162 Austria. 



the Northwest territory sought to check the improvi- 

 dent forest destruction. 



A further wholesome influence on private forest 

 management was exercised by the tax assessment re- 

 form in 1788, when not only a more reasonable assess- 

 ment but for the first time a difference was made in 

 taxation of managed as opposed to unmanaged woods 

 and the epoch-making fertile idea of the normal 

 forest was announced (see p. 115). At the same time 

 the hunting privileges and other burdens, hampering 

 forest properties were abolished, and mesaures for 

 the extinguishment of the rights of user enacted. 



3. Development of Forest Policy. 



As appears from the foregoing sketch of early 

 attempts at forest control, no uniformity existed in 

 the empire, each province being treated differently 

 and the regal rights being applied differently in each 

 case. 



Originally the regular circuit or district governments 

 had charge not only of the management of State 

 forests but also of the forest police and the regulation 

 of the management of communal forests. This 

 supervision was exercised by the political adminis- 

 tration, often without technical advisers, and the 

 different provinces had developed this service very 

 variably. While in some provinces no special effort 

 was made to look after these interests, the laws re- 

 maining mainly dead letters, in others a better system 

 prevailed. In Styria, for instance, in 1807, five forest 

 commissioners and 20 district foresters were employed ; 

 but this organization was of short duration. A loose 



