FORESTRY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 17 



property in the town. Such property has belonged mainly to the large 

 lumber companies, which were by far the best organized and the most 

 powerful influence in the community. Seldom, under these circum- 

 stances, did the township officials impose a heavy tax rate or assess 

 the company property at a sufficiently high value. As a result, the 

 community did not have sufficient funds to pay for the improvements 

 that its resources fully justified. Schools were cheaply built, poorly 

 equipped, and manned with inefficient teachers; roads were badly 

 constructed and their maintenance neglected ; proper sanitation was 

 not provided; and water and lighting systems were inadequate or 

 entirely lacking. 



On the other hand, instances also are known where towns with 

 very similar conditions have gone to the other extreme in such mat- 

 ters. Schools, roads, and other public works have been constructed 

 that were almost too good for the community. When this has hap- 

 pened, the bills have usually been paid, at least in part, not by in- 

 creased taxation, but by issuing bonds or notes. Sometimes these have 

 been made payable several years after the date of issue, sometimes on 

 demand. In the latter case, however, it has been likely to happen 

 that because of " financial difficulties " or for other reasons payment 

 of the notes has been postponed from year to year. In either event 

 it has often come about that the obligations have remained outstand- 

 ing until after the departure of the lumber company, which, having 

 had the benefit of the improvements, left them to be paid for in 

 large part by others. 



DEPRECIATION IN PROPERTY VALUES. 



In addition to the general demoralization caused by such practices 

 as these, the community is impoverished through the destruction of 

 its most valuable resource. Only too often this has been the means 

 of practically bankrupting communities in regions where land is of 

 little value for anything except forest production. Thriving manu- 

 facturing towns have been succeeded by almost deserted villages. 

 Taxable property has been reduced to a minimum. Not only this, 

 but the value of the propery that remains is impaired seriously as a 

 result of the decrease in population. In towns where values have 

 depreciated in this way it is not uncommon to find houses and lots 

 offered for sale for amounts which shortly before, when prosperity 

 abounded, would have been insufficient to pay more than a few 

 months' rent. 



Even in regions where the land is well suited for agriculture and 



eventually should be cleared for cultivation, too rapid removal of 



the forest may be detrimental because of its effect in reducing taxable 



values. All farming communities require a certain length of time 



16940°--Biill. 638—18 3 



