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CHAPTER IV. 



FORESTS OF COMMUNES, CORPORATIONS, ETC. 



In its widest sense, a commune means any association 

 which has or holds something in common. In its narrower 

 sense, as here used, by commune is understood a group of 

 persons enjoying the right of a juridical person, especially as 

 regards pul)lic matters. Communes may hold Joint property, 

 they exercise political functions, levy local taxes, employ their 

 own police, etc. Forests frequently form an important part 

 of the communal property. 



Communal forests have been originated in many ways, such 

 as purchase, gift, planting of communal lands, or even through 

 prescription. The Indian forest law provides for the allot- 

 ment of Government lands to communes to form village 

 forests. Corporation forests have frequently been established 

 by the afforestation of the catchment areas of water-works. 



The returns from such forests benefit the members of the 

 commune, either indirectly or directly ; the former, if the 

 receipts from the forests go to the communal exchequer and 

 are used to defray the general expenses of the commune ; the 

 latter, if the yield goes directly, either in material or cash, to 

 the members of the commune. In the second case, the right 

 of utilization may be attached to the personal membership, or 

 the possession of land or a house. 



In many countries, the communal forests amount to a con- 

 siderable poi'tion of the total forest area (in Switzerland 67 per 

 cent., Hungary 52 per cent., Italy 43 per cent., France 23 per 

 cent., Germany 19 per cent., Austria 18 per cent. 



Although communes should have a large measure of liberty 

 in managing their own affairs, as regards their forest property 



