462 DISPOSAL AND SALE OF WOOD. 



by the average results of past sales to the highest bidder (or in 

 certain cases may accept this figure as the price). 



Sale by private contract has the advantage of saving expense 

 in valuation and auction-charges, and in avoiding possible loss. 

 At the same time, it is clear that the seller undertakes a greater 

 responsibility than in any other mode of sale, and must have a 

 precise knowledge of the actual state of the wood-market for 

 the time being. 



3. Comparison of the various Modes of Sale. 



Each of the above methods of selling forest produce is 

 advisable under certain special circumstances ; it is better 

 that a forest-manager should not be wedded to any one of 

 them, but that he should be ready at any time to adopt 

 whichever method may prove most suitable for the case in 

 question. 



(a) Sale by Royalty. Sale by royalty has the least claim of 

 all to exclusive adoption or even preference, as has been 

 shown on p. 454. Only in some places, in the case 

 of certain privileged demands for wood, is such a method 

 followed exclusively, and then the formation of a proper tariff 

 requires great care. Where, on the contrary, sale by royalty 

 is adopted only occasionally, it forms a useful supplement to 

 other modes of sale. It has then the advantage, in cases of 

 necessity (conflagration of a village, scarcity of wood for 

 agricultural purposes at seasons when the principal sales 

 are not conducted, etc.) of satisfying urgent demands. Also, 

 when traders combine to keep the price of forest produce below 

 its full local value, a recourse to sale by royalty may improve 

 matters. 



To adopt sale by royalty generally and exclusively would at 

 once exhibit the shady side of this method, and prove that it is 

 almost impossible for a forest-manager to acquire an accurate 

 knowledge of the real local value of wood. If also it were 

 argued that prices may be corrected by the competition of 

 sellers, a reply may be made that forestry is less able to 

 effect such a result than any other industry, the forests in 

 any district being usually in the hands of one or only a few 

 owners 



