14 * Studies in Forestry [CHAP. i. 



The second Committee was appointed in 1889 ( to inquire 

 into the Administration of the Department of the Woods and 

 Forests and Land Revenues of the Crown] and duly delivered 

 itself of a somewhat lengthy report on July 30, 1890, which 

 terminated as follows : 



' The Committee are of opinion that on the whole the estates are carefully 

 administered, and that the Commissioners discharge their duties faith- 

 fully and efficiently.' 



This certainly does not tally with the previous finding of the 

 Forestry Committee, that 



' The woodlands belonging to the State are comparatively small, though 

 even, as regards them, the difference between skilful and unskilled manage- 

 ment would itself more than repay the cost of a forest school? 



From the evidence adduced before the Forestry Committee 

 it is impossible to deny the truth of the latter statement, and 

 therefore we must look for some explanation of this glaring 

 discrepancy. It is to be found in the fact that the inquiry 

 into the administration of the Crown Woods and Forests and 

 Land Revenues was not at all a satisfactory one, so far as the 

 national Woods and Forests were concerned. 



The chief Crown appointments with regard to the adminis- 

 tration of the actual Woods and Forests are the following : 



Salaries. Allowances. Total. 



One of the two Commissioners of Woods 1200 1200 



Deputy Surveyor, New Forest, &c. . . 680 369 1049 



Dean Forest, &c. . . 550 304 854 



( Windsor Parks and ) 



I Woods I 5 340 840 



Surely the manner in which appointments are made to these 

 chief administrative and executive posts must have enormous 

 influence on the administration itself? Had any body of 

 purely business-men been put to the task of satisfying them- 

 selves as to the real nature of the administration of these 

 valuable public estates, they would undoubtedly have asked 

 each of these fortunate public servants what professional educa- 

 tion or qualifications he had obtained previous to receiving 



