412 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



These needs have evidently not been foreseen in the law establishing the College 

 Forest. The present law, in section 7, requires that "all sums received by the Uni- 

 versity for the sale of timber or otherwise under this act shall be immediately paid 

 to the State Treasurer and credited to the fund appropriated from time to time for 

 the purpose of this act." 



The evident intention of the law appears to be that a portion of the gross receipts 

 are to be reappropriated ; but an initial appropriation at least is unavoidable to 

 enable the beginning of operations and make them independent of a complicated 

 contract system, in which the necessary work performed on roads, waterways, plant- 

 ing, etc., may be taken as part payment for the material sold. It will also then be a 

 wise policy to determine beforehand for a number of years the proportion of gross 

 revenue which may best be applied to the management and improvement of the 

 property and make it available in general terms. In this way the management is 

 put on its mettle, as it were, increasing its means by its own exertions, and enabled 

 to enter upon a policy of improvement of at least a few years' duration without dis- 

 turbance ; a feature which, especially in forest management, will be found far superior 

 to the policy of annual changes or reconsiderations. 



I urge, therefore, the need of an initial single appropriation of not less than 

 $30,000, which will permit at least a proper start ; and, after the beginning is made, 

 such arrangement as will permit a certain percentage of the gross income, with or with- 

 out special or direct appropriation, to be used for the administration of the property. 



In European forest administration the expenditures represent from 40 to 60 

 per cent, of the gross income, the lower figure prevailing in the most highly developed 

 and most intensively managed smaller states. In Bavaria the expenditures are now 

 50 per cent, of the gross income, while Prussia, with the largest undeveloped area 

 and necessarily least intensive management, approaches the 60 per cent, limit. 

 In this connection it is also of interest to see that the net results are increased in 

 proportion to the expenditures. Thus, Prussia, when spending $1.33 per acre 

 received a net revenue of 96 cents per acre; Bavaria, with an expenditure of $1.37, 

 secured a net result of $1.19, and when spending, as now, $1.92, the net revenue was 

 also $1.92; Baden, when spending $1.54, secured $2.90; Saxony with $2.50 secured 

 $4.11, and, with an expenditure of $2.70, the net result was $4.65. 



Under our conditions and especially on a single tract, serving as demonstration 

 or experiment forest, in which all work of development must still be done, and many 

 things are expected which in a forest merely managed for financial results can be 

 avoided or postponed, it may be fair for a time at least, to be satisfied with a net 

 return of 25 per cent, of the gross income, leaving 75 per cent, for expenditures. 



