GOVERNMENT INACTION 33 



in our time-honoured fashion (for it invariably con- 

 tented the majority of us in the past, whatever our 

 attitude may be in the future) by the appointment 

 in 1885 of a Parliamentary Committee to consider 

 ' Whether by the establishment of a Forest School, 

 or otherwise, our woodlands could be rendered more 

 remunerative." 



Now, reflexion will show that there were two 

 parties in the country who had a direct interest in 

 this matter, the Government on the one hand and 

 the proprietors of woods on the other. The interest 

 of the Government in the question can at best be 

 only described as lukewarm. The 1885 Parlia- 

 mentary Committee was, as we shall see, followed 

 by others during the next thirty-five years, but 

 little resulted from the deliberations of these bodies. 

 The Government were satisfied that the country 

 was obtaining all it required in forestry materials 

 by imports, and the Navy still held the command of 

 the seas to safeguard these imports. True, the 

 German bid for sea supremacy was producing 

 serious anxiety towards the end of this period, but 

 the fears thus aroused were not based upon any 

 idea that timber imports were likely to be interfered 

 with. It is doubtful whether the question of an 

 actual interruption of food imports ever crossed 

 the mind of Government or public. The case for 

 the Government is, therefore, understandable, and 

 with the Government we may include the bulk of 

 the public. The other party in the country having 

 a direct interest in forestry matters were the private 

 landowners, who owned between them 97-7 per cent. 



