lO 



There may be difference of opinion on that subject, but, for my 

 part, I feel that as things are in Scotland Lord Pentland has 

 come to an essentially right decision in settling that forestry 

 and agriculture should be linked together under one department. 

 At the same time, it must be borne in mind that forestry is not 

 an enterprise which can be run by people who are ignorant 

 of it, and therefore it becomes necessary, as Lord Pentland 

 recognises, that the forestry work of the Department should be 

 conducted through a department devoted to forestry itself. In 

 that decision our Society warmly acquiesces, and our one 

 anxiety is that the Department of Forestry should be independ- 

 ent so as to be able to do its work well. I have no reason to 

 suppose that it will be otherwise. I am quite sure that both 

 Lord Pentland and the Development Commission have been con- 

 sidering this subject in an entirely friendly spirit, and they have 

 shown their willingness to hear at every stage the views of our 

 Society, and have also shown every disposition to attach weight 

 to our views. I therefore hope for a happy outcome from this 

 arrangement, but I do venture to say once more that it is a 

 great matter from the point of view of forestry that the develop- 

 ment of that industry should not be committed to one or two 

 officials, but that it should be in the hands of a thoroughly 

 representative and independent body of men. 



" Now, ladies and gentlemen, I need not trouble you with any 

 further remarks. I simply move the adoption of the reports." 



The reports were adopted. 



Election ok Office-B»arers. 



Mr James Whitton proposed the re-election of Sir John 

 Stirling-Maxwell as President, which was unanimously agreed 

 to. The following were then elected to (ill the other vacancies 

 in the list of Office-Bearers, namely: — Vice-Presidents — Lord 

 LovAT and Mr Charles Buchanan. Councillors — Messrs A. T. 

 Gii.LANDERS, James Whitton, William Davidson, W. H. 

 Massie, Lord Balcarres, M.P., Captain Archibald Stirling 

 of Keir, and Mr A. D. Richardson. The Hon. Secretary, the 

 Secretary and Treasurer, the Hon. Editor, the Auditor, the 

 Honorary Consulting Officials, Local Secretaries and Corres- 

 pondents were re-elected. (For full list of Office-Bearers see 

 Appendix F.) 



