Great Britain's Afforestation Scheme. 53 



suppose that the remaining lowland areas on such farms could 

 not either be adapted to other forms of agriculture, or could not 

 in many cases be profitably utilized for small holdings. The 

 acquisition of grazing areas, private or common, shoiild present 

 no difficulty which cannot be satisfied by arbitration and reason- 

 able compensation. 



11. Incidental — Afforestation creates a new industry. It 

 does not compete with private enterprise. The conversion of 

 comparatively unprofitable lands into forests enhances the 

 productiveness of the adjacent areas, and should promote the 

 development of the small holdings movement. More than an}- 

 other apparent remedy, afforestation will stem the tide of rural 

 depoptdation. 



Recommendations of the Commission. 



In view of the foregoing conclusions, the Commissioners 

 recommend that : — 



1. Parliamentary powers be obtained to — 



(a) Appoint Commissioners charged with the duty of carry- 

 ing out a national scheme of afforestation. 



(b) Vest in them power to survey and determine what land 

 falls under a statutory definition of "suitability," and to acquire 

 such land as from time to time may be required for afforestation 

 or purposes incidental thereto. 



(c) Equip the Commissioners with compulsory powers for 

 the acquisition of such land on the precedent of the Small 

 Holding Act, 1907, so far as applicable, subject to the reservation 

 of certain rights to private owners. 



(d) Authorize the Treasury to grant the Commissioners an 

 annual free loan for the necessary period. 



2. (a) The Commissioners should prepare a general scheme 

 of afforestation for the whole of the contemplated area, extend- 

 ing over the entire period of rotation. 



(b) An actuarial statement should be supplied by them to 

 the Treasury indicating when and in what manner the loan and 

 interest would be repaid. 



(c) The afforestable area should be divided into convenient 

 sub -districts. 



(d) Work should be commenced in each or as many as con- 

 venient of the districts in such a way as to provide that the 

 earlier operations, which may be regarded as experimental, 

 should be capable of determination or of forming part of the 

 complete forest scheme for each district. 



The signatures appended are those of all the members of 

 the Royal Commission, namely: — 



The Hon. Ivor C. Guest, M.P. (Chariman). 

 Sir Wm. H. Browne Ffolkes, Bart. 



