196 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



they could deliver Scots pine sleepers at an equivalent or less 

 price than foreign sleepers, and in sufficient quantities. Since 

 Mr Brown had spoken he had made a small calculation which 

 went to show that the 750,000 mentioned was a very small 

 quantity compared with the consumption, and that if anything 

 was to be done a business proposition must be put forward. 

 He also emphasised the fact that it was apparently necessary to 

 have a method of dealing centrally with the timber. 



Mr M'CosH here stated that his company were on the 

 look out just now for 250,000 sleepers and would purchase 

 these from home merchants on the same terms as from 

 foreign merchants. Mr Jones asked if they would give equal 

 prices, and he also asked whether they would take the sleepers 

 free on rail at any point on their system or would insist on 

 deliveries at their depots. Mr M'Cosh did not commit himself 

 definitely on these points. 



Mr Milne Home spoke from personal experience of the 

 supply which could be got from the South of Scotland, and 

 said that they could not of course give as large supplies as 

 the North or Centre of Scotland. At the same time this 

 question was far more important to the South of Scotland 

 than elsewhere, and if instead of the present price they could 

 get a better price a very fair supply of sleepers could be got 

 from the South of Scotland, whereas at present there were 

 none at all being supplied as the timber was being used for 

 other purposes. 



Mr M'Cosh stated that the railway companies were asking 

 for home timber from time to time, and he appealed for 

 organisation which would enable larger supplies to be made 

 available. 



Mr Sydney J. Gammell of Drumtochty was called upon 

 by Captain Stirling to put the case before the railway 

 companies' representatives in a concrete form. Mr Gammell 

 stated that he did not think he could do more than consolidate 

 the statements made by the other delegates after the exhaustive 

 way the subject had been dealt with by them. He entirely 

 endorsed what had been said by Captain Stirling, that any 

 proposition must be made from a business point of view. 

 The Societies represented did not pretend that it was possible 

 for their members to supply all the railway sleepers required, 

 but believed that there was a considerable quantity of home 



