FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 85 



with the view of securing free access to the latter by bona fide settlers and strictly) 

 excluding wood pirates, thus securing the limit-holders in the tenure of their hold- 

 ings, thus encouraging them to adopt in their operations a system which would secure 

 the perpetuity of the forest by self or natural reproduction. Lei this system be 

 adopted, and our forests, particularly our spruce and pulpwood forests, are practically 

 inexhaustible, even under a production increased ten fold, compared to what it is 

 now. 



Our system of protection against fire has been materially improved of late, but 

 is still in adequate and lacks that high degree of effectiveness which should character- 

 ize it. The law is good and would reach the end for which it was enacted if it was 

 thoroughly observed, but when it comes to its strict enforcement, political influence 

 interposes and the best interest of the province is removed to the back ground. In its 

 report the Colonization Commission made the following recommendations which should 

 be carried out : 



' The staff charged with this service are too subject to political influences to per- 

 form their duties with the energy and independence which alone can secure its effective- 

 ness. In several cases political influence has caused the post of fire ranger to be en- 

 trusted to men who have neither the activity nor the ability required to properly fill 

 a position upon which depends the preservation of the greatest source of wealth of the 

 province. 



'All the license-holders have in their service permanently guardians of provision 

 depots, overseers and foremen who possess a thorough knowledge of their respective 

 territories, as well as of the neighbouring establishments. We know of no men who are 

 better in position than these to perform the functions of fire ranger. We are of opinion 

 that these men should be chosen and appointed in preference to all others and that no 

 others should be named, except in the localities where there are none in the neighbour- 

 hood of timber limits under license. They also should be vested with all the powers 

 conferred on justices of the peace by articles 1353 and 1358 of the revised statutes. 



' Of course, the government should retain the control of this service and for this 

 purpose have one or two special officers whose duty it would be to see that it was done 

 actively and effectively. These officers would keep moving about all the time from 1st 

 April to 15th November in the territories placed under their control and would be 

 bound to recommend the dismissal of any fire ranger for neglect or incompetency.' 



' Against the fire danger,' says Professor Fernow, ' constant patrol seems to be 



the only help, all other means seeming more expensive and less efficient Again 



the personnel of the organization is of first moment, and even when proper persona 

 have been chosen, only a constant inspection and oversight will keep the organization 

 alive, its members on the alert.' 



The main object of a good organization should be rather to prevent than to stop 

 conflagrations. When a fire is started it will very rapidly gain headway and run its 

 course, all efforts notwithstanding, until a rain, a water course or swamp stops its 

 spread. Therefore, the first duty of the fire rangers should be to control the setting of 

 fire to clearings in the neighbourhood of green forest. During the dry season no settler 

 should be allowed to burn a clearing without having previously notified the nearest 

 fire ranger, who should be on the spot with the force of aren required to control the 

 fire and prevent its spread where it is set in a dangerous place. 



With our democratic principles of government, it is perhaps a big undertaking 

 to bring our people to appreciate the necessity of such a control and it is perhaps in 

 preparing public opinion for this evolution that societies like the Canadian Forestry 

 Association would contribute in the most efficacious way to the maintenance of the 

 forest, at all events as regards the province of Quebec. Instead of wasting our efforts 

 in growing a new crop of wood, let us limit them within the rather heavy task of 

 .keeping what is already grown and available. 



In this respect, it may be said that the government is not doing enough, com- 

 paratively, for the protection of our forests. Our public buildings are worth less than 

 $3.000,000. To protect them against fire we paid, in 1903, for insurance premiums 



