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Sec. 31. In the absence of a local forest oflScer the president 

 of the municipality or settlement within which timber or other 

 forest products are cut or collected shall act in his stead. Any 

 president who, in the absence of a, local forest officer, shall neg- 

 lect, refuse, or unreasonably delay to prepare and sign a state- 

 ment of timber or other forest products, stone, or earth cut or 

 collected within the territory under his authority, or to inspect 

 iirewood or other forest products cut or collected for local use 

 in said territory, or to perform other acts required by the pro- 

 visions of this Act, shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine 

 not to exceed fifty pesos; and the Ciiief of the Bureau of For- 

 estry, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, shall 

 prepare and furnish to local presidents the necessary instruc- 

 tions defining their duties under this Act. 



Sec. 32. Forest products, stone, or earth on which the Govern- 

 ment charges have not been paid as prescribed by law, and which 

 have been seized in accordance with the provisions of this Act, 

 shall be oflFered for sale at public auction, unless redeemed as 

 hereinafter provided. 



Fifteen days after any tax on any forest products, stone, or 

 earth shall have become due and remains unpaid the local forest 

 officer shall prepare and sign a certified copy of the records of 

 his office showing the person or persons delinquent in payment 

 of such taxes, the amounts thereof, and of the costs and addi- 

 tional charges respectively due from him or them. The forest 

 officer thereupon shall proceed at once to seize the forest products, 

 stone, or earth of the delinquent, and, unless redeemed as herein- 

 after provided, to sell at public auction, at some public place 

 near where such property is seized, as the lijcal forest officer 

 shall determine, so much of the same as shall satisfy the tax, 

 additional charges, and costs of seizure and sale, to the highest 

 bidder for cash, after due advertisement by notice posted at the 

 main entrance of the municipal building in the municipality in 

 which such seizure is made and at a public and conspicuous place 

 in the barrio in which the property was seized, stating the time, 

 place, and cause of sale. The certified copy of the local forest 

 officer's record of delinquents, attested by the secretary of the 

 municipality within which the forest products were seized, ap- 

 proved by the forest inspector or forester in charge of the forest 

 or inspection district, shall be his warrant for thus proceeding, 

 and the purchaser at such sale shall acquire an indefeasible 

 title to the property sold. Within two days after the sale the 

 local forest officer shall make return of his proceedings in writing 

 to the Bureau of Forestry, and shall reserve a copy thereof to be 

 kept by him as an official record, which shall also be attested by 

 the municipal secretary: Provided, That if there is no bidder, or 

 if the highest bid is only equal to or less than the sum total of 

 the taxes, costs, and additional charges, the Chief of the Bureau 

 of Forestry shall have discretionary power to declare the same 

 sold to the Government in satisfaction of such taxes, costs, and 

 charges, and -to invoice said products to the provincial supervisor 

 or to any other public official charged with similar duties, for 

 use in public works. The proceeds of such auction sales shall be ' 

 paid to the official to whom the Government charges on the same 

 should have been paid, who shall pay any surplus resulting from 

 the sale over and above the tax, costs, and additional charges to 



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