DISCUSSION ON REPORT OF FORESTRY SUB-COMMITTEE. I 23 



Sir John Stirling-Maxwell, Bart., said: — "I welcome the 

 chance of saying a word on the proposed Central Authority, 

 because discussion on that subject has shown that there exists 

 a good deal of misunderstanding in regard to it. No responsible 

 person has, so far as I am aware, suggested that we should 

 dispense with such an authority, but some critics of the proposal 

 in this report have glossed over the fact that such an authority 

 is already in existence and resident in London. That authority 

 at present is the Development Commission, of whom I am very 

 glad to see one of the members. Sir William Haldane, here 

 to-day. This Commission, so far as Scotland is concerned, 

 has had since its establishment complete control of the only 

 funds available for forestry and therefore of the policy. The 

 Reconstruction Committee asked the Development Commission 

 for a record of its work, which after a certain amount of 

 hesitation they were good enough to provide." 



Sir William Haldane here said : — " I am not aware of that. 

 May I rise to point out — I am very sorry, indeed, to interrupt, 

 but I came here, and probably others too, with the full desire 

 and intention of supporting the resolution, which we thought 

 had been so adequately prepared by Sir Andrew Agnew 

 as to avoid these questions which do not make for harmony." 



Sir Hugh Shaw-Stewart replied: — "We will be favoured by 

 Sir William in his turn after Sir John has spoken." 



Sir William Haldane. — " I merely want to point out that this 

 question of the forestry authority does not arise out of this 

 resolution. It is a scheme of afforestation we are discussing. 

 Who is to carry it out is another matter." 



The Chairman. — " I should have preferred to have this first 

 and then go on to the discussion afterwards." 



Sir William Haldane. — "The resolution as it stands is one 

 that we can all accept, because it is approving of a scheme of 

 afforestation which is definitely set out in the report, and which 

 does not touch the question of the forest authority, a moot 

 question as to which there has been a certain amount of dis- 

 cussion, and it seems a pity to bring all that in again." 



The Chairman. — " It is all on the printed programme." 



Sir William Haldane. — " It is not in the resolution." 



The Chairman. — "I agree. However, I should be quite 

 willing to put the resolvtion to the meeting and discuss this 

 afterwards." 



