i8o SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIO^fS 



with sufficient safeguards, by way of grants to enable 

 this work to be carried out 



On the subject of the future afforestation schemes, 

 the proposal of the Forestry Sub-Committee of the 

 Reconstruction Committee to afforest an area of 

 1,770,000 acres, at a total cost of £15,000,000, the 

 amount of planting done during the first ten years 

 being limited to 250,000 acres, at a cost of 

 £2,872,500, was discussed. We saw that this scheme 

 was framed during the war, and was based on the 

 national safety margin, estimated for three years' 

 war requirements. 



With the war over, and the League of Nations 

 become a question of practical poUtics, it was shown 

 that there appears to be a case for the reconsideration 

 of the reasons to be placed before the public for the 

 urgency of undertaking the afforestation scheme, 

 and the scale on which it should be <^rried out. 

 And that these should be coupled with a clear 

 realization of our position as regards future timber 

 supplies, a point of serious moment to the industries 

 of this country, * 



It was suggested that the whole matter should 

 be approached from the view-point of the ultimate 

 benefit which would accrue to future generations 

 and to the nation, by initiating a policy on a basis 

 which should make reasonably sure of fulfilling these 

 objects — social and economic. That this aspect of 

 the matter is of greater importance than starting 

 from the rather rigid standpoint of the cost of the 

 undertaking. 



Finally, it was suggested that present generations 



