REPORT OF GENERAL MEETING. 1 5 



might, if available,, be largely used in place of these foreign 

 imports. American oak, scantling and logs, are used in carriage 

 building and waggon building. I suppose the longer size of 

 these will always have to be derived to a certain extent from 

 abroad, but home oak is quite suitable for a large proportion of 

 the scantling, and possibly 2,000,000 cubic feet could be used 

 if it was made available for railway service. With regard to 

 American pitch pine, scantling and logs, these are largely used 

 by the engineering department and the locomotive department 

 in carriage and waggon work. Larch and other home timbers 

 might be substituted to a considerable extent. I have seen an 

 estimate that about 22,000,000 cubic feet of home grown timber, 

 if it was available, might be used on our British railways. Of 

 course, that represents, as I have said before, a much larger 

 cubic measurement in round timber. I understand there is a 

 feeling on the part of arboriculturists, occasionally, that the 

 British railways look rather askance at the supply of home-grown 

 timber. I think that is an entire delusion, and, speaking for my 

 own railway, I can say that we have always availed ourselves of 

 all the Scottish-grown sleepers and wood of that kind that has 

 been placed within our reach. I think the great North of 

 Scotland and the Highland lines have also done so. One of 

 the difficulties we always have to contend with regarding the 

 purchase of these supplies is the small quantities in which they 

 are put before us. When you are dealing with a consumption 

 so large, it is almost impossible to buy in the small quantities, 

 and the intermittent quantities, which are offered. What is 

 wanted is a careful consideration of the problem of how you can 

 place the supplies of home-grown timber before the railway 

 companies in bulk. There is one other question I should like 

 to allude to, and it is this. As far as prejudice is concerned, 

 it is possible that there was some reason why in the past railway 

 companies have rather shown a preference for foreign timber. 

 I think you will follow me when I say that from the very nature 

 of things foreign timber which is cut down at a great distance 

 away, which takes some time to bring to the seaport, and which 

 then takes some time in transit, must be better seasoned than 

 timber which is cut down fresh in this country. When it comes 

 to be a question of the use of this timber upon the railways, I 

 think it is not unnatural that those who have to look for a supply 

 should satisfy themselves that they are getting the best article 



