Kenya E. Battiscombe, Conservator of Forests. Ceylon R. M. White, B.A., D.F., Deputy Conservator of Forests. Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States G. E. S. Cubitt, Conservator of Forests. British Guiana L. S. Hohenkerk, Forestry Officer, Department of Lands and Mines. Canada, Dominion— E. H. Finlayson, B.Sc.F., Acting Director of Forestry. British Columbia P. Z. Caverhill, B.S.F., Chief Forester, Provincial Forest Service. New Brunswick— G. H. Prince, B.S.F., Chief Forester, Provincial Forest Service. Nova Scotia J. A. Knight, K.C., Commissioner of Forests and Game. Ontario E. J. Zavitz, M.S.F., Provincial Forester. Quebec G. C. Piché, M.F., Chief of Forest Service. Honorary Delegates: Mr. A. Bedard, M.F., Assistant Chief of Forest Service, Quebec, Dean of Laval Forest School. Mr. Robson Black, Manager, Canadian Forestry Association. Mr. W. C. Cain, Deputy Minister of Lands and Forests, Ontario. Mr. Roland D. Craig, B.S.A., F.E., Forest Resources Specialist, Mr. M. A. Grainger, President, Canadian Society of Forest C. D. Howe, Ph.D., Dean of Faculty of Forestry, University of Lieut.-Colonel T. G. Loggie, Deputy Minister of Lands and Mr. G. R. Naden, Deputy Minister of Lands, British Columbia. Mr. Ellwood Wilson, Chief, Forestry Department, Laurentide (Thirty-Seven Associate Delegates also attended some or all of the Sessions.) APPENDIX III. REPORT OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE FORESTRY CONFERENCE (1923). Report of the Committee appointed "to review the report of the Education Committee of the British Empire Forestry Conference in 1920 and the subsequent Interdepartmental Committee of 1921, and to consider in the existing circumstances how the recommendations of these committees can be adapted to meet the wants of the Empire with regard to post-graduate and research courses. The Committee begs to report as follows: 1. It may be well to begin by briefly recapitulating the steps previously taken in regard to the matter. As a result of the resolution passed by the 1920 Conference (Resolution No. 9) and of the report to that Conference (Appendix C) an Interdepartmental Committee, representing the India Office, the Colonial Office and the Forestry Commission, with Professor J. B. Farmer as an independent scientific member, was set up, "to prepare a scheme for giving effect to the resolution of the British Empire Forestry Conference with regard to a central institution for training forest officers . . . The report of this Committee was issued in February 1921 (Command Paper 1166). Subsequently negotiations were entered into between the Colonial Office and the Forestry Commission with a view to guaranteeing sufficient funds to start the institution and to maintain it for five years in the first instance, whether the Government of India found itself able to co-operate or not. It was decided that the bulk of the necessary funds should be guaranteed by the Forestry Commission and the various colonies and protectorates with important Forestry Departments, as they would be more directly concerned with the institution than would the self-governing Dominions. So far as the colonies and protectorates went, the idea met with unanimous approval, and all the Governments concerned were at that time prepared to make the necessary contribution, except in the case of Kenya, who were unable to subscribe until their financial position had improved. Unfortunately, however, the Imperial Treasury were unable, for the time being, to authorise the necessary expenditure on the part of the Forestry Commission or on the part of certain African protectorates who were in receipt of a grant in aid from the Imperial Exchequer and whose expenditure was in consequence subject to Treasury approval. The proposal, therefore, had to be temporarily dropped. 2. We desire emphatically to endorse the view held by the 1920 Conference that a central institution of this kind is required in the interests of forestry within the Empire. We greatly regret that the setting up of such an institution has had to be postponed, and we urge most strongly that steps be taken to start it without delay. 3. We endorse the action taken in setting up the Interdepartmental Committee referred to above, and we agree with the modifications which, on further inquiry, that Committee found it necessary to make in the recommendations of the 1920 Conference. 4. In view of the somewhat partial support which the idea of a central institution received in 1921 at the hands of the self-governing Dominions and the Australian States, we have been at particular pains to ascertain how such an institution could now be made of the greatest value in meeting the varied and special needs of forestry in the self-governing Dominions. As a result we are of the opinion that, given sufficient staff, the institution could make itself of great value to the Dominions, both by providing advanced post-graduate training for future forest officers who have received suitable preparatory training in their own Dominion, and also by providing the necessary post-graduate training for specialists and research officers. In the latter connection we draw attention to the difficulty of obtaining well-trained forest entomologists for Canada. We are informed that under present conditions there are no suitable facilities for obtaining the necessary advanced training in Forest Entomology such as is required for the higher positions in the Government service. We have received evidence from representatives of all the selfgoverning Dominions expressing strong approval of the setting up of such an institution, although in the case of Australia it is doubtful whether the forestry training at present available in that commonwealth is sufficiently advanced to fit students for undertaking the post-graduate courses. This objection will no doubt be removed in course of time. 5. It is also possible that the Government of India may wish to make use of a central institution, both for the post-graduate training of selected graduates from the forest school of Dehra Dun and for "refresher" and "special" courses for selected officers, who have done some years' service. 