THE CONFERENCE PROPER 



47 



who are doing all they can to make this 

 country continue to refuse to take any 

 action that looks toward the bringing to- 

 gether of the great interests of Canada 

 and the United States, and I hope the 

 Conference will be big enough to look 

 clear over the heads of any men who 

 have a personal and selfish interest. 



"I would be glad to have the sugges- 

 tion of a specific and definite remedy. 

 In my judgment we must retrace much 

 of the ground we have already cov- 

 ered — and lost. I know something of 

 the preserves where ten per cent of the 

 trees must remain, and in my judgment, 

 Mr. Pinchot, that remedy is an abso- 

 lute failure, because the ten per cent., 

 lacking the protection of the surround- 

 ing trees, either die, break down or 

 eventually give way. 



"It seems to me that it would be bet- 

 ter to preserve great tracts of timber. 

 But there is so little that any of us 

 know — even, I think, the gentleman 

 from New York, who failed to name a 



specific remedy — that we ought to be 

 willing to learn ; and I would like to 

 take home with me one great idea and 

 say to the legislature, 'Do that !' If 

 the gentleman from New York will 

 give me the opportunity to do it, I shall 

 be his servant forever." 



The speaker was compelled to wait 

 several minutes, until the applause died 

 out, when the session was, for a time, 

 turned into a sort of joint debate be- 

 tween Governor Johnson and Commis- 

 sioner Whipple, the chair at times tak- 

 ing a hand in the discussion. The dis- 

 cussion continued for some time, and 

 during the talk several interesting 

 points were brought out, that perhaps 

 would have been overlooked but for 

 Governor Johnson's insistence upon 

 something specific. 



Following short talks by Governor 

 Blanchard, of Louisiana. Professor 

 Rene, chairman of the Massachusetts 

 State Conservation Commission, and 

 others, the session adjourned. 



(To Be Concluded in February Number.) 



