236 "^ ECONOMICS OF FORESTRY. 



trol, i.e. ownership and management by its own 

 agents. 



Basing our conception of state function on the 

 fundamental postulates, that the state has pri- 

 marily the object to increase the freedom of the 

 individual in personal and economic relations, and 

 to promote the possibilities of individual effort ; 

 that the sphere of governmental action and author- 

 ity in circumscribing individual action and respon- 

 sibility should be minimized to absolute necessity ; 

 and that the state should undertake to do only 

 whatever by its character it is better fitted to do 

 for the community than the individual members 

 can do for it, — our choice of method will be in the 

 order named. 



As a general principle, only when persuasive and 

 promotive measures fail or are insufficient, recourse 

 is to be had to restrictive measures ; only when 

 even these are inefficient or inexpedient is the 

 state to own and manage properties. 



In the first category we have to discuss educa- 

 tional measures, taxation and tariff duties, bounties, 

 and other aids in promotion of private industry. 



The educational function of the state is now 

 recognized as one of the most prominent and bene- 

 ficial in all civilized nations, although the degree 

 and generality of its application still vary. In the 

 United States we rely, as regards the higher and 

 professional education, still largely on private 

 charity and effort, with results comparatively satis- 



