THE CONFERENCE AND DINNER. I 97 



and Parliament makes it impossible for you to get undue profit, 

 that should set aside this ludicrous objection. If there is a desire 

 to tie up methods of purchase in such a way that the landlord 

 shall not immediately benefit, so long as he is not put in a worse 

 position, I shall give that movement my support. I do hope 

 that the weighty words which the distinguished representatives 

 from other countries have said regarding the advantages 

 accruing to the population by methods of afforestation, and 

 the suitability of our soil, will be put on record in our Society's 

 report, and that a copy of that report be sent with the compli- 

 ments of the Society to every single Member of our Parliament." 



The Chairman said : — " We have the advantage of having 

 amongst us to-day two representatives of official bodies. There 

 is Sir William Haldane, representing the Development Com- 

 mission, and also Mr Sutherland, representing the Board of 

 Agriculture for Scotland. Before going further, I should like 

 to ask either of these gentlemen if they have anything to 

 say." 



Sir William Haldane said: — "I came here to listen, not to 

 speak. We in the Development Commission are not a talking 

 body ; we confer in private. We do not appear much in public, 

 and it is quite unusual for me to address such a meeting as 

 this on the topics with which we deal. Although. I came 

 here entirely unprepared to make any statement, I should like 

 to say I have been listening to this most interesting speech from 

 Lord Lovat, and that I am sorry I did not hear the earlier 

 speeches as I could not get here sooner, owing to other engage- 

 ments. Although I do not always see eye to eye in all things 

 with Lord Lovat, I am very glad to find myself in complete 

 agreement with most things he has said to us this afternoon. Of 

 course, I do not refer to the domestic matters of which he spoke. 

 I do not think the Development Commission came in for very 

 much criticism, but other Departments apparently did, and the 

 representative of the Board of Agriculture is here and will be 

 able to speak for the Board, so I do not need to make any 

 reference to that matter. Lord Lovat did make some reference 

 to the Development Commission. We are a body, as you know, 

 which is not sup[)lied with any Executive. We have to deal 

 with applications for financial assistance as they come to us. I 

 see we are referred to as a much abused body. I do not think 

 we are so very much abused, at any rate it does not come much 



