State Administration. 359 



fire and theft, it was estimated that 15 per cent, of the 

 production was lost. In 1885, this loss was esti- 

 mated at 25 per cent., when the net income had at- 

 tained to 15 cents per acre, or, on the 17.5 million 

 acres to less than three million dollars. 



When it is considered that the governors of pro- 

 vinces and their appointees, besides the village autho- 

 rities, had also a hand in the administration, it is no 

 wonder that the forest department was pretty nearly 

 helpless. While, under the law of 1863, the depart- 

 ment was specially ordered to regulate the manage- 

 ment of communal forests and to gauge the cut to the 

 increment, the political elements in the administration, 

 which appointed the forest guards, made the regula- 

 tions mostly nugatory. 



At last, in 1900, a new era seems to have arrived, a 

 thorough reorganization was made, which lends hope 

 for a better future. The technical administration was 

 divorced from the political influence and placed under 

 the newly created Minister of Agriculture. The 

 machinery of the Cuerpo de Montes was remodeled. 

 This consists now of one Chief Inspector-General, 

 four Division Chiefs, ten Inspectors-General for field 

 inspection, 50 chief engineers of district managers, 

 185 assistants, and 342 foresters and guards, the latter 

 now appointed by the department, instead of the 

 Governors, and not all, as formerly, chosen from vete- 

 ran soldiers. The better financial showing referred 

 to above was the result. 



In 1910, a special reboisement service, the Servicio 

 Hidrological Forestal, was also placed on a new footing, 

 the country being divided into ten districts for this 



