PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS SECTION C. 8 1 



supplies may be entirely cut off, thus leading to complete or par- 

 tial dislocation of industrial life. 



Apart from that aspect of the matter, there is the considera- 

 tion that the world's consumption of timber is rapidly increasing, 

 and prices have risen considerably in recent years. Between 

 1895 ^^<^ 1913 ^^6 increase in Great Britain amounted to 33 per 

 cent. It would therefore seem only prudent that this country 

 .should take steps to see that its future is provided for in this 

 respect, and I think it may be of interest to this Association if 

 the position of the Union in regard to forestry and timber supply 

 is placed before it. 



During 191 3 — the last normal year— the Union imported 

 over 15^ million cubic feet (15,617,000) of unmanufactured 

 timber, valued at just short of one million pounds sterling 

 £980,000). Over and above that £252,000 worth of manufactured 

 timber was brought into the country, of which the cubic contents 

 are not known, but which, at a conserv^ative estimate, may be 

 placed at about two million feet. Thus the total timber .importa- 

 tion in 1913, exclusive of furniture and one or two other items, 

 was about 17 J^ million cubic feet, worth rather less than 1% 

 million pounds sterling (£1,232.000). 



Of this amount nearly 90 per cent, was coniferous timber, 

 that is to say, the soft timber derived from the class of trees 

 known as pines, spruces, and firs. 



It may be of interest to note that Sweden furnished practi- 

 cally half our requirements, Norway about i/5th, while the 

 United States, Canada, and Russia were mainly responsible for 

 the balance, in the order they are mentioned. 



I do not suppose the most pessimistic person would question 

 that agricultural and industrial expansion during the next fifty 

 years will be on such a scale that the timber requirements of the 

 Union will be at least double what they are now. The estimate 

 is certainly conservative, and a timber consumption of 35 million 

 cubic feet per annum, of which 30.000.000 cubic feet will be pine 

 timber, is a safe assumption. 



Now, what is the Union's present equipment to meet this 

 probable demand? 



If reference is made to the last report of the Forest Depart- 

 ment it will be seen that the total area of forest reserves on the 

 31st Alarch, 1917, was rather over 1.000,000 morgen, of which 

 747,000 morgen were classed as demarcated and 252,000 as un- 

 demarcated. It might be as well to explain what is implied by 

 the terms ' demarcated " and " undemarcated." " Demarcated 

 forest " is any area, not necessarily wooded, of which the boun- 

 daries have been defined, and which, after certain preliminaries 

 into which it is unnecessary to enter now, has been declared by 

 the Minister in the Gazette to be demarcated. Forest land once 

 demarcated cannot be alienated without the consent of both 

 Houses of Parliament, and the penalties for offences on such land 

 are more drastic than in the case of undemarcated forests. All 

 forest areas imder more intensive management, or which it is 

 desirable to safeguard from alienations are, as far as possible, 



