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CHAPTER III. 



STATE FORESTS. 



There exists hardly a country in which the State, or the 

 Crown, does not own forests. As a rule, such forests were 

 originally at the disposal of the ruler of the country, hut by 

 degrees they became in most cases State property. The 

 present chapter deals with the latter class of forests which 

 in many countries form an important part of the national 

 property. A reference to page 50 will show that in some 

 European countries up to 80 per cent, of the total forest area 

 belongs to the State, whereas in a few cases only the State 

 owns no such property. For India, it has been estimated 

 that more than half the total forest area belongs to the 

 State. 



As the State appears in a double capacity in this respect, 

 namely as the power which lays down the general forest 

 policy of the country and as the proprietor of part of the 

 forest area, the question may naturally be asked, whether it 

 is desirable that State forests should be maintained, or whether 

 it is preferable that such forests should be held by private 

 persons. Eeasons have been advanced for and against the 

 maintenance of State forests, the more important of which 

 must be shortly indicated. 



1. Reasons for Maintaining State Forests. 



These may be arranged as follows : — 



(a) Reasons based upon certain peculiarities of the forest 

 industry which enable the State, in preference to 2>rirate persons, 

 to maintain a suitable manax/ement of the forests. — The view has 

 frequently been expressed that in forestry private interests do 



