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FORESTRY IN PUBLIC (GOVERNMENTAL) 



FORESTS. 



PARAGRAPH XXXVII. 



PUBLIC, FEDERAL AND STATE OWNERSHIP 



OF FORESTS. 



A. Reasons against public ownership of forests are: 



1. Properties managed by the public have proven failures 

 invariably. 



2. Legislative changes handicap the continuity of action which 

 forestry requires. 



3. The American principle, ever since the first settlement of 

 the states, has been this: "The public must get rid of its 

 holdings as soon as possible." 



4. Underpaid officials, having no pension rights and losing 

 their positions after short terms, are apt to defraud. Dishonesty 

 in the forest is hard to discover. 



5. Public forestry interferes, or may interfere, with private 

 enterprise by entering into competition with it. 



6. The commonweal, under constitutional restrictions, is not 

 allowed to pay any taxes on its own land. The counties contain- 

 ing public forests do not obtain any tax revenue therefrom. 



7. Dependence of all forest workmen and of their votes on 

 the party in power. 



B. Reasons for public ownership of forests are: 



1. Only in the case of forests owned by the commonweal is 

 all production of the forest (health, water supply, stability of 

 navigation, and tangible products like wood and timber) derived 

 by the real owner. 



2. Longevity of the commonweal allows of a small rate of 

 interest. 



