12 



disposition. I have not the smallest doubt in my own mind 

 that they wish to carry through, so far as they can, the 

 programme which this Society has set before the Development 

 Commissioners. On the other hand, we know the difficulties 

 which any Department would have to confront when it comes 

 to the actual practical work, and your Council feel that they 

 ought not to give the assistance of this Society unless they can 

 make sure that the development attempted will really be of 

 an effectual and business-like character. Our assistance has 

 been asked for, but we feel we cannot give it unless we have 

 some definite assurance that when a grant is given for the 

 development of forestry it will be entrusted to men who are 

 competent to administer it. And we also feel that we cannot 

 lend our assistance unless we have a clear assurance that 

 the Survey, which we have at our own expense begun, shall 

 be taken up by the Government. I do not think I need 

 labour either of these conditions. As regards the matter of 

 the Survey, I only want to say this that the object of our 

 Society is to see an advance made in afforestation in Scotland. 

 Afforestation cannot begin until we have had a Survey, to show 

 which are the right places for planting in Scotland. Therefore 

 if we keep back that Survey we keep back afforestation. I 

 feel quite clear in my own mind, and I am glad to say the 

 Council agree with me in thinking, that if we allow this 

 question of the Survey to be put in the background at this 

 stage, we shall find that afforestation makes no beginning for 

 another twenty-five or thirty years. For fifty-seven years this 

 Society has been working away at this subject. Nothing what- 

 ever has been done by Government in these fifty-seven years, 

 although there have been fair words from time to time from 

 every Government which has been put in office, and I think we 

 shall be fools indeed if, at this critical moment, we give our 

 assistance, unless we are sure that the policy to be pursued is 

 to be effective and good. I have nothing more to say on the 

 reports, and I beg to move their adoption. 

 The Motion was unanimously agreed to. 



Office-Bearers. 



Mr James Whitton proposed the re-election of Sir John 

 Stirling- Maxwell as President, which was unanimously 



