294 FEATURES OF FRENCH NATIONAL FOREST ADMINISTRATION 



more economical and suits the timber purchaser better than the Ger- 

 man method of selling in the log, since he can get the lengths that he 

 prefers and, as he is in close touch with his local market, his judgment 

 is likely to be correct. (See Appendix, page 498.) Selling the timber 

 standing after the marking is completed is certainly cheaper, simpler, 

 and better than to have the exploitation by day labor under State con- 

 trol. The only disadvantage appears to be the danger of having some- 

 what more damage done in the woods, since it is often difficult to 

 supervise a large number of small operations going on at the same time. 

 For this reason the contract clauses are very specific, particularly where 

 they provide for damages in case sales methods are departed from (see 

 also Chapter X, "Protection"). Upon the day and hour announced 

 for the auction the proper officials assemble and the presiding officer 

 explains the conditions of the sale. If the price bid goes below the 

 estimated value then the bidding is stopped and the lot auctioned at 

 a later sale. In the auction at Pontarlier (held July 4, 1912), the prices 

 for State timber were 2.45 per cent above their estimated value and 

 the communal sales 12 per cent above. If the value of the timber is 

 estimated at 7,000 francs the bidding will be started at, say 13,000 francs, 

 the price being gradually decreased until one of the bidders exclaims 

 "I take it." Where there is competition for timber the shouting often 

 begins before the price is actually read, and where there is a tie the 

 bidding is started over again, or the successful bidder may be chosen by 

 drawing lots. Immediately after the public auction each bidder signs 

 an agreement to purchase. The sureties are usually looked up and ex- 

 amined as to solvency prior to the auction. This sale of $115,800 worth 

 of timber in 102 lots at Pontarlier was conducted in less than an hour's 

 time. Practically and theoretically this method of sale seems to pos- 

 sess a great many advantages where the amounts sold are small, where 

 there is keen competition, and where the utilization is intensive. 



Individual contracts, such as are used for large timber sales by the 

 United States Forest Service, reciting in great detail the special felling 

 rules for each individual sale, are unnecessary for the small French 

 sales. The expense of repeating the rules and regulations would prove 

 too great. Instead there are certain general rules which apply to the 

 whole of France, with special clauses to cover necessary departures in 

 each conservation. This is a simple and economical method which 

 could be well copied to some extent in the United States after our sales 

 methods are standardized for each locality. For small sales the French 

 Forest Service has a printed form of contract which only requires the 

 addition of routine data. 



Estimate and Appraisal. In estimating a fair price for timber the 

 government allows a 10 per cent contractor's profit under ordinary 



