220 THE FORESTRY ACT 



(n) 'The above proposals are framed in the interest of 

 national safety, which requires that more timber should be 

 grown in the British Isles. There remains a further question. 

 The United Kingdom derives more than half its imported 

 timber from virgin forests in foreign countries, which are 

 steadily being depleted. Canada contains the only large 

 reserves within the empire. Unless arrangements can be made 

 with the Dominion Government for the effectual conservation 

 of these reserves, it is inevitable that provision should be made 

 within the British Isles on a far larger scale than is here pro- 

 posed for purposes of defence. We consider that this 

 question should be taken up at once with the Dominion 

 Government.' 



This report contains a vast amount of useful information 

 and should be read by all foresters. It can be obtained 

 through any bookseller from H. M. Stationery Office, and is 

 called ' The Final Report of the Forestry Sub-Committee ' 

 Cd. 8881, published 1918, price one shilling. 



As a result of this report the Forestry Act 1919 was passed 

 and the Forestry Commission was appointed in November, 

 1919, thus for the first time setting up a properly constituted 

 authority to deal with forestry in the United Kingdom. The 

 Forestry Act provides for the appointment of eight Forestry 

 Commissioners, who have full power to appoint and employ 

 such officers as they think necessary. They are charged with 

 the general duty of promoting the interests of forestry and the 

 development of afforestation. They are given power to pur- 

 chase or lease land suitable for afforestation, to grant loans to 

 persons desiring to afforest their own land, to give advice to 

 owners of woods, to carry on woodland industries, to collect 

 statistics, to promote forestry education, and have many 

 other powers and responsibilities. A Forestry Fund is pro- 

 vided for, and a sum of 3, 500,000 is granted for the first ten 

 years' work. 



A copy of the Act can be obtained through any bookseller 



