AFFORESTATION OF CATCHMENT AREAS 81 
ditions suggested, the method of assistance by grants, but 
was of opinion that the amount of grant per acre should be 
higher. He considered the proceeds-sharing scheme pro- 
posed in the Report to be less favourable than the Liverpool 
agreement referred to above, and to be surrounded by con- 
ditions which he would not advise any local authority to 
accept. In his opinion it would be a partnership with all 
the power and authority in the hands of one partner. 
Preferably the Forest Authority should be allowed to take 
over the whole business and pay the local authority a fair 
rent for the use of the land. 
Various subsidiary arguments may be adduced in favour 
of planting these gathering grounds. Water power will be 
available, by which the successful working of the forest may 
be greatly helped. Saw-mills and wood-working machinery, 
driven directly by water power or by electric motors, would 
contribute to the profitable utilisation of the trees by the 
conversion of the timber to marketable sizes and by the 
production of wood pulp, matches, wooden implements, and 
other articles. At the end of the war, when large numbers 
of soldiers will be disbanded, immediate work would be 
found for men accustomed to rural labour if Corporations 
were called upon to begin at once the afforestation of their 
water catchment areas. Planting work is carried out in 
winter, when labour is less needed in building and other 
trades. It is supposed to be the intention of the Govern- 
ment to proceed at once with large afforestation schemes 
as soon as peace is declared; but the acquisition of the 
necessary land in sufficiently large blocks from private 
owners will take up much time in preliminary surveys 
and negotiations. No scheme sufficiently attractive to 
induce private landowners to co-operate vigorously in the 
planting of large tracts has yet been devised. In the case 
of land owned by Corporations there need arise no diffi- 
culty in starting this useful national work and establishing 
as soon as possible a timber reserve in these islands. 
Mr. George Baxter, C.E., says that the main difficulty at 
present in Scotland is the want of powers by the Corporations 
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