1 3
2 The remarks you have made to the effect that the raising of
3 the grazing fees in this reserve and the contracting of the arca over
4 which grazing was permitted has not diminished the number of cattle
5 sent to graze in the forest, confirm the Officiating Chief Commis-
6 sioner’s view, stated last year, that the fees on cattle grazing in the
7 Satpura reserve were unduly low; and it must not be overlooked that
8 if we have large areas on which the people do not count as grazing
9 ground, and on which their cattle do not graze as a rule, we have tha
10 means of saving thousands of head of cattle on the occurrence of the
11 periodical forage famines which occur all over India, by throwing open
12 to the cattle the lands to which they have not been adinitted,
13 5. It is true, as you remark, that when the departmental forest
14 reserves were originally selected the capabilities of the land for pro-
15 ducing large timber were chiefly considered, but the Officiating Chief
16 Commissioner has on a former occasion explained that iron now takeg
17 the place of timber in most of its uses where important structures are
18 concerned, Colonel Keatinge holds that a large and well regulated
19 supply of small timber and minor produce for the requirements of the
20 population are, combined with systematic attention to clothing the
21 watersheds of populous districts, among the first duties of the Forest
22 Department.
23 6, Paras, 28 to 32—These paragraphs refer to a re-distribu-
24 tion of charges and officers during the year, and to the impossibility,
25 owing to the want of officers, of giving effect to all the arrangements
26 that were desired.
27 The Officiating Chief Commissioner would only observe that
28 the changes from sickness alone are so great in the Central Provinces,
29 that until Government can afford to keep at least two spare officers on
30 the Central Provinces’ Staff important charges will always be left
31 unprovided for.
32 The system under which Deputy Commissioners and Forest
33 Officers in certain Farest Divisions work together, will, if extended,
34 produce much good, The entire separation of the duties of these two
35 classes of officers must, Colonel Keatinge thinks, be held responsible
36 for the unfortunate selections the Forest Department has hitherto
37 made of the places on which it has expended its money.
38 7, Para. 32.—The Officiating Chief Commissioner considers that
39 the fact of only 561 persons being prosecuted for infringement of
40 Forest rules speaks well for the forbearance of the Department.
41 8, Paras. 33 to 58.—It is satisfactory to find that the survey
42 of several reserves has been completed. More work of this kind
43 remains to be done, but it must be performed by degrees.
44 9. In para. 34 you remark that no working plans have been
45 drawn up for any State forests, but that as a rule the condition of
46 the forests prevents their being worked regularly. The Officiating