A.—6

Empire Cotton-growing Corf oration : — (b) " The Conference notes with pleasure the success attending the activities of the Empire Cotton-growing Corporation, and commends to the favourable notice of the respective Governments the steps which the corporation is taking to co-operate with the administrative and agricultural departments concerned in the promotion of cotton-growing within the Empire." Empire Marketing Board : — (c) " The Conference notes with satisfaction the attention given by the Empire Marketing Board, in addition to its other activities, to the encouragement of scientific research into the problems of Empire agriculture ; and approves the general principle adopted by the Board, wherever possible, of making financial grants for research conditional on proportionate contributions from other sources. " The Conference, in particular, expresses its cordial approval of the project envisaged by the Board of fostering a chain of research stations situated in appropriate centres in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the Empire, and commends this project to the sympathetic consideration of Governme"nts, institutions, and private benefactors throughout the Empire." Imperial Institute:— (d) " The Conference approves the steps taken to carry out the recommendations of the Imperial Economic Conference of 1923* for the reorganization of the Imperial Institute, and expresses its satisfaction at the progress which has been made since the reorganization." XX. FORESTRY. Another sub-committee of the Conference was set up, presided over by the Chairman of the Forestry Commission in London (Lord Lovat), to report upon Empire forestry questions. The sub-committee pointed out that the available world supplies of the principal timbers of commerce, and especially of softwoods, which constitute 80 per cent, of the wood used for industrial purposes, are rapidly approaching exhaustion. For this reason, as well as on internal social and economic grounds, it is of the utmost importance that the various countries of the Empire should take effective measures for maintaining, and where possible extending, their forest areas under a system of management based on sustained production of timber. The importance that afforestation schemes may have in relation to Empire settlement should also not be overlooked. The holding of Empire Forestry Conferences has become an established practice, and the sub-committee recommended that approval should be given to the preliminary arrangements for the third such Conference to be held in Australia and New Zealand in 1928. At this meeting are to be considered, in addition to matters concerning forest policy, timber supply and consumption, and forestry technique, the question of further research in the Empire in regard to forest products, and also that of establishing an Imperial Forestry Bureau to act as a clearinghouse for information of all kinds. The sub-committee expressed appreciation of the valuable work already done by the Empire Forestry Association, and by the Imperial Forestry Institute which was established at Oxford in 1924 to undertake the higher training of forest officers. On the recommendation of the sub-committee the Conference adopted the following resolution : — " The Conference, appreciating the importance of forestry to the Empire as a whole and to its constituent parts, — " (a) Takes favourable note of recent developments of effective organization within the Empire as exemplified by the Standing Committee on Empire Forestry, the Imperial Forestry Institute, and the Empire Forestry Association, and draws special attention to the need for co-operation in all lines of forest research :

* For these recommendations see A.-6a., 1924, p. 252.

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