WASHINGTON BILL
TAXING TIMBER YIELD
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Taking a long step toward
solution cf the state’s reforesta
tion problem, the senate recent
ly by unanimous vote passed Sub
stitute Senate Bill 23, the so
called “yield tax” measure,
backed jointly by the advisory
tax commission and the Wash
ington forestry conference.
The bill is designed to pro
mote the growth of new forests,
to replace the virgin timber now
disappearing rapidly under mod
ern logging methods, and is re
garded by its sponsors one of the
most important pieces of con
structive legislations coming be
fore this session.
At $1 An Arce
The bill was made possible by
the constitutional amendment
for tax classification adopted by
voters last November.
Under terms of the bill, own
ers of cut-over lands may ap
oly to have them classified as
“reforestation lands.”
If this classification is ap
proved by the state forest board,
the lands will be assessed at
only $1 per acre if in Western
Washington, or at 50 cents an
acre if in Eastern Washington.
The growing timber will pay
no tax until it is cut, and then
will pay a yield tax of 12 y2 per
cent of its value.
uwners or iana so ciassmea
will be required to protect the
growing timber from fire, and
if the land become more valuable
for other purposes than timber,
it may be put back upon the re
gular tax rolls at a higher valu
ation.
“Members of this legislature
will agree with Joyce Kilmer
that only God can make a tree,”
Senator W. G. Hartwell, chair
man of the forestry committee,
said. “But it is man’s duty to do
his part.”
Will Protect Holdings
Under present conditions, with
a growing tree taxed each of the
seventy-live to 100 years re
ouired to produce mature tim
ner, it is economically impos
sible for private owners of log
ged-off lands to plan to protect
their holdings and grow a new
crop of timber, Hartwell de
clared.
The bill is expected to encour
age private owners to retain
their lands, instead of allowing
them to be sold for delinquent
taxes, and to provide fire pro
tection
A second major item in the
forestry program, the bill of
Commissioner of Public Lands
Clark V. Savidge, for creation of
a “sustained yield’ state forest
on the Olympic Peninsula, was
passed by the senate recently.
The Olympic Peninsula state
holdings will be administered on
ihe same plan followed by the
federal authorities for national
forests, timber being cut only as
fast as it grows. Savidge estim
ates that the Olympic forest will
provide an annual cut valued at
$500,000.—Seattle Times.
Editorial Note—We recom
mend the above subject to the
legislature for their serious con
sideration. It has potential value
which cannot be denied. It is
the only directly positive means
of populating the Territory and
developing those resources which
are fast going to rot in the hills.
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HEINTZLEMAN HERE TO TALK
WITH LOGGERS
From the Ketchikan Tribune.
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B. F. Heintzleman, regional
forester for the Tongass and
Chugach National forests, ar
rived this morning to discuss
with, loggers and those engaged
in the lumber industry the po’i
ty of the U. S. Forest Service in
regard to the exportation of
Alaska timber.
For the oast ten years the
question has received the seri
ous consideration of the depart
ment as many large concerns in
the states have sought to secure
Alaska timber. The department,
in refusing to allow Alaska log
ging companies to export to the
states has done so because of
their basic policy that Alaska
lumber should be used for Alas
ke manufacture. Their refusal
tc allow it to be exported is be
cause they are looking to the
future, and trying to conserve
one of the richest resources of
the territory for the use and en
richment of the people who live
there.
“If the large concerns in the
states were allowed to come in
to Alaska, they would only con
tract for the choicest timber R.
Zeller, U. S. Forest supervis
or,” said. They would not pur
chase the cheaper grades of
timber and forty or fifty years
from now all the rich Alaska
tmrber would be gone without
the people here being benefited
very much by it.
“Up to last year these cheaper
grades of timber were used for
making boxes for the canneries.
This market was lost last year
through the use of the fiber
boxes.”
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CANADA GIVES WARNING
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British Columbia newspapers
have noted with some concern
the opposition to the sockeye
salmon treaty expressed by Se
ll etc rs Jcnes and Dill and by
Governor Hartley. It is taken for
granted that the United States
Senate will not ratify the in
ternational agreement and that
President Hoover soon wiU re
turn it to Canada with his re
grets. When that happens the
scckeye salmon fishery, which
formerly added millions an