162 



Canadian Forestry Journal, November, 1913 



my indebtedness I have not been overlooking 

 the splendid work in the country's interest 

 that is being done by the Canadian Forestry 

 Association. Please excuse brevity as I am 

 hurrying to catch a train. Yours for Canada.' 



From an M. P. P. 



'Have no interest whatev^ in this question 

 and I desire that my name be effaced from 

 your list.' 



From a Merchant. 



'Enclosed find $2. I wish you every 

 success, although have not had the pleasure 

 of attending any of your meetings for some 

 time.' 



From a Financial Agent. 



'I find on my desk a reminder from you 

 of some overdue fees to the Canadian Forestry 

 Association. I am sure that more than a 

 year ago I sent you notification of my 

 desire to discontinue my membership. I 

 have come to the conclusion that after we 

 have saved the country the big fellows or 

 those with a "a pull" will get it anyway, 

 so what's the use ?' 



From a Manufacturer of Campers' and Lum- 

 bermen's Supplies. 



'We acknowledge your favor of the 29th 

 drawing our attention to a membership 

 fee of $2.00 for the years 1912-13, which 

 has not been paid. 



'With reference to same, would advise 

 that we wish our name taken off your mem- 

 bership list, as we cannot see that being a 

 member of the Canadian Forestry Asso- 

 ciation is of any benefit to us. The work 

 which you are doing is a splendid work, but 

 we do not think it should be subscribed to 

 and carried on by private individuals. Our 

 impression is that it is of sufficient importance 

 to be supported by the Governments of our 

 country. 



From a Lumberman. 



'It is with pleasure that I acknowledge 

 receipt of your announcement of the Cana- 

 dian Forestry Convention to be held in 

 Winnipeg commencing July 7th. I heartily 

 appreciate vour kindness and regret that 

 business will not allow of any furlough at 

 this time. 



'Being an old resident of Ontario I have 

 had considerable experience in the planting 

 and growth of trees. 



'The conservation of our timber lands; 

 the replanting of devastated areas not suit- 

 able for cultivation and the planting of 

 trees on the farms and in the towns and 

 cities, especially of the prairie provinces, are 

 propositions that have my warmest sympathy 

 Owing to the pressure of other matters it would 

 not be worth while becoming a member of the 

 Association.' 



From one in the Bush. 



'In looking over my papers I found this 

 letter which does not appear to have been 

 answered. 



*I paid one or two years subscription to 

 the Forestry Association but dropped it 

 because I saw no chance of any good - except 

 to the grafters - coming out of it. 



'There is only one way to check the ravages 

 of fire in our woods, and that is to burn the 

 brush. 



'This is perfectly feasible if done in the 

 right way, and at the proper time. The 

 result would be to lessen by 90 per cent the 

 damage done by fire. The expense would 

 average $1.00 per M on lumber board 

 measure, and if the Ontario Government 

 had reduced the fees by that sum 20 years 

 ago, and compelled the licensees to do clean 

 work, it would have saved the country an 

 enormous sum. 



'I have, by writing to the press and to 

 men in a position to influence the Govern- 

 ment, done my best to get something done, 

 but it is useless. Living in the lumber coun- 

 try myself, I am in a pssition to say that 

 four dollars out of every five paid for fire 

 protection is pure graft. 



THE PATRONAGE EVIL. 



The Toronto News in a recent 

 issue had the following editorial on 

 the need of extending civil service 

 reform to the outside service: — 



There is reason to think that the Borden 

 Government is moving towards reorganiza- 

 tion of the departments. There is urgent need 

 to relieve Ministers of many petty and vex- 

 atious duties. Still there are grave defects 

 in the classification of the inside service. 

 The abler officials are underpaid. Many 

 persons in the service, appointed only for 

 political reasons, are filling places to which 

 they are unequal. The lack of a system of 

 superannuation embarrasses Ministers and 

 heads of departments in dealing with crowded 

 pay rolls and inefficient officers. In the out- 

 side service radical reform is necessary to 

 ensure justice to public servants and efficient 

 management of the public business. 



It is not true that devotion to public affairs 

 must necessarily be stimulated by office 

 and emoluments. The civil servant ia 

 entitled to the same security of employment 

 the same chance of promotion, the same 

 reward for industry and efficiency as the 

 rest of us enjoy in our various pursuits. 

 This he cannot have while the public offices 

 are treated as the spoil of party and the 

 high places of the service are reserved for 

 untramed politicians who must be fitted for 

 their duties by the very men whom they 

 supplant. At best the area of patronage can 

 omy be restricted, for judicial appointments, 

 the appointments to pubUc commissions, 



