AUSTRIV - AGRICUIvTURAL ECONOMY IN GENERAL 



§ 4. Distribution of communal landed property. 



The communal property has an area of 656,000 hectares. Its greater 

 part, that is about 55 per cent., is pastureland. Woodland constitutes 30 per 

 cent, and the rest is arable land. The words woodland and pastureland 

 must be given the denotation we have already explained. 



On the pastureland the animals of all the members of a commune are 

 pastured. In the woods animals are pastured and wood is cut. In this 

 connection woodcutting properh'^ so-called must be distinguished from the 

 gathering of leaves for forage. Woodcutting is undertaken without any 

 method and the result is real devastation. 



Arable land is let by farming contracts. This generally takes place 

 in the islands of the north. Cultivatois settled on land belonging to 

 the communes enjoy slightly better conditions than those on private land. 

 In its capacity as proprietor the commune is satisfied with little, as a rule 

 one seventh of the yield converted into cash. 



Communal property constitutes an inexhaustible source of.controversy 

 among the members of one commune and among adjacent communes. In 

 a government report of 1870 it was said to produce a little grass and many 

 lawsuits. The shepherds are well armed while the3^ pasture their flocks 

 and are almost always at war with members of their commune or with 

 the shepherds of adjacent communes. 



Communal property is being more and more reduced in extent b}^ en- 

 croachments on the part of those members of comnumes who are protected 

 by the communal council. These are declared to be proprietors after they 

 have been occupiers for a certain number of years. But it is not rare for 

 a second encroachment to supersede the first on the occasion of a change in 

 the communal council. 



Until 1850 the communes paid no taxes on their property because 

 their members paid a tax as usufructories. From 1850 the State placed a 

 land tax on the communal propert}^ and the contribution of the usufructories 

 was thereafter paid to the communes. 



Until 1850 no change was introduced into communal property. In 

 that 3'ear, after the cadaster had been established, it became Hable, as has 

 been said, to the land tax. In the same year occurred the first scheme for 

 the distribution of communal property to the members of communes. 

 There have been many subsequent and similar schemes. 



For twent3'-six years none of them produced any effect ; but on 

 27 March 1876 they had an important result, namely the promulgation of 

 the law on the distribution of communal property. 



The terms of this law are as follows : 



1. The distribution of communal property' is optional. Every com- 

 mune may either distribute it or retain it as communal. 



2. Distribution is made on the following conditions : 



a) A majority of the communal council must have voted in favour 

 of a proposed distribution. 



