28 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAI. SCOTTISH ARBORICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



3. Official Notifications. 



I. Statement by the Development Commission in regard 

 TO State-aided Afforestation. 



The Development Commissioners, who for some time past 

 have been in communication with the Government Departments 

 concerned in regard to schemes of afforestation of a national 

 character, have meanwhile drawn up the following statement 

 for the guidance of Local Authorities who may contemplate 

 applying for State-aid in carrying out schemes of afforestation 

 on areas under their control : — 



(i) The Development Commissioners will be prepared, 

 pending the completion of any general schemes for this 

 purpose by the English Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, 

 and by the Departments of Agriculture in Scotland and Ireland, 

 to consider applications, which, in the first instance, need not 

 be in great detail, from Local Authorities or other responsible 

 bodies, for assistance in the afforestation of water-catchment 

 areas or other suitable areas under their control, with a view 

 to ascertaining whether the schemes put forward are of public 

 utility and likely to prove remunerative either directly or 

 indirectly. 



(2) The Commissioners consider it is important that such 

 afforestation schemes as may be brought to their notice should 

 be inquired into without delay in order to ascertain, by means 

 of a flying survey, whether the above-mentioned conditions are 

 likely to be fulfilled. They consider that any detailed scheme 

 following thereon should provide, with due regard to economy 

 and efficiency, for varying the extent of the operations prescribed 

 from year to year, and that such variation should be governed by 

 the effect of the afforestation works on employment, and should 

 be arranged in relation to the state of the labour market and 

 to the aggregate demand for labour in the United Kingdom, 

 as reflected in the Board of Trade's index number of un- 

 employment, or otherwise. 



(3) Provided that approved schemes for afforestation are 

 carried out in accordance with expert advice, and that the 

 work is open at all times for inspection, and the areas made 

 available, if required, for purposes of education, research and 



