TAX LANDS AND FORESTRY. 65 



of this land is purchased by the men who own the original record title, 

 the lands having been returned for taxes until the taxes accumulated 

 until they are ten times the value of the property. 



Q. A short cut to a cheap way to paying the taxes? 



A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Some considerable portion of it is bought to control water power 

 along streams? 



A. The. state has never had very much of that class. The per cent of 

 that class would be very small. 



Q. I note the chart shows that the State has disposed of a great 

 many 40's adjoining the rivers in the region where the chief fall comes 

 from the higher central portion of the State. 



A. I think that would be the An Sable and Manistee, and I think it 

 is true of the Muskegon. 



Q. On other streams on which there is a possible large water power ? 



A. Of course, that is a matter beyond my knowledge. 



Q. How many acres of State lands have been sold real estate specu- 

 lators in Chicago, Detroit and elsewhere? They have bought very con- 

 siderable quantities of this land? 



A. That is true. 



Q. You say you have no means of estimating the relative quantities 

 of land bought for real estate speculation? 



A. I have no method of knowing, no method of giving you the per- 

 centage. 



Q. Your knowledge extends far enough, does it not, to say that much 

 the greater part of the land sold is not for purposes that lead directly 

 to the establishment of homesteads and bringing in of settlers? 



A. That is true — probably not 10%. It would be my judgment that 

 not more than 10% is sold for actual residence. 



Q. Cedar and tamarack grew largely in the swamps in this northern 

 portion of the Lower Peninsula, did they not? 



A. That would be true of the Lower Peninsula, but not true of the 

 Upper Peninsula. 



Q. Following the revival of business in 1898, cedar and tamarack 

 situated in the swamps of the Lower Peninsula acquired a merchantable 

 value where it had not had substantial value? 



A. That is true. 



Q. As a result of that, a very large acreage of the State entered lands 

 was taken up by those who bought it for the cedar and tamarack upon it ? 



A. No; I could not say that was true. The State never owned an 

 exceedingly large number of acres of that kind of land. 



Q. About how much of that kind did it own? 



A. I do not think it owned 10% of its total holdings. What it had 

 was taken up in the way you have noted. 



Q. Have you mentioned all the purposes for which land is bought in 

 a large way by speculators? 



A. I think I have not mentioned purchases for sporting reserves. A 

 large amount of land is sold for this purpose. 



Q. That is held unoccupied and is not a game or fish reserve? 



A. Of course it is not occupied and must be fenced. 



Q. But not settled? 

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