THE STATE AND PRIVATE OWNERS 249 



hands of the State in this way, many countries have passed 

 laws which still recognise private woods, so far as the land 

 is concerned, as State property, although the timber they 

 produce, and the transfer value of the land may be vested 

 in the individual. Regulations for the management and 

 control of private woods are common in most European 

 countries, especially in those with forests covering moun- 

 tain-sides, which may be in danger if the former are re- 

 moved. In Great Britain, on the other hand, the owner is 

 allowed to do practically what he likes with his woods, and 

 instead of encouragement being given him to keep them 

 in good order, taxation and legislation rather tend to the 

 opposite result. 



To a very great extent private woods should be con- 

 sidered as that portion of the wooded area of a country 

 which consists of individual woods too small and scattered 

 for the State to hold and economically supervise, for reasons 

 already given. Regarded in this light, it is clearly the 

 duty of the State to concern itself with their management 

 and continued existence. To leave private woods to the 

 mere chance of being properly cared for by life owners or 

 temporary owners of estates is little short of criminal 

 negligence, assuming that woods are a necessary feature 

 in a civilised country. Most of the civilised nations of 

 Europe have come to the conclusion that they are neces- 

 sary, and it is equally clear that they can neither be entirely 

 provided by State agency on an adequate scale, nor distri- 

 buted over the country so uniformly as to enable all parts 

 of the community to benefit. The co-operation of the 

 individual is as necessary in national forestry as in the 

 creation and development of industries, and the idea that 

 the State can entirely take the place of the individual 

 wood-owner is equally as absurd as the idea that the 

 latter can succeed without the assistance of the State. 



One of the weakest points in the Afforestation Report 



