THE CENTRAL FOREST AUTHORITY. l6l 



I could quite imagine him taking tlie position of manager of 

 forestry in the whole country, and therefore I am very strongly 

 in support of the single Forest Authority. I hope that some 

 day I shall see, or my successor will see, some of the leading 

 men of the country holding this position." 



Sir Hugh Shaw-Stewart. — " I feel Colonel Stirling's appeal 

 very strongly that if possible we should be unanimous in this 

 matter. The Society has gone on so harmoniously that it 

 would be a pity if there were some who dissented from the 

 finding of an important meeting like this. I have great 

 sympathy with Mr Stebbing who looks at the matter from the 

 practical point of view, and says — Do let us get trees in 

 accordance with Scottish notions and Scottish climate, and so 

 forth. My answer to him is — Is he quite sure if you leave 

 things as they are that those trees will ever get in ? — because 

 the Scottish Board of Agriculture has not the money. They 

 must go hat in hand to the Development Commissioners, and 

 they have many other things which may be equally pressing 

 on them. The money that Mr Stebbing would like to have 

 to get these trees in must be forthcoming, and the thing can't 

 be done without money. Will Mr Stebbing, and others who 

 have shown that they would like an alteration or addition to 

 this motion, listen to this proposed addendum and see if it 

 meets their views — 'the Central Authority to use the local 

 authorities in England, Scotland, and Ireland for administrative 

 purposes to meet local conditions'?" 



The Chairman. — "Mr Menmuir, will you accept that?" 



Mr Menmuir. — " By no means. Mr Richardson said the 

 Society was not committed to Whitehall, but it is quite obvious 

 that Whitehall would be the place for this Central Authority." 



Colonel Stirling. — "Where is it now? — In the Secretary for 

 Scotland's office." 



Mr Menmuir. — "But it is not necessary that the Forestry 

 Authority should be there." 



Colonel Stirling. — " It is there now." 



Mr Menmuir. — " Well, the sooner it is changed the better. 

 Mr Richardson said it did not matter where the Central 

 Authority was situated. I say that it is a very vital question 

 for the Scottish people." 



Mr Richardson. — "Whitehall is not mentioned in the report." 



Mr Menmuir. — " I am quite aware of it." 



