CONCLUSION. 235 



SUMMARY. 



In summing up the position as regards the progress made 

 in introducing systematic and economic forestry into the 

 British Empire, it may be said that only India has definitely 

 and satisfactorily grappled with the forest question, that 

 South Africa and the Straits Settlements are on the right 

 path, that some of the other colonies, like Ceylon and various 

 parts of Africa, are doing something, but that Canada and 

 Australia are much behindhand. And yet the two last 

 mentioned are the two countries which are best capable of 

 providing the great quantity of imports into the Empire of 

 timber of general utility. These have now risen to a value 

 of £22,000,000 a year, and the annual increase of imports 

 has, of late years, amounted to about £1,000,000. Apart 

 from the fact that supplies from foreign countries will fail us 

 as time goes on, would it not be wise to keep this large sum 

 of money in the Empire thus providing a considerable amount 

 of extra work? 



Surely the time has come, or rather it came some time 

 ago, for a more vigorous forest policy on rational lines 

 throughout the Empire. The question is, no doubt, beset 

 by great difticulties, but where there is a will there is also 

 a way. Above all, let Canada and Australasia consider a 

 little more seriously than up to date the splendid example 

 set to them by India, where, in spite of equally great diffi- 

 culties, the preservation of the State forests has been placed 

 on a safe basis for the everlasting benefit of the people of that 

 country and of the Indian Exchequer. 



