452 Japan. 



By 1899, the adjustment had progressed far enough 

 to begin the restoration of properties, which the State 

 had improperly claimed, to their proper owners. It 

 was then also that the Imperial forests, intended for 

 the support of the Imperial household, were increased 

 to about 5 million acres. 



Meanwhile, the personnel had increased in numbers 

 and improved in character. In 1904, the organization 

 of the forestry bureau under the Minister of Agri- 

 culture and Commerce, arranged somewhat after 

 German models, consisted of one director and four 

 forest commissioners with ten clerks, forming the 

 head office; the sixteen districts into which the State 

 forests were divided were presided over by 32 con- 

 servators and 80 inspectors, while 325 district officers 

 with 880 assistants and 626 guards, altogether over 

 1,800 employes, formed the field force. In 1910, 

 the number had increased to 2500, mainly by ad- 

 ditional rangers. This organization applies to the 

 State forests under control of the Department of 

 Agriculture. Strangely enough, those in Saghalien, 

 Hokkaido and Formosa are not under that department, 

 but under the supervision of the Minister of Home 

 Affairs, and are merely exploited, while the Imperial 

 forests are under the Household Department. In 

 1907, only 7 per cent of the State forests were under 

 working plans. 



The need of supervision of the ill-managed private 

 and communal forests, mostly located near the set- 

 tled portions, early attracted the attention of the new 

 regime, mainly on account of their protective value. 

 Annual losses through floods to the amount of four 



