During recent years the Finnish government has increased 

 its forest holdings by purchases from private owners, a policy 

 adopted with a view to restoring the productivity of lands 

 exhausted by reckless cutting in the past and of raising the 

 general standard of economic forestry in the country. The 

 most desirable areas of accessible timber lands in Finland are 

 now well taken up and there is apparently little prospect for 

 industrial companies to increase their holdings by purchasing 

 additional lands from the State. During the unsettled con- 

 ditions of the past few years there have been many transfers 

 of land among private and corporate owners, with the result 

 that several of the stronger industrial companies have greatly 

 improved their position in this respect. To-day, however, the 

 State is doing its utmost to prevent agricultural lands from 

 being bought up by the companies for reversion to forests. 



Forest practice and lumbering methods in general while 

 showing marked improvement in the last fifteen years are 

 still said to fall somewhat short of the high stage of develop- 

 ment reached in Sweden. State supervision and control, as 

 already noted, have been responsible for great improvement 

 in forestry practice and the increasing value of timber has 

 gradually forced a higher standard of efficiency in lumbering 

 methods and the utilization of timber for industrial purposes. 

 In some remote districts there is said to be still much waste 

 of timber by reason of careless lumbering and from fires and 

 other sources, but these are in a fair way of being eliminated. 



Timber and water powers constitute Finland's chief 

 national asset, and the lumber, pulp and paper industries are 

 and must continue to be the foundation of the entire economic 

 life of the country. The present population of Finland does 

 not exceed 3,500,000. Although 55 per cent, of the people 

 are classed as dependent on agriculture, the country as a 

 whole is not self-sustaining as to food. Many peasant farmers 

 engage in lumbering during the winter season and the sale of 

 timber from small peasant holdings constitutes an important 

 part of the annual cut of timber. The growth and present 

 importance of the timber industry is of prime importance to 

 the national welfare. The fact that the Government and the 

 people as a whole fully realize this is shown by the manner 

 in which the forests are now being maintained as well as by 

 the steps that are being taken to ensure their future. 



