第81部分(第2/7 頁)

ee　forests　of　great　value。　Needless　to　say　it　was　not　adopted；　it’s　fate　was　the　fate　of　my　Land　Settlement　Report；　minus　the　appointment　of　a　mittee　to　“knock　the　bottom　out　of　it。”　The　fact　is　that　the　venture　was　too　sound　and　quiet　to　be　undertaken　by　a　Government　of　party　men　who　look　for　immediate　political　reward　rather　than　to　the　welfare　of　the　country　forty　or　fifty　years　hence；　especially　when；　as　was　likewise　the　case　in　my　Land　Settlement　Report；　the　immediate　finding　of　large　sums　of　money　is　involved。

Also　the　inevitable　critics　arose。　Gentlemen　who　thought　that　they　ought　to　have　been　on　the　mission；　gentlemen　who　thought　that　they　ought　to　have　been　called　as　witnesses；　gentlemen　who　honestly　disagreed；　shouted　aloud　in　the　accustomed　chorus；　and　in　the　end　the　thing　was　practically　dropped。　Which　is　a　pity；　for　it　would　have　worked　well　in　the　long　run　and　proved　of　great　benefit　to　the　United　Kingdom　in　those　ing　days　when　the　timber　supplies　of　the　world　will　run　short。　Also　it　would　have　given　a　great　deal　of　employment　on　land　which　now　uses　but　little　labour。　However；　I　did　not　feel　its　failure　in　the　same　way　as　I　had　felt　that　of　my　one…man　Report；　since　now　I　shared　the　responsibility　with　about　a　score　of　distinguished　persons　who　had　unanimously　made　our　futile　remendations　to　the　Crown。　It　was　one　more　piece　of；　to　all　appearances；　wasted　work；　that　was　all。　I　must　say　I　do　not　wonder　that　many　officials　bee　slack　and　remain　well　content　to　do　as　little　as　they　can；　seeing　what　are　the　results　which　overtake　those　ardent　spirits　who　show　themselves　guilty　of　trop　de　zele。　Cold　shoulders　and　rapped　knuckles；　these　are　their　portion。

After　the　funeral　of　our　Afforestation　scheme　we　proceeded　to　examine　more　coasts。　I　wonder　if　th