The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-30
II percentage

| England, with a smaller percentages
Of forested area than any other civil
lied country, Is importing enormous
| quantities of wood In various forms
About 30 per cent of all the timber
she uses comes from her colonies or
other countries, and for II she must
| pay yearly some 100000 pounds. The
| United Kingdom, contrary to the gen
eral impression, has a great deal OF
| waste land that could be profitably de-
voted to timber production and made
to supply much of the demand Tor
timber by her varied Industries.
That the necessity for further de-
veiopinE the natural resources Is now
| fully realized by the leading English
Statesmen is strikingly evidenced by
the budget which has recently been In
troduced into the House of Commons.
The Chancellor Of the Exchequer. Mr..
Lloyd George, made a speech of nearly
four and one-half hours in explana-
tion Of the many items and new pro-
visions OF the budget. According to
The London Daily News, this speech
marked q record unparalleled since the
achievement OF Mr.. Gladstone in the
nfties.
In outlining the budgets proposals
for forestation and national develop
ment, the Chancellor said that 1t might
not be the function of the Government
to create work, but that IL Is an essen
tiaI part of It's business to see tnat
the people are equipped to make the
best of their own country, ana, II nec-
essary, help II to do so. A state can
ana ought to take q larger and wider
view Of its investments than indivdu-
ais. The resettlement OF deserted and
IMPOVERISHED parts of its own terri
tories might not bring to its Corners a
direct return which would reimburse
II fully for its expenditure, but the
indirect enrichment OF Its resources
would more than compensate for any
apparent or immediate loss. Any man
who had crossed and recrossed Eng
land from north to south, and from
east TO west must have been perplexed
at finding there was so much waste
ana wilderness possible in such
crowded little island.
"This brings me straight" Mr.. Lloyd
George continued. ito the question of
afforestation. There is a very general
agreement that some steps should be
taken In the direction, ] will not say
OF ADDRESSING, but of reafforesting the
waste land of this country. Here,
again. we are far behind every civilized
country in the world. In Germany, for
instance. out of a total area of 1885,
0oO. 900 acres, 100000, or nearly 20
per cent. are wooded. In France. out
OF 1870, 600, 900 acres. II per cent are
wooded. In the United Kingdom, out
Of 1900, 900 acres. only 100000. or
ner cent, are under wood. The num-
Der OF people directly employed in
forest work in this. country is only
(, coo. and yet the climate and soil OF
this country are Just as well adapted
for the growth Of marketable trees as
those of the estates of Germany
presently we have been favored with
a striking report OF a Royal Commits
sion. which outlines a very comprehen-
stye and far-reaching scheme for plant
ing the wastes OF this country The
systmatic operation which the COM
mission recommends is a gigantic one
and before the Government can be
! committed to It in all its details, It Will
REQUIRE very careful consideration by
a body of experts skilled in forestry
| I am informed that there is good
deal Of preliminary work which ought
| 10 be undertaken before the Govern
ment can safely begin planting on the
large scale indicated in that report.
Il will tell The House what we prn-