492 TRANSACTIONS OP ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



always taken a great interest in agriculture and its cognate sub- 

 jects, and I feel sure any reasonable request I make to him he 

 would grant. Of course, our main difficulty at the present 

 moment is that which Mr Munro Ferguson has hinted at, namely, 

 that we really want our information on this subject focussed. 

 There is a great deal of talk at large on the subject. We 

 recognise what I alluded to at the beginning as possible — a 

 timber famine and a considerable rise in prices, and of course 

 there is the further difficulty I have mentioned of this question 

 being dealt with by so many departments. Therefore, with 

 regard to the committee suggested, it is a little difficult for my 

 department, before consultation with others, to give any definite 

 pledge on the subject. I must say, however, thai Mr Munro 

 Ferguson is on right lines when he suggested that a committee, 

 consisting partly of officials and partly of outside experts, should 

 get together, and, as it were, focus the information on the subject, 

 so that we may get from them some practical suggestions, and 

 know exactly where we stand. We could get information as to 

 what is supplied from foreign countries, and as to what is being 

 done in this country. There is a vast amount of information 

 floating about on this subject, partly, as I say, because so many 

 departments are connected with it, which could be brought into one 

 centre. I confess, as a rule, I am not a great friend of commis- 

 sions or committees. There is a belief that a Minister agrees to 

 the appointment of a commission or a committee when he wants 

 to shelve a subject. I assure you in this case that is not my wish 

 at all. This is a subject that should really be dealt with. Now, 

 with regard to Mr Munro Ferguson's suggestion, what I will do 

 is this : I will consult the other departments connected with this 

 subject, which really is not in my own hands. I am only one of 

 four, so far as Scotland is concerned, which can deal with this 

 matter, and I will lay before them your views. My own view 

 strongly is that such a committee should be appointed ; I feel it 

 has become a necessity, and you may depend on me to use my 

 best efforts with my colleagues to see that such a committee as 

 that suggested is appointed. 



Mr Munro Ferguson said : Mr Hanbury, may I be permitted 

 to express my extreme personal gratification at the very kind 

 way in which you have adopted the suggestion I ventured to put 

 before you. I quite share in your suspicion of these bodies ; but 

 a commission, like hunting, is a kind of thing that brings people 



