DEPUTATION FROM SOCIETY TO CHANCELLOR OF EXCHEQUER. 203 



their experience upon the very subject which I was considering. 

 -I was rather alarmed at the recommendation of the Coast 

 Erosion Committee with regard to the ^^2, 000,000 a year. It 

 is rather dangerous to embark upon an experiment of this kind 

 straight away without a period of probation. It is important 

 that you should set up forestry schools here, and that you 

 should have demonstrations in different parts of the country 

 which will enable an Afforestation Commission — if a Commission 

 or Committee is appointed — to judge as to the best method of 

 proceeding in different parts of the country. I will consider 

 this carefully with my colleagues. The part that concerns me 

 is the finding of the money, but my other colleague. Lord 

 Carrington, representing the Board of Agriculture, will be very 

 practically concerned in the best method of expending that 

 money, or, at least, in nominating somebody who will undertake 

 the charge of that particular branch of the business. We are 

 considering the matter, but we have not arrived at any decision, 

 and that is why it was important that I should receive this 

 deputation before the Government have given final shape to 

 their proposals on the subject, and the suggestions which have 

 been made to me will be valuable." 



Mr Fothringham thanked the Chancellor for the kind way 

 in which he had received the deputation. 



THE CHANCELLOR'S BUDGET SPEECH. 



In connection with the foregoing it will be of interest to record 

 that portion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget speech 

 which states the intentions of the Government in regard to the 

 promotion of afforestation. This is reported as follows in the 

 Times : — 



Afforestation. 



"This brings me straight to the question of afforestation. 

 There is a very general agreement that some steps should be 

 taken in the direction, I will not say of afforestation, but of re- 

 afforesting the waste lands of this country. Here, again, we are 

 far behind every other civilised country in the world. I have 

 figures which are very interesting on this point. In Germany, 

 for instance, out of a total area of 133 million acres, 34 millions, 

 or nearly 26 per cent., are wooded ; in France, out of 130 million 

 acres, 17 per cent.; even in a small and densely-populated 

 country such as Belgium 1,260,000 acres are wooded, or 17 per 



