94 transactions of royal scottish arboricultural society. 



Minute of Meeting. 



The discussion which followed the paper was taken part in by 

 all the members present. Mr Robertson raised the question of 

 claims by County Councils for damage caused by extraordinary 

 traffic in transporting timber, and suggested that the Government 

 should deal direct with such claims. Several members referred 

 to cases where County Councils had not waited until damage 

 was done, but had endeavoured to get merchants to bind them- 

 selves to pay a fixed rale per ton in anticipation of damage. 

 Mr Morgan stated a case in Perthshire where id. per ton was 

 demanded for horse haulage, and id. per ton for mechanical 

 haulage. Another case referred to was that of Garth, reported 

 in the newspapers, where it was stated that the County Council 

 had asked 6d. per ton, and the merchant had offered 2d. per ton, 

 to meet anticipated damage. 



The meeting took the view that woods, having borne their 

 proper share of the upkeep of the roads during the long growing 

 period without having been the cause of any appreciable damage, 

 were not liable in damage where the timber was transported over 

 the roads in the ordinary course of utilisation. It was decided 

 that the Secretary should write to the Home-Grown Timber 

 Committee pointing out that, as very large quantities of timber were 

 being transported over roads at present for national purposes, 

 the Government should deal with any claims that might be 

 raised in connection therewith, and that attention should be 

 drawn to the case of Garth above referred to. 



On the subject of labour several members suggested that 

 efforts should be made to get the necessary men brought back 

 from the army so that the existing mills could be fully manned, 

 when the output would be enormously increased. It was 

 mentioned that the Home-Grown Timber Committee was 

 endeavouring to do this. 



Mr Morgan suggested that copse, of which there is a large 

 quantity in the country, might with advantage be utilised for 

 pit-wood. 



Mr Buchanan supported Mr Leven's contention that the fullest 

 possible use should be made of the existing trade organisations and 

 plant, and moved that Mr Leven's two points should be remitted 

 to the Council's Home Timber Committee, with instructions to 

 draw up a detailed scheme as to how they could best be given 

 effect to, and to report. 



