AFFORESTATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 408, 18 January 1909, Page 5

AFFORESTATION.

. BRITISH SCHEME./; ■ ■." WINTER WORK FOR 18,000 MEN. TWO MILLIONS LOAN. (BY TELEOBAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION^Or-TF.IO.HT.) (Eco. January 17, 4.45 p.m.) .' London,' January 16. Tho second report of thoßoyal Commission appointed for the purpose declares that State afforestation is practicable and desirable and is capable.of temporarily employing during tho winter months 18,000 unemployed and' of permanently: employing ultimately 90,000. I ;. The. Commission recommends a loan to cover tho annual cost of two. million's. Tho forests, it is estimated, will prove'self-sup-porting after.4o years, and, after 80 years, will yield ai net revenue of 17} millions.;' : The newspapers support the proposal/. '

, ADVANTAGES OF AFFORESTATION. One of the chief values of afforestation for re- ■ lieving the labour market is that it makes its ■ greatest demands upon labour during the winter. The case for afforestation has been set out in. a pamphlet by-Mr. T. Summerbell, M.P., and published by the Independent .Labour party. So far as timber, is concerned, the world has been living greatly on its capital, and not upon its production alone (he says). Vast-areas of forests have been destroyed, or their, produce converted into timber, and conn--tries which have been large exporters are finding tkemseslves to be in danger of shortage for their.own requirements., v.., , ..'...,., According to the Report on' Irish Forestry the aroa under timber- in 1907 in England, was. equal to 5.3 per cent., Scotland•.4.6 per. cent.,. Wales 3.9 per cent., and'lreland only 1.5 per i cent.' Whereas in Austria the'.area under timber'was equal to 32 per. cent;, 27 per : ] cent., France .17 per cent./-Belgium' 17. per cent.,: Germany 26 per. cent., Holland-B'per cent.,; and Denmark 7 per' cent. '" Compared i with other countries, Britain occupies an uu-1 enviable position, a continuance of which cannot he justiaed. . .. ' •■ . ■•■;•.;.•■'; ■ .-".'■ .'. Of the timber Britain imports at the time, 87 per cent, are pine and fir, 3; per cent, oak, and 10 per. cent. tenk. mahogany,;and other, furniture woods. Hence 9.o'per cent;; or 9,oo!i'', \\ tons,, are. material' which :,can be ■produced- in the country, by the afforestation of six or. seven' million acres, of land. The: total value of British. imports to-day cannot bo far short. V .£30,000,000., '.The expenditure, of only: a reason-' able sum. of, this •money at. Home on- afforestation would mean employment for a. considerable number of unemployedin digging, trcnohing, planting','etc. :■'".'"! ;.:;'.''.■'.'' ..,'.. ■.Some; experts are of opinion;that every .1009, acres of added forest .would '■ provide -work-for' about 1G men, representing "a population' of 'SO persons.. 'This is without taking into, account. those .that .would, ultimately be employed in the transport of tlie and in the various industries—chair;-nihlving,-; caftwrighring,' coach building, furniture. m'akihgjVpackirig' box making; the vmaking of bobbins, spools,-','tool-handles, and timber; for'building. trades;'and' ' railway companies—which :. regularly managed woodlands, generally, give rise t0.., ■;;-:;',' "■■ :: '' . It is estimated ithat- 2500 acres of sheep land are looked'afte'r'by one shepherd, whereas under forestry oho'man to,about 100 acres.would fie employed;'or, in other words,.2o men in place of! one. "The estimates' do not,"vary'to.ahy great extent, and nil go to-mWe that' on an eduquate scale will provide-a great deal of employment, and. that is*ono of its .principal advantages to,a;country. ':.:.'' ; ;' ■ .As to .how much.land, there is' available for afforestation, the agricultural. returns: for 1900' give thefollowing information:—England'has- ■ 2,37l,ooo''acres of mountain ,and' .heath;'..land used for grazing; -Wales, l,2SS;O0O acres;' ScoW landp:9,oßS,eoo • acres;:,'and'-..-.lreland,;.; ,2.241,000, acres; giving a. grand total ;of 1<1;922,000, ncres. 'avnilable'.for. the purp6se.", ; ln.addition to tliis;; there,is an additional area in Ireland of, bbg; : marsh,, barren mountainilanfl, J : wastd: | .etc.,-''of. oyer 2,000,000 acres, fully 'one-third of-,whiqli, • might :be profitably, used for the. purpose' of timber, growing! Great quantities-of., similar ■'land in England,' Wales 'and' Scotland.also exist., The' • land, therefore,. ''abounds.- in plenty; ,and seeing tjiatmuchof it'is at;pr'eseiit let Ml' sums 'varying:from'ls. to 2s.;'6d. per;acre, it'willhot -be seriously argued' that it!could not,be.,more, profitably .put to a better use.' ' ; / :..' ■';[■■■■