64 THE MANAGEMENT OF EPPING FOREST. 



They were swept away now. (Hear, hear.) Was that preserving the natural 

 aspect of the Forest ? (Cheers.) Coming to Queen Elizabeth's Lodge, they 

 saw Battersea Park to the left of them. (Laughter.) That was arranged for 

 the enjoyment of the people, but it was quite enough of it. (Cheers.) Leave 

 the rest to nature. Looking south, they would see the trunks of two ^rand old 

 oak trees which had been gut at ten feet high, and pitch put on the top of them. 

 (Hear, hear.) See the clearing at the Rising Sun, and see Whipps Cross 

 perfectly bire. (Hear, hear.) Wanstead Flats, covered, as they all knew, with 

 splendid fibrous turf, had been turned over with the spade, and asphalted. (Oh.) 

 A great clearance had been made in Lord's Bushes, and it had in no respect 

 improved it. Great quantities of underwood had been taken away. (Cheers, and 

 cries of " no.") Trunks of trees had been left cut off three or four feet above the 

 ground. It had been stated in the Press repeatedly and never contradicted that up 



the end of 1891 a hundred thousand trees had been cut down in the Forest, and 

 smce then ten thousand more had been cut. If this sort of thing was not stopped 

 they were justified in saying that the Forest was in danger. (Professor Boulger : 

 No, no.) He recollected when that Club stood up and manfully resisted the 

 Great Eastern Railway. Somi members of the Council argued that it should do 

 nothing in the matter — that it should confine itself tj toadstools — (laughter) — 

 and not resist the railway company in its grand desire to benefit the Forest and 

 take a great deal of it. (Laughter.) He then referred to the visit of the experts 

 to Hawk Wood, and said that they were asked there to bless the action of the 

 Conservators, but stayed to curse it. 



Mr. Buxton : I must protest, sir ; that statement is absolutely without 

 authority. It is absolutely untrue, Mr. Chairman. I am sure Mr. Smiih would 

 not say what is intentionally untrue, but I ask 3 ou to call upon him to recall that 

 most damaging and untrue statement. 



Mr. Smith : 1 should be sorry to say anything that is not founded upon fact, 



1 am expressing the view that these gentlemen were taken there to bless the 

 intentions of the Conservators, and they have cursed them. 



Mr. Salmon (Chairman of Epping Forest Committee) : They say that the 

 trees should not be cut this season because they are in leaf ; but what shall be the 

 future of those trees we have not heard. Mr. Smith's statement is that these 

 gentlemen were brought to bless our work. Nothing of the kind. I did not take 

 any part in the selection of these gentlemen without referring to Sir Joseph 

 Hooker. Tliese gentlemen are not in the pay of the Corporation. Their 

 legitimate expenses must, of course, be paid ; but to say that they were brought 

 down to bless our work is an absolute falsehood, and Mr. Smith knows it. 



Mr. Smith : Is it not a fact that the six hundred oak trees marked are already 

 sold ? I would like to ask Mr. Salmon that question. 



Mr. Buxton : Mr. Chairman, I hope you will call upon Mr. Smith to with- 

 draw his statement, which I characterise as a most offensive statement, that these 

 gentlemen were brought to bless us. Then he says they curse our work. They 

 have expressed no opinion. I call upon you to call upon that gentleman to with- 

 draw that expression, grossly untrue, grossly offensive. 



At this point Prof. Meldola read out the provisional report of the experts as 

 given in " The Times" after their visit to Hawkwood, on Wednesday, April 25th. 

 It was as follows : — "After a careful examination of Hawkwood, we are of opinion 

 that the trees as now marked in it should not be cut for the present season. 

 Other questions as to the general management of the Forest so as to secure the 

 object the committee have in view are best determined after we have seen the 



