I 



RESULTS OF OUR FOREST POLICY 327 



cent of the less desirable timber. In Mississippi, the ten largest holders 

 had 41.2 per cent of the longleaf, 11.5 per cent of the shortleaf and 

 loblolly, and 5.8 per cent of the hardwoods. In Florida, large holders 

 owned 81.1 per cent of the more valuable timber and only 3.9 per cent 

 of the less valuable species. 



In all three of the Lake states, there is a very high concentration in 

 the ownership of the valuable white and Norway pine and hemlock. 

 In Minnesota, there is a relatively very low concentration in the owner- 

 ship of hardwoods and of conifers other than white and Norway pine. 

 Of the large holdings in that state (those of 60,000,000 feet or over), 

 81.5 per cent was found to be white and Norway pine, and only 18.5 

 per cent the other conifers and hardwoods ; while of the smaller hold- 

 ings only 24.8 per cent was white and Norway pine and 75.2 per cent 

 the cheaper kinds of wood. The six largest holders in Minnesota had 

 54 per cent of the white and Norway pine and 2 per cent of the hard- 

 woods. The hardwood stands of Michigan and Wisconsin, unlike those 

 in Minnesota and the southern pine region, are of high average value, 

 and as a consequence, the ownership is centered in a comparatively 

 few holders. 



The power of the large timber owners is greatly augmented by a 

 close interweaving of interests, by interlocking directorates, owner- 

 ship of subsidiary companies or of stock in other companies, and by 

 close affiliation with other kinds of business, particularly with trans- 

 portation. 



CAUSES OF CONCENTRATION OF OWNERSHIP: RAILROAD LAND 



GRANTS 



It will be profitable to note briefly the causes which have been 

 responsible for the remarkable concentration in timber ownership de- 

 scribed above. In a word, it might of course be said that this concen- 

 tration is due to the unwise land policy of the Federal government; 

 but the particular features of that policy must be considered in detail. 



No other factor has been so influential in promoting concentration 

 in most regions as the system of land grants to railroads and wagon 

 roads. Among the largest timber owners are some of the original rail- 

 road beneficiaries ; and a great many of the holdings of large timber 

 companies can be traced to railroad grants. A study of the present 



