PHILIPPINE FOREST WEALTH 



11 



Typical Forest Scene in the Philippines 



IT SHOWS the roots OF THE BALETE TREE. THE TREES OF THIS SPECIES ARE GENERALLY BELIEVED 

 THROUGHOUT POLYNESIA TO BE THE ABODES OF SPIRITS AND IN THE TERRITORY OF THE MORE 

 BACKWARD PEOPLES OF THE PHILIPPINES IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO GET THEM REMOVED 

 WHEN THEY INTERFERE WITH ROAD CONSTRUCTION. 



they require, without payment and 

 without limitations of any sort. In 

 many instances the maker of the unlaw- 

 ful caingin is a poor native employed by 

 a rich one. If detected he is left to pay 

 the penalty for his wrong conduct; 

 otherwise the land cleared is eventually 

 incorporated with that of the rich 

 neighbor who hired him to violate the 

 law. It is therefore needless to say 

 that the work of the forestry bureau 

 has not been popular with the Filipinos. 

 Many of the lumbermen in the Philip- 



pines are, like many lumbermen else- 

 where, not in favor of any restrictions on 

 cutting operations, and inclined to dis- 

 regard future advantage for present 

 gain, so it has resulted that the Philip- 

 pine Forest Service, which helps lumber- 

 men and the public alike, has been rather 

 short of friends. 



Under the plea of economy and of the 

 need of a more equitable division of the 

 funds of the government between bu- 

 reaus, the annual appropriation for the 

 support of its work was greatly reduced 



