122 



THE FORESTS OF FINLAND 



tries, looked upon the forests as their own to enter and 

 cut timber, etc., at their will ; and the forest officials 

 had for years to face open hostility on the part of the 

 public in carrying out the new regulations. The staff 

 was far too small to undertake the work entrusted to 

 it ; and the revenue realised from the sales of timber, 

 in the absence of all knowledge as to the contents of 

 the forests, did not even cover until 1872 the expendi- 

 ture of the Department. From that year a surplus, 

 which gradually increased in amount, was realised ; 

 but the excess of receipts over expenditure only showed 

 a notable increase (with small drops) from the year 

 1890 onwards, as the following table exhibits : 



These figures prove two things : (i) a satisfactory pro- 

 gress in the exploiting of the Government forests be- 

 tween the years 1900 and 1910 ; and (2) that the 

 additional expenditure for additional staff, opening 



1 Approximately. 



