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2 74, Sheikh Mohee-ood-deen, the Assistant Consorvator, who has been in chargo
3 of the division for one year, bas been doing very good work. Formerly the leases
4 for minor produce were given out to the villages by a native subordinate, who also
5 collected the money.
6 This system was open to great objections, and in all probability was much abused,
7 for there was no way of checking the accounts.
8 Shoikh Mohce-ood-deon has altered all that. He has now got a printed form of lease,
9 he issues theo leases, and receives payment directly through his own office, without any
10 intermediate interference; tho leases are al] numbered, and a duplicate copy is kept in
11 the office; so that careful supervision is all that is required to ensure the whole of
12 tho moncy being credited to Government.
13 By the old plan, the native surburakar could always pocket a certain amount of
14 revenue without much fear of detection, for he had the issuing of several thousand
15 leases, which he wrote out himself on slips of common paper ; and as he kept his own
16 accounts, it would have been quite casy for him to pocket a few hundreds every year
17 without even being suspected.
18 75. Asystem of clearing the inferior kinds of trees out of sal forests has also
19 been commenced. Leases have been given to remove all trees except sil (Shorea
20 robusta), kurma (Nauclea cordifolia), tehndoo (Diospyros), bujai sil, mowa (Bassia
21 latifolia), toon (Cedrela toona), and sissoo (Dalbergia sigsoo). The lessees fell and
22 remove the timber at their own expense, and pay from Rs. 3 to 5 a month, according
23 to the distance from a market, for each cart employed. As far as it has gone, this has
24 turned out a success ; it has increased the revenue, and at the same time improved the
25 forests, for it will allow the saplings of the valuable kinds room to grow up, and in
26 time the forests will contain none but good timber trees.
27 76. It now only reniains to notice the services of officers, and it certainly would
28 be difficult to get together a better staff than those belonging to the North-Western
29 Provinces Forest Department.
30 Mr. Colvin was in chargo of the head office up to September last. The sedentary
31 lifo not suiting his constitution, hc was then allowed to give up the office, and was posted
32 to the Garhwal Division. Iam happy to say that the change has done him good,
33 and his health has much improved.
34 In September, Mr. Bugshawe camo to the hoad office, but Captain Lillingston’s
35 death occurring in the following month necessitated his going back to Jounsar and
36 taking chargo of that division,—being relieved at the head office by Mr. Grant, who
37 has held charge ever since.
38 The revenue from minor produce from the Dehra Doon forests was increased
39 last yoar 574 per cent, over and above that of the preceding year. This is entirely due
40 to more careful supervision and abler management. Captain Builey, the Deputy
41 Conservator in charge, deserves great praise for the way ho has managed this difficult
42 division. All thoughts of discomfort and exposure were laid aside, and he kept march-
43 ing about his division even up to the end of June. Iam sorry to hear that he has
44 lately been laid up with a severe attack of fever.
45 Mr. Bagshawe has got on very well in Jounsar under rather trying circumstances,
46 for such heavy snow fell during the winter that the plains carponters and sawyers
47 employed on tho Mundhole Canal slide got frightened and disgusted with the cold,
48 and wero continually striking work and prepuring to bolt; but, by great tact, good
49 management, and kindnoss, Mr. Bagshawo always managed to pacify them and get
50 them to commence work again. He was most ably assistod by Mr. Braidwood, a
51 thorough good Forest Officer, who is in charge of the Mundhole Sub-division. Had