310 THE FORESTRY COMMITTEE. [Sept. 



THE FORESTRY COMMITTEE. 



THE Select Committee of the House of Commons, appointed on 

 the motion of Sir John Lubbock, to consider whether, by 

 the establishment of a forest school or otlierwise, our forests can be 

 rendered more remunerative, took evidence on Tuesday and Friday, 

 the 21st and 24th of July, Sir John Lubbock being chairman. 



The Chairman had received a communication from Lord Powers- 

 court, who was unfortunately abroad. 



Mr. W. G. Pedder, Eevenue Secretary, India Office, stated that 

 the Indian Forest Department was first established about forty years 

 ago, previous to which the forests were under tlie ordinary law. A 

 department was authorized in Bombay in 1846. A year later a 

 similar step was taken in the Madras Presidency. In 1864 an 

 Inspector of Forests was appointed, and from that time systematic 

 inspection began. At first the forest revenue was about £40,000. 

 Since then it had risen to a nett revenue of over £400,000, and a 

 gross revenue of nearly £1,000,000. Undoubtedly that was due 

 to the increased education of the forest officials. Originally the 

 department in India was selected from men who knew something of 

 the subject of forestry, and who were connected with the military 

 or naval department. The Indian Department obtained an instructor 

 from France, and since then they had sent men to study forestry at 

 Nancy, An inquiry was made as to whether the woodlands in 

 England and Scotland were so managed as to be a suitable training- 

 ground for students for India, and it was found that they were not 

 so managed. It was found that the young men sent to France 

 were not sufficiently well acquainted with the French language 

 to acquire knowledge through that medium. A change had con- 

 sequently been made. The young officers selected were sent to 

 undergo a course at the Eoyal Engineering College at West Hill, 

 where they were instructed in the ordinary engineering education, 

 and in addition were taught forestry and botany and forest law and 

 jurisprudence. Forestry would be taught as much as possible in 

 the forests near the college. Students would then go to the French 

 forests. The course would take two years. No applications had 

 been received for other than the Indian Department, but no doubt 

 other students would be received, who would pay the fees of £180 

 a year, including everything except pocket-money. The system of 

 training the superior and inferior grades was quite distinct. The 

 inferior grades could be filled by natives, but it was desirable that 

 all the superior departments should be filled by Europeans. From 



