Comment 657 



interests demand attention. In Canada, the same conditions 

 prevail and in addition the call for men and for public expendi- 

 tures for the war, as well as reduction in industrial enterprise, 

 will also at least prevent extension of forestry work, if not cur- 

 tailment. 



In the European, especially the warring nations, the questions 

 of personnel and labor supplies are probably of greater impor- 

 tance than the market question in the practical field of forest ad- 

 ministration, although the problem of securing forest supplies 

 may also influence the latter, and that sometimes in unexpected 

 places. The first definite views of this latter influence comes 

 from Switzerland. Strangely enough it is the supply of fuelwood 

 that is mainly deranged and in its turn is deranging silvicultural 

 operations, as we think possibly in part favorably. The usual 

 import of 80,000 cords, which figure in the total wood import of 

 some 35 million dollars, as well as the supply of coal is in difii- 

 culty. The federal government advises, therefore, the cantonal 

 governments to take measures to meet the difficulty. The result 

 will be a considerable increase in thinning practice besides in- 

 crease of fellings in fuel forests. 



Great Britain, which relies practically for all its forest supplies 

 to the extent of around 160 million dollars on importations, has 

 her imports to some extent curtailed, and in some respects has 

 already suffered lack. 



The Forestry Association points out that mine props and 

 similar material could be supplied from native woodlands but for 

 the excessive railroad freight charges which forbid traffic except 

 by water. A petition to the Royal Railway Commission to se- 

 cure the reduction of freight rates is supported by the Royal 

 English Arboricutural Society and the English Forestry Asso- 

 ciation. The grievances have been aired for many years, but the 

 war conditions have revived the agitation. 



As regards importations, France can probably secure as much 

 as its wood industries may at this stage of reduced activity need. 



Most of the French forest area is in coppice (75%), which 

 can readily be neglected for years without much damage. The 

 government forest area is relatively small (3 million acres), and 

 will probably suffer little. 



But in Belgium and northeastern France, the scenes of the 

 greatest devastation in modern times, forest areas have naturally 



