50 REPORT OF FORESTRY BUREAU, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



to market on account of the revolution. It was only during the past 

 year that the timber cut since 1896 could be brought to market. Up 

 to the present time it has been impossible to cut enough timber for the 

 actual necessities, forcing the government to send to America for the 

 timber needed for storehouses for the troops, for bridges, and other 

 public works. The amount of timber per capita used in these islands 

 is less than 1 per cent of the corresponding amount used in the United 

 States. The total amount used, including importations, is much less 

 than the annual growth of forest in the province of Cagayan alone, 

 and when we consider that the logging parties are small and are cutting 

 in over 40 different provinces and islands, not much danger is to be 

 apprehended that any loss of our present capital will result. 



At least 50 per cent of the timber cut on public lands has been used 

 by the government in the construction of its many barracks, store- 

 houses, bridges, and other public works. Native property owners 

 throughout the islands have been unable to rebuild their homes, find- 

 ing it impossible to get material. When peace prevails in the islands 

 more men will be employed in the forests, and it will take three or four 

 years for the native and other residents of the islands to cut only such 

 timber as is absolutely necessary for construction. The engineers and 

 builders in Hongkong and other ports of the Orient prefer the Philip- 

 pine timber to that of the other islands of the East Indies, but have 

 been unable to secure any cargoes lately, owing to the scarcity of sup- 

 ply and great local demand, and in response to an inquiry from them 

 as to when they could secure some of this timber, I replied that it 

 would not be possible to obtain any within three years, unless they paid 

 a price far higher than that they wish to give at the present time. It 

 is also to be noted that no native wood has been exported since the 

 organization of the present bureau. For the next four months a 

 decreased output of timber will be noted, due to the fact that the south- 

 west monsoon and the typhoon season is on and transportation by sea 

 somewhat uncertain. The rains have commenced and will stop loggers 

 in some parts of the islands. 



PRIVATE WOODLANDS. 



The forestry regulations provide that owners of woodlands may cut 

 and market their timber after registration of titles to these lands in 

 the central office at Manila. A printed form is then issued to the 

 owner of the land stating that this registration has been made; his 

 title is returned, and on it also is noted the fact of registration. He 

 is also informed that this registration is no guaranty of title. 



Parties cutting timber on their own woodland without having regis- 

 tered their titles are obliged to pay the government valuation on the 

 timber in addition to a fine. All land is considered public land until 

 a title is shown a title which has formerly been registered in some 

 register of property as provided by Spanish law. Sevent} r -four tracts 

 of woodland have been registered up to date, aggregating a total area 

 of about 125,000 acres; more than 120,000 acres of mis total are found 

 in the island of Luzon. 



In February last the nationalities of owners of 68 woodland tracts 

 were as follows: 



Spanish , 7 



German 5 



English 1 



Filipino 55 



