DISCUSSION ON FORESTRY ADMINISTRATION AND EDUCATION. I 7 



their conditions that they are able to do very fine work, and 

 I think this Education Committee ought to consider whether 

 it is not yet possible to do something in the way of giving 

 women a course of training. 



"The training of discharged soldiers is in the hands of the 

 Board of Agriculture at present. I do not know the inner 

 workings of.that Board, but I am absolutely convinced that 

 they are not going on the right lines. At the present moment 

 I know a little about the training of these men, and I am 

 glad to say they are doing remarkably good work. Some of 

 these men have gone through the brunt of battle, and they 

 ought to be carefully looked after and encouraged. I do not 

 think at the moment they are being encouraged as they ought 

 to be. I may tell you of an instance that I am acquainted 

 with, where these men who have come home disfigured and 

 disabled in many ways are still capable of doing a great 

 amount of work, and at the present moment they are being 

 paid at the rate of 27s. 6d. a week. They are doing work 

 which, if it is not altogether up to the standard of the ordinary 

 forest workman, really should be encouraged, and I think the 

 Board should consider, if they want to interest these men in 

 the work, whether they ought not to do something more for 

 them than they have done. Unfortunately, on the forms 

 they have to sign every week, there is a proviso that any 

 allowance that is made shall be deducted from their pensions. 

 If we are going to encourage these fellows and bring them 

 into forestry and do what we can to interest them in it, 

 there will have to be something more done even in the initial 

 stages. They were promised lectures and other means of 

 improving and instructing themselves during the time of 

 training. So far as I am aware, there has been no attempt 

 made to do anything of the kind, and I think the Committee 

 ought to see that these men are encouraged and helped." 



Sir Kenneth Mackenzie. — " I find it extremely difficult to 

 hear what is being said in this room, and in a report so im- 

 portant as that of the Education Committee I personally have 

 been quite unable to take in all they have recommended. I 

 think this question of education is one of the things we have to 

 face up to, and I would like to suggest that a further discussion 

 of this subject might take place at another meeting, and that 

 before that meeting we should have the advantage of the 



VOL. XXXIII. PART I. B 



