178 SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS 



of the timber supplies essential to the industries of 

 this country. We then proceeded to deal with the 

 afforestation problem itself in its various aspects. 



We have seen that, carried out on the proper lines 

 and under the expert guidance of properly qualified 

 men with wide experience, it should, in combination 

 with agriculture, greatly ameliorate the social con- 

 ditions of the people resident in the areas of the 

 country containing the poorer classes of soil. That 

 it should lead to the resettlement on these areas in 

 the future of a larger hardy population, enjoying to 

 the full the amenities of life now demanded by the 

 labourer. 



That, so far as the nation is concerned, commercial 

 forestry will result in the development of one side of 

 its natural resources from which for a century and 

 more but little benefit has been enjoyed. That, in 

 addition, it will result in placing the nation in a posi- 

 tion of security in the matter of its timber supplies in 

 the event of war. It will decrease our total depend- 

 ence on timber imports, and consequently give us 

 some hold on the timber markets, thus eliminating 

 our present position of total dependence on the 

 foreigner. It will keep in the country a portion of 

 the 60,000,000 to 70,000,000 which will have to 

 be paid for these imports. 



The intimate interdependence of Agriculture and 

 Forestry was dealt with, the proper recognition of 

 which, in the interests of the future afforestation 

 schemes, is one of the first magnitude. It was shown 

 that, unless the future afforestation problems are 

 approached from the clearly enunciated basis, that 



