OTHER BRITISH POSSESSIONS AND COLONIES.
Under the influence of the Indian forest service, or stimulated by its success, some of the other British Colonial governments in Africa and Australia have attempted and sometimes succeeded in establishing a forest policy.
Of East Indian territories, Ceylon, the nearest neighbor to India, with over 25,000 square miles, of which 42 per cent. wooded, mostly with second growth forest of small value, attempted long ago an organization with the aid of Indian foresters, but by 1900 had of over 10,000 square miles only 431 in reserves, in addition to nearly 1800 acres planted. One Conservator and 8 Assistant Conservators produce a net revenue of less than $30,000, there being an import of $250,000 necessary to eke out the wood requirements of the 3.5 million people.
The Straits Settlement, an area of 1526 square miles, had, by 1900, a reserved state forest area of 138 square miles under an experienced Indian forest officer. Gutta percha, rubber and gums are here the most valuable products.
The Federated Malay States, with 26,350 square miles, and heavily wooded, after a report by the Indian Inspector-General, have begun to reserve forest areas, some 100,000 acres having been set aside, which are administered by the Conservator of the Strait Settlement’s reserves.
The government of the island of Cyprus also employs a forest officer and guards to look after its 700 square miles of forest.
In Africa, during the last few years small forest departments have been established by the governments of the Soudan, East Africa, Nigeria, Transvaal, Orange River and Natal, mostly for the purpose of planting on the treeless plains.
The government of Mauritius had made attempts at conservancy for many years, but without notable success.
The most successful attempt in Africa so far is reported from Cape Colony, which as early as 1819 had a Superintendent of Lands and Woods, and in 1876, a Department of Forests and Plantations, neither of which have left much of record.
In 1881, a new forest department under a French forest officer was started, which has grown until now its consists of one Conservator (D. E. Hutchins), 22 Assistant Conservators, 84 European foresters, and a few native guards. In 1888, the needed legislation was had for regulating the working of the nearly half million acres of forest area, which, in 1902, was declared inalienable government property. Since the wood imports amount to over two million and a quarter dollars annually, the need of conservative use is appreciated especially as climatic conditions are unfavorable to reproduction. Some 24,000 acres have been planted during 22 years, at a cost of $1,500,000, the first plantations beginning to yield a substantial revenue, and it is believed that another 40,000 acres of such plantations would supply all the timber needed in the Colony. Treeplanting by private land owners and municipalities is encouraged by furnishing advice gratis and plant material at low cost, and to municipalities in addition government aid is extended to the extent of half the cost of planting.
The seven Australian colonies are very variously situated regarding timber supplies, three of them, Queensland, Western and South Australia being poorly wooded, the others more or less heavily forested, especially Tasmania with 65 per cent., and New Zealand with 31 per cent. Generally speaking the forest areas are confined to the coast in narrower and wider belts, the interior being forestless or with scrubby growth. This portion is large enough to reduce the total forest per cent. to less than 6.5. The mountains and hill ranges facing the Eastern, Southern and Western coasts are especially heavily wooded with magnificent Eucalypts, Jarrah and Karri while the Kauri pine is the most valuable tree in New Zealand.
The one successful attempt at a forest policy was made by the almost forestless colony of South Australia, which in 1882 reserved its scanty forest area of 217,000 acres and started to plant, (now 13,000 acres planted), employing a Conservator and six Foresters.
In the other colonies at various times unsuccessful beginnings were made, and there exist in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria so-called Forest Branches or departments, but mostly without power or equipment, and no intelligent conception of forest policy seems practically to exist.
In Queensland, since 1897, the Governor in Council may reserve forest lands and regulate the cutting by diameter limit. One and a half million acres have been reserved, but no staff for administration exists.
In New South Wales six million acres were withdrawn from settlement, but it is mostly used for pasture, and withdrawal may be revoked at any time. No effective system of control exists.
In Victoria five and a half million acres have been declared reserves under act of 1890, nearly half the forest area. There exists a forest department of one Conservator, two Inspectors and 25 Foresters, but no plan of management. Four State nurseries of doubtful value seems the whole result.
The other colonies still merely exploit their forest resources under loosely managed license systems, without even an inefficient attempt at intelligent treatment.