DEPUTATION TO THE RIGHT HON. T. M'KINNON WOOD. 9 



makers. You have them also employed in various forest 

 industries. You see then that this gives great scope for the 

 people of a district. Thirdly, in winter, when other employment 

 on the land is scarce, the forest demands a larger supply of 

 labour, and this labour is highly paid. For example, a typical 

 wood-cutter in Germany earns 4s. a day during five or six 

 months of the winter. The following is a concrete example : 

 a forest of 10,000 acres, with 3000 acres occupied by small 

 holders attached. Such an area in the Highlands of Scotland 

 would support at the most about 300. This area in question 

 actually supports a population of 1500 in Germany. In 1907 

 81 per cent, of the persons employed in forestry were 

 small holders. We see then that forestry forms the backbone 

 of an economic system of smallholdings. In 1907 the Prussian 

 Government spent ;!^2oo,ooo in forests. In the same year the 

 Bavarian Government spent ;^ioo,ooo. 



" In this connection one should not lose sight of the fact that 

 in forestry it is large areas which are truly economic, and this I 

 may say is clearly demonstrated upon the Continent of Europe. 

 The objection to small areas is that they do not give the same 

 amount of employment, nor give the same permanency. They 

 do not provide the same amount of timber, and the manage- 

 ment of small areas is much more difficult and more costly. 



"These few observations would seem to show that in any 

 economic system of land holdings, especially when dealing with 

 poor land, the forest is of prime importance." 



Mr M'Hattie said : — " I think Mr Gordon pretty well touched on 

 the question of the small holder ; but there has been a mistaken 

 idea in the mind of the small holder himself in regard to forestry. 

 The small holder has a fear that his land would be planted. 

 The Society has always held that all land suitable for culture 

 should be occupied for that purpose, and not planted. Being 

 a Highland man I have always taken a great interest in these 

 matters and have studied the question very fully, and there is no 

 doubt at all that we would be able to utilise the small holder 

 in the woods, both he and his horses. If the forest belonged to 

 the Government and you had a continuity of policy, the crofter's 

 security would be ample and he would therefore be able to 

 get constant employment." 



Mr M'Kinnon Wood. — "Are you suggesting that the Govern- 

 ment should buy land?" 



