DEPUTATION TO SCOTTISH MEMDERS OF PARLIAMENT. 2 1 



grown in this country, and also to afford suitable and healthy 

 employment for a large and ever-increasing rural population, 

 that the Government should now create the promised Depart- 

 ment of Forestry in connection with the Board of Agriculture 

 for the development of forestry in Scotland, with an adequate 

 annual grant for the purpose, and should instruct the Depart- 

 ment to prepare without delay schemes of afforestation, combined 

 with small holdings and other rural industries, to be put into 

 operation as soon as the war is over, so that advantage may 

 be taken of the unique opportunity when returning soldiers, 

 sailors, and others are desiring work, to induce a proportion of 

 them to settle on the land by offering them immediate and 

 suitable employment in comfortable and congenial surroundings." 

 He said that he hoped that the Scottish Members would 

 bring this matter before the House of Commons in the present 

 session, and obtain some assurance from the Government with 

 regard to it. They were forced to the conclusion that no real 

 progress in afforestation could be made in Scotland without a 

 special Department, whose duty it should be to attend to the 

 subject, and that Department should be provided with a 

 special fund to enable it to carry out its objects. The Develop- 

 ment Commissioners and the Board of Agriculture for Scotland 

 between them had provided several thousands of pounds for 

 educational equipment and advisory work, but up till now 

 little or nothing had been spent on planting in Scotland where 

 the largest area of plantable land was situated. It was obvious 

 when a Department had a number of subjects to attend to, the 

 particular subjects which were sure to get precedence were those 

 which excited public interest most. He was afrarid that he 

 could not claim that afforestation appealed very forcibly to 

 public sentiment, but they were convinced that it was a matter 

 of very great national importance, and if it continued .to be 

 neglected the country would have cause to rue it in the future. 

 They felt that they must have a separate Department with a 

 special staff to get forestry really attended to in Scotland. 

 He had just had a interview with the Secretary for Scotland, 

 Mr M'Kinnon Wood, who assured him that the Government 

 were fully alive to the urgency of the question of afforestation, 

 and had made up their minds to deal with it. The Government 

 were appointing a Committee which was to inquire as soon as 

 possible into the whole question throughout the country, and 



