THE CONFERENCE AND DINNER. 215 



that is, it must avoid expensive lawsuits and unnecessary 

 compensation ; (2) It must take full account of existing 

 industries and means of employment, rentals and burdens, and 

 while disturbing these conditions as little as possible, it must 

 provide full compensation for unavoidable disturbance; (3) Its 

 operations must be grouped round suitable forest centres, 

 having special regard to the necessity of attaching to the soil, 

 by well-considered small holdings schemes, the labour which will 

 be required for afforestation ; (4) The last condition must 

 follow the others if they are to receive proper weight, and it is 

 that the scheme must be economically and definitely sound. 

 These conditions are perhaps of the nature of truisms. That 

 cannot be denied for a moment, but they are truisms which 

 cannot be neglected with impunity. They are the result of 

 such thought as I have been able to give to the subject, and 

 of much conversation and consultation with others more 

 qualified than myself to give opinions. It may seem sometimes 

 to us that our advocacy of afforestation is a very thankless, and 

 often a hopeless task, and when we are apt to think so, we 

 should remember the words of a poet who knew and loved 

 Scotland well, words whose inspiration seems to have been 

 drawn from that rocky and deeply indented coast which we 

 visited so lately — 



' For while the tired waves vainly breaking, 

 Seem here no painful inch to gain, 

 Far back, through creeks and inlets making, 

 Comes silent, flooding in, the main.' 



It may be that the tide which has set so strongly against us is 

 even now on the turn. If it be so, I cannot wish for this Society 

 any more useful or more congenial task than that of guiding 

 the flood into the channels which knowledge and experience 

 indicate as leading to success. I thank you very much for the 

 kind way in which you have received this toast." 



Mr Buchanan said: — "The toast which has been put in my 

 hands is that of 'The Lord Provost, Magistrates and Town 

 Council of the City of Edinburgh.' I am sure we are very much 

 indebted to them for their kindness to us to-day. We have 

 visited some of Edinburgh's old historic buildings, as well as its 

 pleasant parks and gardens, and all our foreign and Colonial 

 guests were very much interested in what- they saw. I am sure 

 the present Lord Provost and Magistrates are the right men in 