6. We have carefully examined the report of the Interdepartmental Committee on Imperial Forestry Education and find ourselves in general agreement with its recommendations. (a.) As regards finance and staff, we do not consider that we have at our disposal the necessary information on which to base detailed recommendations. Details of this nature must be left for discussion by the departments principally concerned, and between them and the Board of Control of the institution, when it is set up. At the same time we feel confident that if the central institute could be set up under good management and endowed with sufficient funds to make an effective start, it would rapidly justify its existence and would develop, as time went on, attracting an increased measure of support and extending its sphere of usefulness, particularly in the direction of providing for the individual needs of specialist research students, a branch of its activities in which we believe there will be an increased demand as the various forest departments of the Empire develop. We are fully aware of the financial difficulties of the time, and we wish to emphasise our desire that the institution should be started. as early as possible-provided always that a sufficient sum can be guaranteed to ensure efficiency—even if it is not possible at first to raise the full amount of money which would be desirable. (b.) With regard to the qualifications to be demanded of proba. tioners entering the institution and with special reference to paragraph 8 of the report (co-ordination of University courses), we fully agree with the principle that a common standard of previous training is highly desirable. At the same time we feel that if the institution is to fulfil its role as a centre of post-graduate training, adapted to meet the need of the different portions of the Empire, a considerable degree of flexibility in its regulations as to admission will probably be found necessary. In the circumstances we consider that, while a common standard of previous training should be aimed at in course of time, the qualifications to be demanded of the various probationers must be left to the decision of the department or government which selects them; provided always that the standard of such qualification must be sufficiently high to enable them to take due advantage of the course provided by the institution without retarding the progress of the other students. Points of difficulty should be capable of settlement between the Board of Control and the department concerned. The admission of private students to the institution would be subject to the decision of the Board of Control. (c.) We endorse the recommendation of the Committee with regard to the association of research with the educational function of the institution, and we recommend that close liaison should be maintained between the institution and other centres of forest research in order to prevent overlapping and to ensure co-ordination of effort. 7. We wish to draw attention to a function of the institution to which we attach great importance, and which seems hardly to have received the attention it deserves. We believe that the association of forest officers from different parts of the Empire when attending "special" or "refresher" courses cannot fail to be of great benefit to all concerned. Much light may be thrown on the problems to be dealt with in one part of the Empire by experience gained elsewhere. As things are, the experience of forest officers is too often confined to one locality and we believe that the institution can do valuable work in remedying this deficiency. We also attach importance to the association of young probationers with expérienced forest officers, who may be attending the institution at the same time. 8. In conclusion, we strongly endorse the view of the 1920 Conference that a central institution for post-graduate and specialised training in forestry, combined with research, is essential to the proper development of the forest resources of the Empire. We believe that these resources can only be so developed if the supervising staff receive a high standard of training; that the facilities at present existing for providing such training are insufficient of themselves; but that, if supplemented by an institution of the kind proposed, the necessary standard could be attained. Having regard also to the great potential forest resources of the Empire and of the increased yield which has followed, notably in India, and in certain foreign countries, on the introduction of a more highly trained staff, we believe that the necessary outlay on such an institution would be repaid several times over by increased returns from the forests. It appears to us regrettable that the British Empire, with its vast forest resources, does not yet possess an institution capable of meeting the requirements of its own forest officers in advanced training, and that certain of these officers have to seek instruction in foreign countries, while in other cases it has even been found necessary to fill special posts by the appointment of officers of foreign nationality. We recommend, therefore, that steps be taken immediately by the departments concerned, to set up a central institution for postgraduate training and research at Oxford University, so that if possible it may begin to function at the opening of the next academic year, i.e., October, 1924. R. D. FURSE, Chairman. E. BATTISCOMBE. A. W. BORTHWICK. C. D. HOWE. |
