24 



Canadian Forestry Journal, February 1913. 



Montreal, D. L. White, Midland, Walter C. 

 Laidlaw, Toronto, J. G. Cane, Toronto, W. 

 A. Firstbrook, Toronto, A. D. McRae, Fra- 

 Fer Mills, B.C., Wm. McNeill, Vancouver, B. 

 C, and the following new members: A. L. 

 Mattes, Prince Albert, Sask., Duncan Mc- 

 Laren, Toronto, C. A. Larkin, Toronto, and 

 J. Hanbury Wydiffe, B.C. 



A vote of thanks was passed to the Sec- 

 retary, Mr. Frank Hawkins, for the valu- 

 able work he is doing for the Association. 



The proceedings concluded with a banquet 

 at the Chateau Laurier in the evening when 

 over one hundred guests were present. The 

 chair was occupied by Hon. W. C. Edwards. 

 At his right hand was Hon. Geo. H. Perley, 

 who ably represented the Dominion Govern- 

 ment in the enforced absence of Rt. Hon. 

 R. L. Borden, the Prime Minister, through 

 press of parliamentary business. Mr. E. M. 

 Macdonald, M.P. for Pictou, N.S., took the 

 place of Sir Wilfrid Laurie^ who was indis- 

 posed. 



There were a number of excellent speeches, 

 but the one which had the most particular 

 reference to forestry was that by Hon. Geo. 

 H. Perley. As it well known Mr. Perley 

 is a member of a family that has been 

 largely interested in lumbering in the Ot- 

 tawa Valley for many years. He has always 

 been a warm friend of the cause of fores- 

 try, and though his public duties have made 

 it necessary for him to sever in a measure 

 his active connection with the lumber busi- 

 ness, this has not lessened his desire to 

 assist in the perpetuation of the great in- 

 dustry and of the forests upon which it is 

 dependent. 



On this occasion Mr. Perley pointed out 

 that it was clearly evident that a large 

 part of C'anada should be kept permanently 

 under timber. The land was not suited for 

 anything else, and it was a mistake to allow 

 settlement in such a district. Lands should 

 be classified and a sharp line drawn around 

 those suited for forests and unsuited for 

 agriculture, and no settlement should be per- 

 mitted therein. This proper <lisposal of the 

 land affected every citizen, but it particular- 

 ly affected the lumberman. The lumberman 

 should therefore, he held, be foremost in the 

 work of teaching this to the people at large 

 — that it was for the national wellbeing 

 that forest lands be devoted to forests and 

 not ruined in an attempt to farm them. 

 Canada was a democratic country. The de- 

 cision in any of these public matters depend- 

 ed upon the people, the voters needed to be 

 taught and those interested in forst pro- 

 ducts should enlighten their neighbors. 



Mr. Perley 's speech was brightened by a 

 number of very apt anecdotes drawn from 

 his experience as a young man in the lum- 

 ber woods. He referred to the hopeful and 

 healthful character of the lumberman's life, 

 and recalled to all present the waste of 

 money and human life that all had seen in 



the attempt to grow oats and potatoes 

 where Providence had intended that nothing 

 but pine and spruce should ever grow. 



This part of Mr. Perley 's speech was one 

 of the best statements of the necessity for 

 and advantages of forest conservation to a 

 country like Canada that could be made. 

 Coming from an experienced and successful 

 lumberman speaking to leaders in Canada 

 lumbering, the statement had very great 

 weight, which was not lessened by the fact 

 that Mr. Perley has now upon his shoulders 

 additional responsibilities as a member of 

 the Cabinet of the Government of Canada. 



Senator Edwards, as usual, filled the chair 

 with tact and ability, and in proposing the 

 health of Hon. J. G. Foster, United States 

 Consul, spoke of the place that gentleman 

 had made for himself in the hearts of Cana- 

 dians, and suggested that if there was any 

 danger that the change in the government 

 at Washington would result in Mr. Foster's 

 retirement, that prominent Canadians should 

 start a petition to be forwarded to Wash- 

 ington praying that Mr. Foster be allowe<l 

 to remain in his present office at Ottawa. 



Mr. Foster made a fitting and feeling re- 



The toast to the health of Mr. John R. 

 Booth, 'the grand old man of the Ottawa 

 lumber industry,' was received with cheers. 



Mr. Douglas Malloch, ' The Lumberman 

 Poet' of the American Lumberman, Chicago, 

 in replying to the toast to the Press, made 

 a very witty speech concluding with the reci- 

 tation of one of his happiest poems, * Isn 't 

 it Fine To-day.' 



As most of the members of the Canadian 

 Lumbermen 's Association are also members 

 of the Canadian Forestry Association a 

 good many of those present on Feb. 4 re- 

 mained to the next day to attend the Annual 

 Meeting of the Canadian Forestry Asso- 

 ciation. 



The City of Philadelphia has just had a 

 thorough report made on the condition of 

 shade trees in the city. This showed that 

 fully fifty thousand trees are in danger of 

 destruction, and a recommendation was made 

 that fifty thousand dollars be appropriated 

 for the purpose of protecting the trees by 

 pruning an<l by combating tlestructive in- 

 sects. 



It is announced that the City of Ottawa 

 and the Ottawa Improvement Commission 

 will co-operate this year in a vigorous and 

 systematic fight against the caterpillars 

 which last year ditl so much damage to 

 the shade trees of the city. The State of 

 Massachusetts has spent hundreds of thou- 

 sands of dollars in fighting the pests which 

 are attacking its trees, and Canada must 

 be on the alert or she will be placed in the 

 same predicament. 



