182 AUSTRALASIA. 



see what Western Australia has done up to date. Some 20 or 

 25 years ago concessions were granted at nominal rates over 

 477,000 acres of the best jarrah and karri forests. Under 

 the Consolidated Land Act of 1898 and amendments licences 

 are given at fixed rates ; besides, timber leases up to 75,000 

 acres in each case can be given for 25 years at rates which 

 come to about Is. 6d. for each ton of jarrah or karri timber 

 removed. Hence, the share of the value of the timber which 

 finds its way into the public treasury represents only a miser- 

 able percentage. On the other hand, there are some State 

 nurseries and small plantations of pines, cedar, poplars and 

 other exotic trees, as well as of wattles and sandal wood. 

 These little plantations will never be able to make up for the 

 exhaustion of the magnificent natural timber forests. Would 

 it not be far more sensible to concentrate the efforts of the 

 State upon the systematic and economic management of the 

 natural forests ? 



Tasmania has an area of eleven million acres of forests, 

 equal to 65 per cent, of the total area of the island. No parts 

 are permanently reserved, but the reservation of 266,000 acres 

 has been authorised, though they are subject to revocation by 

 proclamation on the part of the Governor. There is no 

 separate forest staff, the management of the woodlands being 

 vested in the Department of Crown Lands. Tasmania has 

 fine eucalyptus timber and a considerable area of wattles. 

 The exports from the island in 1899 were as follows : — 



Value of timber i;39,542 



Value of wattle bark i'31,042 



^70,584 



Since 1898 a royalty on sawn timber has been introduced, the 

 charge being £1 a year per hundred acres as ground rent, 

 Is. per 1,000 superficial feet for eucalyptus timber and 5s. for 

 pine and black wood. This works out at about Gd. per ton on 

 eucalyptus timber and about 26-. 6d. on pine and black wood. 



