84 FOEESTS, WOODS, AND TREES 



definite conclusions ; first, that the traditions and customs 

 which have in the past surrounded arbitrations have resulted 

 in excessive awards and excessive costs of arbitration ; and 

 second, that these excessive awards and costs have paralysed 

 the efforts of local authorities in their attempts to administer 

 Acts framed in the interests of public health and otherwise 

 for the general good. 



The first report of the Committee appointed by the 

 Ministry of Reconstruction to deal with the law and 

 practice relating to the acquisition and valuation of land 

 for public purposes was published as Blue Book, Cd. 8998, in 

 January 1918. Its main recommendations are concerned 

 with the simplification of the procedure for compulsory 

 acquisition of land. The Committee acknowledge that 

 " the costs of procedure under the Land Clauses Acts are 

 not infrequently so great as to neutralise financially the 

 advantage of possessing such powers," and they instance 

 cases of exorbitant prices demanded for land from the 

 Admiralty and other Government Departments. " Under 

 the present system, public authorities may well prefer to 

 pay any figure up to double the fair value of the land 

 rather than face the delays and expenses of compulsory 

 acquisition." The valuation of land for public purposes is 

 fully dealt with in the second report by this Committee. 



The history of the afforestation of the various catchment 

 areas throughout the country shows in how fitful a manner 

 and on how small a scale this important civic and national 

 work has been carried out in past years. This furnishes 

 a strong argument for compulsion on the lines suggested 

 above. Mr. Parry writes to me : " I attach great import- 

 ance to the agreement between the Government and the 

 Liverpool Corporation, because it ensures the steady working 

 out of a planting scheme over a large area under permanent 

 conditions of supervision and progress. Any scheme under- 

 taken by a Municipal Corporation, unaided and uncontrolled, 

 is liable to interruption through the changes constantly 

 taking place in the composition of Councils ; and there is 

 also considerable danger of mismanagement." 



