2 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE SELECT 



7. Then the duty of the superintendent is to give a licence 



Aug~14Ti865. tO CUt ? YeS. 



8. What is the nature of the licence to cut wood in the 

 George forests? At George and the Knysna the licence 

 must specify the description of wood to be felled and 

 removed, and no licence must cover more than two loads of 

 any kind of wood. It must also state the number of men 

 intended to be employed in cutting the wood specified. 



9. Mr. Wicht.] What is the charge for the licence? 

 1 ; but in Katberg it is understood that the charge per 

 licence is 6s., whilst in Clanwilliam no charge whatever is 

 made. 



10. What may be the charge in the Tzitzikama forests ? 

 I presume the same as at George and the Knysna. 



1 1 . And in British Kaffraria ? It is there charged by the 

 "saw," or so much for each saw, per three months. 



12. Are there any steam saw-mills employed ? There is 

 at least one mill worked by water-power employed in the 

 Kaffrarian forests, and a special arrangement is made, but 

 upon the same principle. 



13. Have you any idea of the quantity that can be cut 

 with one saw in three months? I cannot tell. 



14. What check is there that the party who pays so much 

 for a licence takes away only a certain quantity ? In the 

 George and Knysna forests the regulation is that no timber 

 is to be removed from the place where it is worked, nor is 

 any to be sold till it has been inspected by the ranger, and 

 the proper endorsement made by him on the licence. Nor 

 is any timber to be taken to any private homestead to be 

 dressed. This must be done on the ground before it leaves 

 the forest. 



15. Mr. BuskJ] Are these rules strictly adhered to? I 

 believe not. 



1 6. Mr. Wicht.] You do not know what is the charge per 

 saw in British Kaffraria ? It is 50s. for three months ; but 

 I believe the arrangement has not been found to work well. 



17. Are licences a sufficient protection to the forests ? 

 They might be if the system were properly wrought out ; 

 but that is difficult, and probably impossible, without increasing 

 the number of rangers. 



18. Are you aware that under Mr. Montagu, a former 

 Colonial Secretary, the system of licences was done away 



