Research 7 



that in fact burning has been prohibited. Nevertheless it has seemed a 

 strange paradox that while some of the best brains have been evolving, 

 and are still evolving, types of wheat, oats and other agricultural pro- 

 ducts, best suited to climatic and soil conditions, it has been a more or 

 less general practice in many parts of the country, not only to make no 

 use of what ought to be a valuable annual product, but to deliberately 

 destroy it. I know that not only agriculturists, but also eminent 

 scientists, are to-day dealing with the problem of the utilization of this 

 product, and I only mention it as an instance. 



Again and again also I have heard the statement that land in many 

 portions of Canada is not farmed but mined. The very benefits which 

 a kind and generous soil confer on us are taken without anything being 

 restored to it to help it continue its beneficent work. One hears on 

 every side that this matter is engaging the attention of those who are 

 best qualified to deal with it and I cannot help hoping that with the 

 advance of knowledge and of science better and more economical methods 

 will be found to prevail. (Applause.) 



It is very tempting to one situated as I am to-night, to dilate upon 

 the vast possibilities which we in Canada possess. Our known resources 

 are enormous and as we gain knowledge of the less known regions the 

 possibilities for the future become much vaster. May I take you back 

 to the Finance Minister and remind you of the necessity and urgency of 

 research from his point of view — and, after all, his point of view is the 

 point of view of the taxpayers as a whole. 



The developed wealth of Canada has been estimated at various 

 amounts between eighteen billion and twenty-five billion dollars. The 

 estimated developed wealth of the United States is put at three hundred 

 billion dollars. Of course in the United States there are still great 

 natural resources which are undeveloped but so also are there great 

 natural resources in Canada, and the latter are, as yet, almost wholly 

 untouched. If scientific research could be applied to the development 

 of these resources I think it is safe to estimate that in ten years there 

 would be not twenty-five billion dollars of developed wealth but some- 

 thing nearer one hundred billion dollars. Under these circumstances 

 the present debt of Canada, which is about two billion dollars, would 

 be an exceedingly light burden for the Dominion and the most cautious 

 of Finance Ministers would be at his ease. (Applause.) 



Ladies and gentlemen, I know that to an audience of this character 

 it is not necessary for me to labour these points. On the one hand we 

 know we have these great resources which are waiting to be transformed 

 to the use and benefit of man. On the other hand it is for us to find the 

 means whereby the transformation can be efTected. (Applause.) 



