44 



Land Available for Afforestation, [april, 



other drink, and the farmers who had given up the practice 

 find a difficulty in getting this class of labour. Mr. Bund 

 instanced a case where 400 hop-pickers struck work because 

 they were to get nothing to drink. He was dubious about 

 this class of labourer taking to a system by which they would 

 get no drink. A good many of them came out for a holiday 

 and looked forward to this form of enjoyment. Mr. Bund 

 said he objected to the practice in toto because it encouraged 

 drinking habits, and in the case of seasonal labourers he 

 thought it was also desirable in the interests of social order 

 that the practice should be stopped. 



The Committee observe, in reviewing this evidence, that 

 the law cannot touch cases in which cider is bona-fide given 

 by the farmer to his labourers as a free gift, but it would no 

 doubt be desirable if the law could be strengthened so as to hit 

 cases in which, by a secret understanding between the parties, 

 cider is given as part of the remuneration of labour. The 

 Committee state that they have considered whether any simple 

 amendment of the law could be made which would effect this, 

 but they regret that no satisfactory solution has been found. 

 Mr. Willis Bund suggested to the Committee that wherever 

 less than the current rate of wage is given the onus should 

 be on the employer to prove that he did not give anything 

 else to make up the wage, but the Committee think that there 

 would be considerable difficulty in framing any statutory pro- 

 vision to this effect. 



In conclusion, they observe that the custom appears to be 

 gradually dying out, and the only remedy perhaps is the 

 vigorous enforcement of the law by the police. 



The Royal Commission on Coast Erosion and Afforesta- 

 tion having had before them the recommendation of the 

 Departmental Committee on Forestry 

 Area of land tnat a surve y should be made with the 

 available for view of obtaining " an accurate esti- 

 Afforestation. mate of the amount of waste lands 

 which might be considered suitable for 

 planting," suggested that the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries should "by means of qualified agents, specially 

 appointed, cause inquiries to be made in certain selected 



