FORESTRY SUBCOMMITTEE 



supply. In connection with the supply of 

 pit-wood an important consideration is the 

 almost entire dependence of one of our chief 

 industries on the foreign market, for if the 

 supply of pit-wood were by any means stopped, 

 such as a European war or dislocation of rail 

 or shipping, our coal-mines in a very brief 

 period would require to seriously curtail work 

 or shut down altogether. We have no supply 

 of pit- wood to fall back on, or at least our 

 supplies are very limited. The table showing 

 the average annual amount of timber, both 

 converted and unconverted, including pulp 

 of wood, that could be grown in the United 

 Kingdom is interesting reading, though it is 

 open to doubt whether the amounts will ever 

 be realised coniferous in particular. Taking 

 the acreage as 1,750,000 and the expenditure 

 as 15,000,000, this works out at 8 16s. 5d. 

 per acre, which is slightly in advance of 

 the amount we have suggested for many 

 years back, and no doubt brought about 

 by the existing higher rates of wages and 

 materials. 



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