SUMMARY. 67 



State domains, the Government is to some extent, or for a 

 time, independent of the parliamentary power to sanction 

 taxes. Or, the Government may grant privileges to members 

 of the party which supports it and withhold them from its 

 opponents. These arguments have, however, little or no 

 weight nowadays. 



{b) The possession of State domains may lead to a conflict of 

 duties on the part of Government. — It is below the dignity of 

 the State if the Government and private persons compete in 

 the open market, or contend in the law courts. 



(c) State domai)is are considered injurious, because they 

 interfere with the natural development of national industries 

 and reduce the opportunity for paying enterprise on the part 

 of private persons. 



(d) State forestri/ is said to he financially undesirable, because 

 the State cannot manage forests as profitably as private 

 persons. This refers less to the technical management than 

 to the preparation and disposal of the produce. As regards 

 the latter, the objection carries no doubt some weight. 



3. Conclusions. 



The above remarks justify the conclusion that, on the one 

 hand. State proprietorship need not be extended to all forests, 

 and on the other, there is no reason why the State should, as 

 a matter of principle, dispose of its forests. This holds good 

 as long as State forests are either protection forests, or yield 

 an adequate income. If neither is the case, then conversion 

 or sale may be indicated. 



Purchase of forests by the State may be recommended 

 when they are required as protection forests, when already 

 existing Government estates require to be consolidated, wliere 

 additional work is wanted in congested districts, where waste 

 lands require to be afforested, or where the supply of indis- 

 pensable articles of forest produce by private enterprise is 

 insuthcient or uncertain. 



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