<i02 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



areas that should^ iu its opinion, be retained, wliilst it freely acqui- 

 esced in the excision of country — worthless from a forest point of 

 view — hastily reserved in the long ago in response to a then existing 

 forestry cry. 



Large timber royalties are now being obtained by private persons 

 from " selected " land, and repeated applications have been made to 

 the Lands Department daring the preceding twelve months, palpably 

 for the timber on the areas applied for, because, less the timber, the 

 land is worthless. 



It cannot be too strongly urged that the alienation of land bearing 

 line tiatural forests is a perpetual loss to the State. It is pleasing to 

 record that, by direction of the Hon. the Minister (Mr. Murray) this 

 alienation has been stopped for the time being. 



If the law, or the elastic reading of the existing law, were altered 

 so as to retain in the Crown the property in timber, for purposes of 

 exploitation only, on all selected land until the fee simple was 

 granted, poor land bearing valuable forest produce would be much 

 less keenly sought after, or not at all. 



In this connection it is suggested that surveyors when surveying 

 blocks in the vicinity of forests should be instructed to provide 

 proper outlets for the timber. This has been neglected in the past, 

 and in many districts, particularly Warburton, sawmillers have to pay 

 what practically amounts to blackmail, t() selectors for the privilege 

 of running a tram through their ground. 



Royalty System. 



The policy of bringing the whole State under this system has 

 been steadily pursued during the year, and it may be fairly antici- 

 pated that the time is not far distant when all forest produce will be 

 exploited under it. The system is fair, and deterrent of waste, whilst 

 the old priced license system was eminently in*'(|uitable and made 

 for waste of the worst kind. 



Under royalty the necessary supervision presses very heavily on 

 the limited staff, but under priced licenses effective supervision is 

 practically impossible, and all said and done, effective supervision 

 plays the most important part in any scheme of regulated forestry. 

 Compared with the adjoining State, our royalties are very low, but 

 this matter is now under immediate consideration of the Director, 



Geazing. 



The present position is quite unsatisfactory; grazing on all lands 

 classed State foi'est and timber reserves should be immediately under 

 the control of the forest administration, and made subsidiary to the 

 larger forest interests. The fees — a legitimate source of revenue in 

 all recognized forest systems — should all be credited to us. 



The existing system — or want of it — provides that some grazing 

 licenses are issued by this Department and some by the Department 

 of Lands ; and it has not always been possible to convince the latter 



