II 



heavy one. No one who has any acquaintance with its affairs 

 can doubt that Mr Munro Ferguson has done more than 

 probably any one individual on behalf of this Society. Whether 

 it is by the example he set as a landowner in showing the 

 best possible practice in his own woods, whether in his place in 

 Parliament, or as a member of Committees and Commissions, 

 Mr ]Munro Ferguson has worked without ceasing to try to put 

 forestry into the position which it ought to occupy among the 

 industries of this country. I am quite sure that you will all join 

 with me in wishing to the new Governor-General and Lady 

 Helen Munro Ferguson a safe journey to Australia, a happy 

 and prosperous tenure of office, and a safe return to this country. 



" Turning for one moment to the report read by the Secretary, 

 on the whole we can congratulate ourselves on a sound position. 

 The membership shows a slight increase, and as Mr M'Hattie 

 has said it is quite to be expected we have not yet reached the 

 limit of our expansion. Year by year more interest is taken in 

 afforestation, and that fact, I think, ought to bring us fresh 

 members. We ought not to be content with our present 

 membership. We should aim at obtaining more, and I hope 

 this year, when the Society will be thoroughly advertised by the 

 fact of its Diamond Jubilee celebrations, we shall be successful in 

 increasing our membership even above the high figure at which 

 it stands at present. 



" On the events of the year there is really very little to say. 

 What I have to say as to the negotiations with the Government 

 Departments I shall leave entirely to the afternoon. I would refer 

 for one moment to the joint deputation which was sent early in 

 the year from this Society and the Landowners' Co-operative 

 Forestry Society to the railway companies with regard to the 

 prices for timber used for railway sleepers. We did not receive 

 at the time any great promises, but that deputation has had an 

 undoubted result. Better prices are actually being given for 

 sleepers than in the past, and I think we ought to be very glad 

 indeed that our representations have had such good effect. 

 This question is one really for timber merchants and for 

 proprietors to tackle together. Their interests are absolutely 

 one and the same. As long as you get owners selling below 

 the proper value of timber, you will get timber merchants putting 

 in offers below cost price for railway sleepers and for other 

 purposes. We have got by joint action to determine that timber 



