METHODS OF FOREST POLICY. 253 



tion can be multiplied from every part of the 

 Union. No wonder that lumbermen argue the 

 necessity of escaping as quickly as possible from 

 this extortion, and are discouraged from consider- 

 ing the advisability of adopting forestry practice, 

 which even under more rational methods of taxa- 

 tion offers as yet only doubtful inducements. 



Just as the direct tax can be regulated to en- 

 courage or deter private enterprise, so tariff legis- 

 lation, as is well known, has had the protective 

 feature added to its fiscal objects. 



Import duties have been designed to reduce or 

 deter the importation of wood materials and to en- 

 courage home industry by this artificial raising of 

 prices, as in the United States and in Germany, 

 and export duties have been placed, as in Canada, 

 on raw forest products in retaliation or to prevent 

 reduction of raw materials and to insure their pres- 

 ervation for use in home industry. In both cases 

 the argument has been brought forward that such 

 duties encouraged the practice of forestry. 



Theoretically, plausible reasons may be adduced 

 for such an expectation ; practically, no such results 

 can be noted. An increase in the price of wood 

 materials simply stimulates the forest exploiter to in- 

 creased effort in reaping the benefit while it lasts ; 

 he pockets the difference, and the increased mar- 

 gin only reduces the necessity of applying more 

 economical methods of utilization until home com- 

 petition, induced by the increase of price, counter- 



