president's address. 629 



countries with still larger suiDi:)lies a panic has arisen. The more 

 rajDid depletion of our forests for purposes of export is constantly 

 being urged as if we had there, without any trouble on our part, 

 an unfailing source of revenue. By all means let us export, but 

 let us first take steps to replace what is taken away and insure 

 the future. 



Some months ago, as the result of a communication which I 

 addressed to the Minister for Works protesting against the 

 exportation of ironbark, a return was prepared by the Forest 

 Branch purporting to show that the forests of this colony would 

 supply over 167^^ millions of sleepers, which sounds like an 

 enormous quantity. An examination of the return shows that 

 two-thirds of this quantity is to be obtained from the forest 

 reserves in the Casino and Glen Innes districts, that of the 

 former being reported to cover about 4000 square miles and the 

 other 2000 square miles. Those estimates seem large, and it is 

 curious to note that when the Glen Innes-Tenterfield railway was 

 being constructed the prices paid for stringy bark sleepers was 

 6s. 6d., while 7s. each was paid for ironbark. This does not look 

 like an abundant supply. It is one thing to have trees scattered 

 through a forest, and another to get them out at reasonable cost. 



Assume, however, for the moment that the above quantity of 

 sleepers is obtainable, and that instead of many of them being 

 locked up in almost impenetrable gullies they are obtainable at a 

 small cost, what is likely to be the future demand ? Our own 

 requirements for sleepers are at the rate of 2400 per mile, and 

 1000 miles would only require about 2,400,000 sleepers, but all 

 Australians must hope that with the development of the country, 

 many thousand miles of new lines will be required, and then 

 we have to provide for renewals. Now suppose in addition to 

 our own requirements we foster trade^ with other countries. In 

 the United States of America there are 180,000 miles of railway. 

 They put their sleepers much closer together than we do, so that 

 they require 3000 to the mile at least. The timb(;r used at 

 present is pine or white oak, the best of which only lasts ten or 

 twelve years. What, if our American friends were really to take 



