78 CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 



a provision for a Fire Act which is far from filling the requirements which are neces- 

 sary to give sufficient attention to fires now occurring. I cannot imagine how exper- 

 ienced men could have put a provision in the law that permits the burning of 

 brushwood and debris during all the months of the year^ excepting from July 1 to 

 September 1. Now I can vouch for it that in our part of the countrty, it is a part of 

 the country covered with spruce, and covered in some sections with hardwood. The 

 safest time of the year to burn is that period when the forest floor is covered with ferns 

 nnd grasses. In the months of April and May, just after the snow leaves, the moisture 

 is less than during the whole summer, and everything is like tinder and powder in our 

 part of the country, and again in the month of September. Now, strange to say, by 

 clause 1345 of our Act you are allowed to burn in these very months, and during the 

 months when you could burn safely by taking ordinary care you are not allowed to. 

 Now 1 would like to get an expression of opinion from the members of this Associa- 

 tion as to whether it would not be advisable to try and have this changed for the pro- 

 vince of Quebec. I know a great many gentlemen here are not interested in the pro- 

 vince of Quebec, but a few of us here are interested in it, and we would like the sup- 

 port of the Forestry.Association in having this much-needed reform made to our laws. 

 I am sure if the matter was brought by the Association to the attention of the Gov- 

 ernment the Government would take action on it almost immediately. 



The CHAIRMAN. I quite agree with the remarks of Mr. Joly. We own a very 

 large number of miles in the province of Quebec and the matter that he has brought 

 before us has engaged our attention very frequently. It is quite right, as he says, 

 that the spring of the year and the month of September that is April and May and 

 part of June, especially April and May, are the very worst months for fire. And as 

 he very truly states, everybody who is permitted at all is permitted to start a fire in 

 these months. The other two months, I think, are the better months, the safe months 

 for starting a fire, and I think if Mr. Joly wrote out a resolution this Association would 

 fairly discuss' and consider it. 



Mr. ROTH. It does seem to me that Mr. Joly is entirely right, and I want to say 

 moat emphatically we are just neglecting what seem to be trivial measures. To most 

 men it would seem most trivial to bother about one month or the other, but it is a most 

 essential point, and so far as we are concerned, in the preservation and extension of 

 forests in general, it seems to me that everyone should put forth every effort to save 

 millions of acres of timber in such a simple way, simply a misunderstanding on the 

 part of legislators who had the good in mind but forgot the details. This is a most 

 important measure and could not be brought before the public or the legislature too 

 strongly. ( 



Mr. LITTLE. I think the spring months are the months of the year when fires burn 

 most disastrously. 



Mr. Joly then, moved 



That the subject of protecting the forests from fire having had careful considera- 

 hands of this meeting, it would recommend that settlers' fires in the pro- 

 vince of Quebec be permitted only from June 15 to August 31 of each year. 

 Mr. Little seconded. 



