DUTIES OF THE STATE GENERALLY. 33 



demands it ; beyond that it should not go. The nature and extent 

 of the measures depend on the special conditions and require- 

 ments of the country, and especially on the safety and facility of 

 obtaining a sufficient quantity of forest produce from outside in 

 all cases where the forests of the country are not of sufficient 

 extent to provide it. Under any circumstances, every effort 

 should be made to safeguard the country in the case of an 

 emergency. Matters differ in various countries in this respect. 

 In some countries no State control is as yet exercised ; in others 

 it is restricted to " protection forests " and to State forests ; in 

 others it is extended to corporation forests, and in others even to 

 private forests. 



The control of the State over forests, whatever the proprietor- 

 ship may be, must be regulated by law. In some countries such 

 laws are incorporated with the general laws ; in others special 

 forest laws have been passed. 



2. State Forests. 



There are few countries in which the State or the Crown does 

 not own forests. As a rule, such forests were originally at the 

 disposal of the ruler of the country, but by degrees they became 

 in most cases the property of the State, forming an important part 

 of the national property. On reference to the data given on 

 page 42 it will be seen that the percentage of State forests ranges 

 from 66-4 per cent, in Russia to 2-4 per cent, in the United King- 

 dom. In India the whole of the soil was, in Akbar's time, 

 considered the property of the Emperor ; subsequently large 

 areas were surrendered to communities and private persons, so 

 that at present only about 70 per cent, of the existing forest 

 area belongs to the State. 



As the State appears in this respect in a double capacity, 

 namely, as the power which lays down the general forest policy 

 of the country and also as the proprietor of part of the forest 

 area, the question may naturally be asked whether it is desirable 

 that the State should continue to possess forests in its own 

 country, or whether the forest industry should be altogether in 

 the hands of private persons ? It has been asserted — 



(1) That it is below the dignity of the State if the Government 

 and private persons compete in the open market. 



