DEPUTATION TO SCOTTISH MEMBERS Ol' PARLIAMENT. 23 



possible to put men down in the proportion of one man to every 

 100 acres, Thiere was no industry which worked so well as 

 forestry in connection with small holdings. The seasonal labour 

 of agriculture and forestry fitted in well, and he thought a fine 

 healthy life would be opened up to men engaged in this 

 employment. 



Sir John Stirling-Maxwell said that although the social side 

 was likely to be the driving power in the movement for 

 afforestation, it had another side, the purely business side. 

 This country really stood in need of large supplies of timber 

 of its own. It had been argued that the supplies of timber 

 were becoming more precarious because the worlds supplies 

 were becoming exhausted. These prophecies, made thirty years 

 ago, had come absolutely true. Taking soft-wood, such as 

 that of conifers, which they were able to produce in Scotland, 

 and of which the country imported a very large quantity, the 

 price had risen between 1895 ^"*^ '9^3 by as much as 33 per 

 cent., and the sources from which that soft timber had come 

 had gone through a very remarkable change. In 1895, 22 per 

 cent, of our total imports of timber came from within the 

 Empire. In 1913, this percentage had fallen to 10 per cent. 

 We were more dependent than ever on foreign countries. It 

 might be well if the House of Commons was to get some 

 estimate formed as to what the result to the country had been 

 through not having adequate timber supplies of its own during 

 the time of the war. On this point there was ample evidence to 

 support the contention which the deputation was now bringing 

 before the Scottish members. 



Mr Dundas White asked the deputation what was the basis 

 of valuation suggested for the acquisition of land, and whether 

 they thought it should be by purchase or feuing. 



Sir Andrew Agnew replied that that was a matter which 

 they would have to consider, but they had not got quite so 

 far as that yet. In the meantime, their object was to get the 

 principle accepted, and they thought it was premature to 

 discuss the methods by which the scheme could be carried 

 out. 



Sir John Stirling-Maxwell said it was obvious that, provided 

 the land was suitable, the right policy was to plant the cheapest 

 land. It was a great thing to have large blocks to allow of 

 the use of light railways. As regarded tenure there was no 



