Colonial Policies. 215 
forest were all communal property of the mussulmans, 
but by 1851 the larger portion had passed into possession 
of the state, much encumbered by rights of user. 
In 1836 a forest administration for the state domain 
was inaugurated, but the unfortunate division of powers 
between military and civil authorities was a hindrance 
to effective improvement of conditions. The fire ravages 
of 1871 led to a thorough re-organization in 1873 under 
the direction of Tassy. 
Nevertheless, in 1900 Lefebvre, Inspector of Forests, 
in his book, Les foréis de V’Algérie, still complains that 
the forests are being ruined, especially by pasturing, 
the means allowed the administration being too niggardly 
measured. 
The Forest Code of the home country and special laws 
enacted from time to time apply. The administration 
of the more than 5 million acres of state and communal 
forest is directly under the home department and is 
regulated in similar manner. 
A re-organization and new legislation was enacted in 
1903. This legislation relies still largely on the gen- 
eral principles of the Code of 1827. The most inter- 
esting features are the provision for expropriation 
and addition to the state domain of forests, the preserva- 
tion of which is of public interest, and the rigorous for- 
est fire legislation, which permits to treat incendiaries as 
insurrectionists, makes the extinction of forest fires a 
duty of the forest officials and provides the forcible es- 
tablishment of fire lines (rides) between neighbors. 
In the forests placed under the forestry regime per- 
mits from the governor-general are required for clear- 
ing. For the administration of these properties the 
