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TIME ALLOWED FOB WOKKING. The time allowed for working must be restricted, to 

 avoid the endless confusion that would otherwise result. Some such rules as the follow- 

 ing would meet the case : Firewood licenses to hold good for a period of one week from 

 the date of issue, and licenses for poles and spars during one fortnight. With timber 

 licenses, the trees may be felled within three weeks and removed within two months of 

 the date of issue. For special reasons, such as the prevalence of bad weather during the 

 period, a week's extension for felling, and a month's extension for removal, could be 

 granted by the issuer of the license, at his discretion. The timber ought to be removed 

 from the saw pits within two months of the date of expiration of the license, but if the 

 quantity exceeds 800 cubic feet, a week more may be allowed for each additional 100 

 feet. In every case, however, timber not removed from the workplaces a week before 

 the opening of the next felling season should be forfeited and resold as wastewood. 



Each holder of a license should be entitled to take sixteen oxen to the forest and 

 graze them on any adjacent Government ground until his license is completed, provided 

 the time does not exceed one month. 



UTILIZATION OF COLONIAL PRODUCE. This constitutes an important problem of 

 forest management in this country. In every case, it is judicious to conserve the natural 

 forests at any moderate cost, on account of the indirect benefits derived ; but whether 

 they can be opened and worked at a profit will depend upon the degree of success in 

 utilizing the produce to the best advantage. Owing to the small density of the popula- 

 tion, and the want of a wood cutting class, it will be naturally difficult to sell all the 

 timber that it would be desirable to remove each year. 



Now that the native woods have been proved practically to be generally superior to 

 the imported kiuds, it is the duty of the Government to encourage their more extended 

 use. The Government being the largest consumer of timber in the country, could 

 facilitate to no small degree the successful working of the Natal forests, by adopting for 

 public works the use of colonial woods, in preference to the imported kinds, whenever 

 they can be obtained at an equal cost. The Natal forests are very limited in extent and 

 the Government alone could consume the greater portion of the timber that is required 

 to be felled each year, by using Colonial woods for railway sleepers. 



There are at present 25 7 miles of railway line open in Natal ; the sidings have a 

 length of about 30 miles and the authorised extensions of 110. So that at least 397^ 

 miles of permanent way will be required to be maintained in a near future ; the average 

 number of sleepers per mile, is stated to be 2,112 on straight sections, with more for sharp 

 curves, and may be averaged at 2,200, giving a total number of sleepers of 8,739,400 for 

 the whole of the system (less a few iron sleepers). The average life of a sleeper is 

 reported to be 7 years ; and the quantity wanted for renewals will in time reach 124,850, 



