170 FELLING AND CONVERSION OE TIMBER. 



may offer. A few of the people possess all the best qualities 

 of these woodcutters, and are most attached to the forest and 

 most trustworthy in working, and have much influence over 

 the other men. In such cases it is sufficient for the forest 

 owner to make agreements with the more influential wood- 

 cutters when they are sufficiently numerous to form a regular 

 enrolled gang constantly employed in the forest, and have a 

 common insurance fund to which the forest-owner contributes. 

 Such a labour-gang is strengthened from time to time, as 

 necessity arises, by engaging other men temporarily. 



(d) Contractors' Men. Sometimes the legal act of agree- 

 ment is made by the forest-owner with a contractor, who 

 undertakes to supply all the men required for any definite 

 piece of work in the forest. Contractors are frequently active, 

 influential and fairly wealthy men who have considerable tact 

 in managing woodcutters. This assistance simplifies matters 

 for the forest-owner, as the contractor has all the worry and 

 trouble of managing and supplying the labour-gang, and of 

 paying them in detail for the work done. In extensive forest 

 districts, insufficiently supplied with experienced foresters or 

 forest-guards, or where the woodcutters are very experienced 

 and trustworthy and the work can be largely left to them 

 without much supervision on the part of the forest staff, it is 

 often better to entrust the conversion of the timber to an 

 experienced contractor who thoroughly knows the capacity of 

 individual workers, and can give full security to the forest- 

 owner for good work. This system has, however, its shady 

 side, as contractors sometimes defraud their men. 



The contractor is often obliged to bring his men from a 

 distance (as in the case of Italians employed in Germany); 

 he then requires pecuniary advances and concessions, 

 which are not necessary under ordinary circumstances. 

 Timber-work is largely done by contractors in the Black 

 Forest, Alps, Hungary, Galicia, and in many extensive forest 

 districts of the North German Plain. In the Alps the con- 

 tractors are frequently mayors of villages. Although, strictly 

 speaking, the contractor is responsible for the conduct of his 

 men, the forest-manager does not abstain from direct super- 

 vision over them, and it is evident that the contractor must 



