THE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND FORESTRV. I I 



and if the afforestation is carried out on a plan approved by the 

 State. 



Meanwhile the Commissioners were being urged to deal 

 immediately with applications from local authorities for 

 assistance in afforesting their watershed areas or other land 

 in their possession, and for grants towards the purchase of land 

 suitable for planting. The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries 

 were preparing schemes by which, in the Board's opinion, the 

 object of those applications would probably be met so far as 

 might be considered desirable. But it appeared at least possible 

 that for some time no general scheme would be ready which 

 would enable the Commissioners to dispose of applications of 

 this character, and it was thought likely that some of the 

 municipalities concerned might desire to prepare a plan of 

 operations against a possible increase of unemployment in their 

 districts. The Commissioners felt, therefore, that they would 

 not be justified in deferring any longer the consideration of 

 local schemes, and in order to make clear their attitude towards 

 applications from local authorities, the Commissioners decided 

 at their meeting last March to issue a public notice of their 

 views, to the effect that they will be prepared to consider 

 applications from local authorities, or other responsible bodies, 

 for assistance in the afforestation of water-catchment areas or 

 other suitable areas under their control. i 



At the end of the year, the Commissioners were considering 

 applications from the following local authorities : — 



(i) The Torquay Town Council, for an advance in aid of a 

 scheme of afforestation on their water-catchment area 

 at Dartmoor. 



(2) The Carnarvonshire County Council, for a grant of 



^2^2830 for purposes of afforestation on their Madryn 

 Castle estate. 



(3) The Carmarthen County Council, for a grant of ^4000 



towards the cost of afforesting Crown and Common 

 lands within the county. 



Before they leave this subject, there is one point which they 

 wish to make clear. In proposing that the extent of the 

 afforestation work undertaken by the local authorities should 

 vary according to its effect on unemployment, and should be 

 arranged in relation to the state of the labour market and 

 the aggregate demand for labour in the United Kingdom, the 

 Commissioners do not contemplate that the authorities should 

 utilise the services of unemployed casual labourers. They are 

 not prepared to say that such a measure is compatible with 

 good and economical forestry ; if a local authority chooses to 



^ While thi.s report was in preparation the Commis.sioners is.sued the public 

 notice printed on p. 28. 



