54 COLONIAL REPORTS MISCELLANEOUS. 



If in addition to this, owing to the land laws recognised in this 

 part of Africa, the principle is recognised and acted upon that the 

 native communities are entitled to a share of the produce of the 

 land and that accordingly they should share with the Government 

 any revenues that may be derived from exploiting the reserves, 

 then they can have no reasonable grounds for objecting to 

 reservation within the limits mentioned above. 



Objection on their part to a system that 



(a.) Ensures a permanent supply of forest produce; 



(6.) Ensures the reservation and improvement of the climatic 

 factors of the locality ; 



(c.) Gives them a share in any pecuniary benefits derived 

 from such reservation ; and 



(d.) Provides ample land on which to farm : 



can but emanate from, those who are averse to improvement and 

 the establishment of law and order in the management of their 

 affairs. 



At the same time it should be recognised, and provided for, 

 that the technical department under which the management of 

 the reserves is placed must be absolutely unfettered in carrying 

 out such professional operations as are necessary to ensure the 

 objects of reservation. The inhabitants should not be allowed 

 such rights and servitudes in the reserves as are likely to 

 threaten the existence of the forests or interfere with their proper 

 management. 



Under the existing land tenures the paramount Government 

 cannot reasonably hope to benefit to any large extent by the 

 revenues derived from the reserves, as it does in India and 

 Burma. It should suffice if the revenues pay for the expense 

 of the department, and at the same time leave a small percentage 

 of profit over to be shared with the native communities owning 

 the land on which the reserves are situated. 



When legislating for the legal creation of the reserves this 

 point should be kept in mind, and it ought to be definitely stated 

 that only the nett profits (after all the expenses of management 

 have been deducted) are to be shared in the manner indicated 

 above. 



Except in cases where reservation is imperatively required for 

 preserving the water supply or arresting the progress of desicca- 

 tion, c., areas taken up for reserves should, as far as possible, 

 be st'li'i'tod in localities free from villages or large farms. If the 

 inclusion of villages is unavoidable, then the latter should be 

 bought out with all their rights and provided with suitable land 

 elsewhere. 



( i-nerally speaking the ordinary rights exercised over the 

 collection of forest produce for the local requirements of the 

 people residing over the vicinity of the reserve should, as far 

 a^ possible, be respected, unless the exercise of such rights 

 threaten? the existence of the forest or is likely unduly to inter- 

 fere with its management. 



