376 Great Britain. 



whitewashed the administration and reported that 

 the management was satisfactory. 



These committees, as well as an earlier one, 

 in 1885, were also to recommend measures for 

 the advancement of forestry. They laid in their 

 recommendations the main stress upon education, but 

 no action followed, and it can be said that the govern- 

 ment has never done anything for the advancement 

 of forestry in the home country, whatever it may have 

 done for the dependencies. A Departmental Com- 

 mittee again reported in 1902 with all sorts of recom- 

 mendations, which have remained unheeded. 



The interests of forestry as far as the government 

 is concerned are at present committed to the Board of 

 Agriculture, an unwieldy body created in 1889, from 

 which this Departmental Committee was appointed. 

 There is now, however, a strong movement on foot, led 

 by foresters returned from India, to commit the gov- 

 ernment to some action with reference to the waste 

 lands, and towards providing for educational means. 



Another committee, appointed in 1908 to enquire 

 into prospects of afforestation in Ireland, reported in 

 favor of acquiring 300,000 acres of wood and 700,000 

 acres of unplanted land, dwelling especially on the 

 benefit to be secured by providing employment and 

 a check upon emigration of the rural population. 

 Instead of acting upon this proposition the 

 government directed the Royal Commission on 

 Coast Erosion, which had issued its first report in 

 1907, to suspend its inquiry into the inroads of the 

 sea and apply themselves to the inquiry as to 

 "whether in connection with unclaimed lands or 



