258 ECONOMICS OF FORESTRY. 



and in 1885 an increase in duties of 6 percent and 

 1 2 per cent respectively was inaugurated, which, in 

 1892, was again modified and reduced by special 

 treaties. 



In the United States and countries similarly 

 situated the problem is quite a different one. 

 Forest management is not in existence. Our only 

 competitor on the lumber market is Canada. In 

 both countries the virgin forest is simply exploited ; 

 the protection afforded by a tariff would, therefore, 

 not be of that general economic import. A duty 

 which prohibits or essentially curtails importations, 

 the demand remaining the same, can, as has been 

 said, only tend to increase the cut and more rapid 

 decimation of our own resource. A duty which 

 does not prohibit or curtail essentially importations 

 is not likely to benefit the forest, but only to reduce 

 the profit of the Canadian lumberman, and possibly 

 to put a part of the difference into the pocket of 

 his American competitor. 



The one promotive action of the state, which is 

 preeminently required to establish a proper forest 

 policy, the propriety of which cannot be questioned 

 for a moment, and which arises from the primary 

 function of the state, its police function, is to afford 

 protection to forest property, at least equal to that 

 afforded to any other property and adequate to the 

 peculiarities and needs of such forest property. 



Such protection is the unquestioned right of the 

 forest owner, and without it he cannot be expected 



