THE LABOUR QUESTION GENERALLY. 27 



would lessen the emigration from the country into the large 

 cities. This emigration has gradually developed, until it has 

 become a calamity ; it can only be cured gradually by providing 

 more work in the country. 



4. The Labour Question Generally. 



And this brings me to the labour question generally. If 

 afforestation were undertaken on a large scale, there is no 

 reason why five or six million acres should not gradually be 

 brought under wood, thus producing the bulk of the ordinary 

 timber required by the country. Every acre afforested would 

 require an expenditure on labour of, say, 2 for planting. After 

 the forests have been established, every acre would require 

 about five days labour a year, or a total of thirty million days 

 for the work in the forests. Then there is the large business 

 of transport and working up the timber, as well as the various 

 industries which would spring up. On the whole, I estimate 

 that not less than a population of two and a half million 

 people would find additional work in the country, counting 

 five members for each family. 



There is yet another point of great importance. I have 

 already indicated that most forest work can be done in 

 winter, when agricultural work is slack ; hence, the two kinds 

 of work can be made to fit in with each other, and thus make 

 available more labour for agriculture during summer. This 

 would be an inestimable benefit for agriculture, which is at 

 present so short of labourers. 



Nor must we overlook the beneficial effect which work in 

 the open country would have upon the physical condition of 

 the people. We have heard a good deal of late about physical 

 deterioration. Surely, a measure which enables a larger pro- 

 portion of the nation to live under the healthy conditions of a 

 country life must be welcomed by, and commend itself to, 

 all who would wish to improve the physical condition of the 

 people. 



