STATE OWNED FORESTS 149 



With this position to face then, the question as 

 to whether it is more advantageous for a nation 

 that the State should own the forests of the country 

 or a percentage of them, or whether the industry 

 can -be left entirely to private enterprise, requires 

 consideration. 



We have seen that in the past private enterprise 

 did not succeed in providing the country with an 

 area of commercial forests at all commensurate with 

 its requhrements. But the war has taught us all 

 our lesson in this respect. 



Let us glance at some of the advantages of State- 

 owned forests as contrasted with private ownership. 



The management of State-owned forests is usually 

 carried out on the principle of a sustained yield from 

 the areas in order that the requirements of the 

 people and industries may be supplied. The State 

 is also able to grow large-sized timber required for 

 special purposes which takes a long period of years, 

 150 to 200, to produce. On the principle that the 

 State goes on for ever, it can afford to await the 

 return on the capital invested to produce this class 

 of material. Thus in these respects the interests of 

 the State and the people are identical. 



The private owner, on the other hand, is more 

 interested in obtaining the greatest profit from his 

 area in the shortest space of time, and to obtain 

 this he may wish to grow the smaller classes of 

 material demanded by some of the markets. When 

 in need of money there is nothing to prevent him 

 felling his woods, perhaps cutting some at an age 

 below that which is the most favourable one in the 



