FOREST TAXATION IN THE UNITED STATES 3/1 
Mississippi adopted the yield-tax principle, in very much circum- 
scribed op due to constitutional restrictions, in the act of April 12, 
19246510. chi: 1329) \p..-o71).. Chis: law, while relieving the forest 
value from annual taxation for only the first 10 years, authorized a 
special annual property tax on the land to provide funds for organiz- 
ing a county system for the conservation and protection of the 
classified property. This law completely failed of its purpose and was 
finally repealed by the act of May 5, 1932 (S. L., ch. 261, p. 571). 
Ohio adopted the yield-tax principle in the act of April 7, 1925 
(S. L., S. B. 186, p. 260), and has since amended and clarified it in 
certain details by the act of May 2, 1927 (S. L., H. B. 278, p. 181). 
Kentucky, by the act of March 25, 1926 Ss. ech oe p a 22)P 
adopted the yield tax, following the eeneral plan of the Michigan 1925 
law. However one provision in this law, namely, that concerning 
assessment for annual ad valorem taxation, was held by the attorney 
general to be in conflict with the constitution, so that the law was not 
allowed to go into operation. It was consequently repealed and 
replaced by the act of March 15, 1930 (S. L., ch. 3, p. 24). No 
special tax principle is involved in this new law. The State, in 
consideration of the granting to it by the owner of certain rights 
during an agreed leasing period, is to compensate the owner through 
a rental fee in whole or in part for the ordinary property taxes on the 
property, while receiving in return half of the proceeds from the sale of 
timber cut from the property or from subleasing the right to graze, 
cultivate, or otherwise use portions of the property to an extent not 
detrimental to the main objective, namely, the ‘‘growth of timber 
and the propagation and growth of game and wild animal life.”’ 
Louisiana, by the acts of July 8, 1926 (S. L. 120, p. 185; 162, 
p. 264), passed a yield-tax law supplementing its contract law and 
a proposed constitutional amendment making the yield-tax principle 
effective. Ratification of the latter was effected at the general elec- 
tion held in November of the same year. 
Minnesota adopted the yield tax by the act of April 18, 1927 
(S. L., ch. 247, p. 356). oe the next session of the legislature, by the 
act of April 19, 1929 (S. L., ch. 245, p. 273), it changed the method of 
taxing the land from an annual property tax of 8 cents on the dollar of 
assessed valuation to a specific tax of 5 cents per acre. 
Wisconsin followed Minnesota very closely with its act of July 28, 
1927 (S. L., ch. 454, p. 659). Prior to that, however, the State con- 
stitution had to be amended. This action was instituted by the 
successive adoption of a joint resolution of both houses of the 1925 
and 1927 legislatures and was ratified at the judicial election on April 
5, 1927. At the following session the 1927 law was amended by the 
act of July 31, 1929 (S. L., ch. 343, p. 421). In this same year the 
income-tax law was also amended by the act of August 1, 1929 
(S. L., ch. 350, p. 457), so as to allow owners whose lands were listed 
under the forest-tax law to deduct, if they so desired, the cost of seed, 
seedlings, planting, and soil preparation in determining taxable net 
income. By another act, that of August 19, 1929 (S. L., ch. 405, 
p. 534), the privilege of listing lands under the forest-tax law was 
extended to counties holding tax-delinquent lands on practically the 
same terms as apply to privately owned lands, except that the 
counties mere not required to pay any acreage fee. The act of April 
6, 1931 (S. L., ch. 39, p. 62), broadened the latter privilege to include 
