1904 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



221 



railway to Grindlewald and the Jungfrau 

 safe and practicable. 120,000 francs 

 have been expended here, to which, as 

 a public utility, the Bund contributed 

 50 per cent, the canton 30 per cent, the 

 town and the railway 10 per cent each. 



This sketch would fail in its main 

 purpose if it neglected the personal im- 

 pressions gained at the annual Ver- 

 sammlung of Swiss forest officers held 

 last summer, which the writer had the 

 pleasure of attending. It is when a 

 man is unbent often that you can tell 

 most about him, and if one might trust 

 his eyes and ears on the occasion men- 

 tioned, Switzerland is served in this 

 direction by a particularly effective body 

 of men. This was signified not merely 

 by the note of patriotism and public serv- 

 ice that was so often sounded in their 

 speeches, but in the make-up of the body 

 as a whole and in the capacity and 

 temper of individuals. All needful 

 types of men were there, from the pro- 

 fessor or editor posted on progress in 

 all parts of the world, down to the 

 humble manager of a few hundred 

 hectares of forest belonging to some 

 town. Again, while one may be easily 

 mistaken on such a point, the temper of 

 the men seemed to be thoroughly sound 

 and natural. They were neither too 

 coarse nor too fine for their work, but 

 a well equipped, serviceable body, ani- 

 mated with a high degree of esprit de 

 corps and strong love of country. That 

 they thought for themselves and were 

 dominated by no authority was per- 

 fectly evident from the criticisms one 

 heard during the field excursions. 



Two things were remarked in my 

 observation and study that seem par- 

 ticularly valuable to workers in this 

 country. First is the extent and vari- 

 ety of federal aid extended to the Swiss 

 forestry work. Thus to the salaries of 

 the cantonal forest officers the Bund 

 contributes 25 to 35 per cent, and less 

 amounts to the managers for towns and 

 public corporations. To the salaries of 

 forest guards 5 to 25 per cent is con- 

 tributed by the Bund, which also sup- 

 ports yearly courses for their instruc- 

 tion. Accident insurance is provided 

 for all forest officers, and in the cost of 

 this the Bund bears a third. 



Schutz, or protection work, whether 

 in the way of stream correction or of 

 plantation, is recognized as a matter of 

 general concern. If for this purpose 

 land is to be acquired by the cantons 

 from private parties, the Bund may 

 contribute 50 per cent to the cost, with- 

 out, however, sharing in the acquired 

 title. From 50 to 80 per cent of the 

 cost of new plantations may be paid by 

 the Bund and a similar amount toward 

 essential works of stream fixation or 

 correction. Furthermore, if in any 

 publicly owned forests unusual planta- 

 tions are necessitated by fire, insects, 

 or any other agency, the Bund con- 

 tributes half, while to the cost of roads 

 or other essential means of development 

 it may give 20 per cent. In all cases 

 where these aids are given, the federal 

 authorities assure themselves that the 

 work is carried on in the highest ap- 

 proved manner; so that by this cooper- 

 ation the interests of the country are 

 furthered in two ways. 



The degree and the method of con- 

 trol exercised over private forests va- 

 ries in the different cantons, as does 

 also, no doubt, the degree of success. 

 Throughout the country there are cer- 

 tain areas recognized as protection for- 

 ests, which are held strictly, whatever 

 the ownership, under public control. 

 Thus in every canton clean cutting 

 may be prohibited by the authorities 

 or allowed only on the condition of im- 

 mediate replanting. In some cantons, 

 however, the control goes much farther 

 than that. The public officers may 

 mark the cutting in private woods, and 

 in Canton Zurich may even order plant- 

 ing of a given amount and kind. It 

 was interesting to note that in this can- 

 ton, in the opinion of many, the offi- 

 cials have too much authority over 

 private woodlands. 



In general, however, the relation of 

 the forest officers to the people seems to 

 be a mixed one, involving authority, 

 instruction, and persuasion, in which 

 case, of course, results vary largely with 

 the talent and tact of individual men. 

 Of the success attained some discourag- 

 ing talk was heard ; but, on the other 

 hand, a number of men, who had that 

 very work to do, expressed themselves 



