252 France. 



be cut by government agents, and a permit for their 

 removal. 



The State forests are of two classes : Reserves in 

 which all cutting is forbidden, only some 200,000 

 acres; and those in which licenses to cut may operate. 

 Such licenses are given for one year and for a price 

 of 100 piastres. The villagers have free use of the 

 less valuable woods, their only obligation being to 

 assist in protection against fire and theft. 



A real forest service was not instituted until 1901 

 a director with four assistants being placed in charge 

 under the Department of Agriculture. Until recently 

 reports of the deplorable condition due to absence of 

 technical management reached the outside, but lately 

 (1911), the Governor-General discussing the situation 

 not only speaks approvingly of the forest service, 

 which on the two million acres under its immediate 

 management had, by 1909, trebled the revenue, but 

 talks of extending its activities to planting up waste 

 places in order to secure favorable water conditions 

 for irrigating lands. 



The rest of the colonies are being merely exploited. 





