156 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



in reforesting their waste land. Popular opinion is now call- 

 ing for a closer supervision and an extension of the control 

 of the State over the use of private forest property. 



The status of forest legislation is very different in Austria, 

 where, with a larger proportion of mountainous territory, the 

 results of the unrestricted exercise of the free-will of the 

 private owners are more severely felt. The Mediterranean 

 coast, which was ever well wooded and watered, rich and 

 fruitful, and famous for its mild climate, has beeii changed 

 into an arid and sterile plain, interspei'sed with stony and 

 parched hillsides, the replanting of which was well-nigh 

 made impossible by the opening of the country to the hot, 

 dry winds. This and other experiences led in 1852 to the 

 adoption of a forest law, by which strict supervision is pro- 

 vided for over the forests owned by communities and also 

 over those owned by private individuals. Not only are the 

 State forests (less than 30 per cent, of the forest area) ration- 

 ally managed, and local administration supervised, but private 

 owners (holding 32 per cent.) are prevented from devastating 

 their forest property to the detriment of their neighbours. 

 No clearing for agricultural purposes can be made without 

 the consent of the district authorities, from which, however, 

 there is an appeal to a civil judge as arbitrator. When 

 dangers from land-slides, avalanclies, or torrents are feared, 

 and private owners cannot bear the expense of precautionary 

 measures, the State may expropriate. Any cleared or cut 

 forest must be replanted or resown within five years. On 

 sandy soils and mountain-sides clearing is forbidden, and 

 only ciitting of the ripe timber is allowed. When damage is 

 feared from the removal of a forest-belt which acted as a 

 breakwind, the owner may not remove it until the neiglibour 

 has had time to secure his own protection. That neglect in 

 taking care of forest fires subjects the offender not only to 

 fine but to paying damages to the injured goes without 

 saying. In addition, freedom from taxation for twenty-five 

 years is granted for all new plantations, and premiums are 

 paid under certain circumstances. The authorities aid in the 

 fighting of fires as well as in destroying insect-pests. Finally, 

 to insure a rational management of forests, the owners of 

 large areas must employ competent foresters, whose qualifi- 

 cations must satisfy the authorities, opportunity for the edu- 

 cation of such being given in seven higher-, three middle-, 

 and four lower-class forestry schools. 



In Hungary also, where liberty of private-property rights 

 and strong objection to Government interference had been 

 jealously upheld, a complete reaction set in some years ago, 

 which led to the law of 1880, giving the State control of private 

 property, as in Austria. 



