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Theebaw had been leased to powerful timber firms at Rangoon under the vaguest terms. Consequently great difficulties were encountered in dealing with the question of their future management. No conditions had been laid down on the subject of the method of exploiting the forests, the lessees being only liable for the payment of a lump sum per annum, without reference to the amount of timber or other produce taken out. This method, as had been the case in Tenasserim, meant the inevitable ultimate ruin of the forests. Perhaps Ribbentrop's greatest service to India was the settlement he obtained, as Inspector-General, of this grave question. He had to act in the face of the most strenuous and powerful opposition, opposition strong enough to carry the question to the authorities at home. In 1886, after the conquest of the country, Ribbentrop induced the Government to claim the right of interference, and after a protracted struggle in which he showed both tact and determination an amicable settlement was arrived at, under which no trees could be cut which had not been previously selected and girdled by the Department. It may be added that in 1900 the area of the Burma Forests was: Lower Burma, 7679 square miles, Upper Burma, 7988 square miles. The surplus realised from these forests in 1899 was Rs.59,24,000, corresponding to 13d. per acre. This was much above that produced by the rest of the forests of the Indian Empire, but much below continental forests, which produced from 5s. (Prussia) to 20s. (Saxony) per acre.

Ribbentrop claims in his Forestry in British India that efforts had been made to introduce some of the other timbers of the Indian forests on to the home and other markets during the period here reviewed. His remarks on this subject are given below. It may be admitted that efforts were made, but in view of the totally different methods by which this matter was approached in the twentieth century, it becomes evident that those employed in the preceding one were obsolete and had little chance of success. Ribbentrop, however, accurately summarised the position as it was at the period of his retirement. He wrote:

"It is self-evident that the removal of an increased number of species represented in the peuplement of our forests must not merely benefit sylviculture in the highest degree, but at the same time greatly facilitate the exploitation of the forests. It would appear easy to introduce many of the valuable and handsome woods to be found in our Indian forests into the general market; but this

is by no means the case, and in spite of the continuous efforts which have been, and are being, made to introduce timbers of other kinds, success in this respect is but slow. Locally, no doubt, we have succeeded in bringing many previously unused woods into use, but a really widespread demand we have as yet established for but few new species. The most important of these are the iron wood (Xylia dolabriformis) and the Andaman padouk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides). As regards the former, I remember well the opposition by which we were met, when proposing that this wood should be used for the sleepering of the Burma railways. Success was not achieved till the Forest Department established the first small steam saw-mill in the vicinity of the forests and near the railway line, which enabled them to supply the sleepers at the lowest possible rate. From that time the demand for this wood grew, and it has now become one of the more important items in our Forest revenue. The forest Department transferred their mills and contracts to private parties as soon as the position of the timber was insured in public favour, realising as their share the value of the wood in the rough.

At present there are numerous private saw-mills in the Burma Forests. They are chiefly occupied with the conversion of pynkado, but are of the greatest assistance to the Forest Department in bringing other woods to notice in the local markets."

As has been already shown, this question of making use of other timber trees for sleepers had early occupied the attention of the Department. In 1876 a large number of sleepers of a variety of timbers were cut and placed on the railways with the object of testing their durability. But the Railway Authorities were very conservative in this respect and but little progress was made. Ribbentrop continues:

"The trade in the Andaman padouk has had a curious history. The wood was brought to notice through the Tenasserim padouk, and when the trade in it had been fairly established it was nearly wrecked through the influence of the same wood. As far back as 1875 the Madras Gun-Carriage Factory was annually supplied from Tenasserim with padouk for gun-wheels and gun-carriages at a very high and remunerative price. This attracted attention to the extensive padouk forests in the Andamans, and taking advantage of various exhibitions we advertised the wood largely, and, beginning on a small scale, soon established a remunerative export trade. When this had grown to considerable dimensions and the demand showed no falling off, some private firms in Burma began to export Burma padouk on a large scale, and lost heavily over their venture. Unfortunately some of our consignments from the Andamans, sent on a rising market, were not so well selected as those by which we had established the trade, and padouk wood generally lost credit with consumers and fell in price from 4s. 6d. and 4s. 9d. to 2s. 6d.

II.-2 L

and 3s. per foot. Then the Government of India did the right thing. They weeded out their stock, sold all inferior coloured and doubtful timber for what it would fetch, and restricted the exportation to the best and highest coloured squares. The consequence was that the timber not merely regained its position in the market, but that enquiries at 6s. 6d. a foot cannot be met in full. The timber of the Burmese padouk has all of the excellent qualities of the Andaman padouk, but lacks the brilliant colouring, which gives to the latter its exceptional value. In the Andamans we have the highly coloured as well as brown padouk. In structure the wood seems identical, but still it is remarkable that wood so materially differing in colour, specific weight and market value should be the produce of the same species grown under similar conditions.

India possesses many exceptionally handsome woods well adapted for furniture or veneer, which need only be brought into fashion, and timbers specially suitable for carriage-building or other industries; but the efforts which the Forest Department are in a position to make to bring them to public notice are few. Mr. Gamble's excellent Manual of Indian Timbers gives a considerable amount of information as regards the technical qualities of our timbers, and ever since the Paris Exhibition of 1878 we have supplied numerous collections of hand pieces to various museums, exhibitions, institutions and private parties; but it is difficult to awaken a public interest by these means only, and unless and until woods are shown in the shape of manufactured articles, it is not likely that they will get into fashion. To do this on a large scale the Forest Department has neither the time nor the funds, and must depend to a great extent on private enterprise. To encourage such enterprise as far as possible has always been the aim of the Department, and this policy must continue, though the success achieved thus far has, as regards exports at least, not, as a rule, been very encouraging.

The question of impregnation of the less durable of the Himalayan conifers and other woods otherwise suitable for sleepers has on several occasions been under consideration; but as yet no practical results have been achieved, chiefly, no doubt, because the natural more durable species have as yet sufficed to meet the demand, at a price which makes it doubtful whether impregnated material could be supplied at a proportionately lower cost. However, as the demand increases our extensive pine forests may be called upon to yield their share, and it is one of the important duties of the Department to facilitate and encourage any enterprise in this direction."

Ribbentrop might have added that one of the causes of the failure to obtain good results from creosoting these species was due to the fact that the creosote imported from England did not retain its qualities in the Indian climate.

[graphic]

CONVERTING SÁL LOGS INTO SLEEPERS WITH THE CROSS-CUT SAW IN THE SINGBHUM FORESTS,

CHOTA NAGPUR, MAY, 1897 Photograph by Author

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