Disposal of Timber on the Dominion Forest Reserves. 127 



If the timber is sold on the stumpage basis it will be neces- 

 sary that every log be scaled and marked by Government 

 scalers and a heavy penalty should be imposed for taking logs 

 out without the Government mark. By this means the Gov- 

 ernment would have reliable first-hand information as to the 

 cut and would not have to depend on the statement of the 

 buyer. 



The right to cancel the license at any time for non-fulfilment 

 of contract, carelessness with fire, etc., should be reserved. 



We would advocate the expansion of this system to the man- 

 agement of the limits already sold especially those within the 

 forest and game reserves, giving the limit-holders ten years in 

 which to prepare for the change and if necessary compensating 

 them for any loss sustained by the change. 



There is no doubt that the sale of timber on a stumpage 

 basis with a hmited tim.e for its removal would be of great benefit 

 to the country and we beheve also that the lumbermen would 

 find it advantageous since they would know that they were 

 bidding on and would pay only for what they cut. The risk of 

 loss from fire or encroachment of settlers would be removed and 

 they would be working on a simple direct business proposition. 



Effective administration in 1905 reduced the burned area 

 on national forest reserves in the United States to one-fourth of 

 what it was in 1904. The forest reserves came under the ad- 

 ministration of the Forest Service, February 1st, 1905, and the 

 new administration and regulations have worked wonders in the 

 safe-guarding of the forests. All the reserve officers, except forest 

 guards, are civil-service employees. Their salaries range from 

 $720 to $2,500, Every forest supervisor is authorized in person 

 or through a subordinate to hire temporary men, purchase 

 material and supplies and pay for their transportation from 

 place to place to extinguish a fire. Forest rangers are required 

 to report monthly, and at the end of the year the supervisor 

 submits an annual fire report to the Washington office. 



