater loss for 

 than to'erably efficacious. The example of the State. The problem offered is" by no 

 Minnesota has shown the reason. A sin- means easy of solution. The commission- 

 gle head, a chief fire warden, is directly ers are making every effort to find a satis- 

 indicated as the only means for overcom- factory answer. Towns must live for the 

 ing local indifference or favoritism and for present, even if it cost them, first the tim- 

 offsetting that heaviest drag upon all pro- ber which the non-resident owners of the 

 visions for public good, namely self-inter- county are driven to cut wholesale, and 

 est. Here also New York is beginning to then the assessable property itself. The 

 learn from experience and example. By a crux is this : How to tax values without 

 recent law a chief fire warden is provided overtaxing resources, and so draining 

 for. Good results cannot very well be them dry; or in other words, How to 

 wanting. Yet from the example of Penn- make the forest owner pay for his profits 

 sylvania, New York has perhaps still an- without forcing him to consume outright 

 other lesson to learn. Pennsylvania has a the capital from which those profits and at 

 law, passed in 1897, which provides for the same time the profits of the commu- 

 detective work in the detection of careless nity are drawn. One way would be that 

 or intentional offenders against the forest suggested by Mr. Bruncken in his recent 

 fire laws. This device is successful in volume " American Forests and Forestry." 

 practice, and even on paper is no incon- This is to tax the gross receipts of sales of 

 siderable restraint upon the negligent or timber. By this device the enforcement of 

 the mischievous. When we have said immediate harvesting is avoided, and the 



