152 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



nothing in common sense to prevent their acting in their 

 Executive through the Boards of Agriculture in England, 

 Scotland, and Ireland in order to get at the local conditions." 



Mr White. — "But it is to be a supreme authority. I think 

 it is a retrograde movement for Scotland, and I have pleasure 

 in formally seconding the amendment." 



Colonel Stirling of Keir said : — " My Lord Duke, if I may 

 be allowed to say so, I think that your decision to refer 

 the resolution approving the report of Mr Acland's Committee, 

 once its exact scope had been questioned, to a special 

 meeting of the Society, will meet with the warm approval 

 of the members. This decision was quite in accordance with 

 the best traditions of the Society. We have been in the past, 

 and I hope we shall continue to be in the future, a singularly 

 harmonious and united body ; and it was far better to delay the 

 resolution, important as it is, rather than that any member of 

 the Society should be able to complain that a meaning other 

 than that which it represented to him had been read into the 

 resolution. For my own part, I think that the original resolution 

 covered the whole ground of the Sub-Committee's report, and 

 that the administrative proposals, which are a vital part of the 

 recommendations, could not be separated from them. But 

 since the opposite opinion has been expressed, those of us who 

 believe that the time has come to set up an adequate Administra- 

 tion of Forestry in this country welcome this occasion of support- 

 ing our belief I am here really to make a plea for unity. I 

 think from what has been said by the proposer and the seconder 

 of the amendment that we are really not very far apart in 

 essentials. Perhaps, if you will do me the honour to listen to 

 my argument, we may find something that will bring us closely 

 together. Now, the view has been expressed by deputations, 

 not perhaps exclusively representative of silvicultural opinion, 

 that the Administration of Forestry in Scotland should remain 

 in Scotland and under the control of the Board of Agriculture. 

 It is only with the latter part of this suggestion that any of us 

 will disagree. I will give my reasons for doing so presently. 

 With the desire to have Scottish control of forestry in Scotland 

 I am in complete sympathy, and I believe that it can be shown 

 that Scottish control of our own forest area is in no way 

 incompatible with a single Forest Administration for Great 

 Britain, and, if possible, for Ireland as well. 



