URGENT NEED 65 



of the Timber Control, but also the attention of 

 the Road Board, and representations had been 

 made to the Local Government Board, and he 

 hoped, after due deUberation, they would be able 

 to alter the present machinery and arrive at some 

 reasonable method of dealing with the question, ' 

 either by accepting the damage as part of the war 

 results or by a sUght tonndge charge, so that 

 every one would know what their liabiUty was. At 

 the present time he knew that owners had got their 

 difficulties in getting timber hauled, and so had he. 

 He knew he could not make contracts as well 

 and as favourably as he ought to do because con- 

 tractors were not aware what their UabiHties were, 

 and consequently sometimes they refused to tender 

 altogether, or they would only come on day work, 

 with any question of damage eliminated altogether. 

 Sometimes they said, ' Well, we will have, nothing 

 whatever to do with it,' and so it handicapped the 

 production of the timber which to-day was so 

 essential to meet the country's requirements. 



" The present position, then, in relation to timber 

 suppUes was that we wanted to double our output 

 in 1918. The whole timber resources of this 

 country were wanted, soft wood and hard wood ; 

 at the present time for aU they could produce and 

 put into the market there was an ample demand. 

 In particular, they now wanted ash in order to meet 

 the requirements of the Government for aeroplanes. 

 Landowners had been asked to follow the example 

 of our forefathers, who gave yew to make bows, 

 and give us their ash at a certain price. The 

 appeal was bearing fruit, and they were being 

 offered standing ash at 4s. 6d. per foot cube for the 

 selected butt. Thousands of trees had been offered, 

 and his inspectors were now scouring the country 



