C-AJA/A- FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



and salaries to guardians, about $50,000. In 1903, fish and game yielded a revenue 

 of $63 119 For the protection of this source of revenue, we employed a staff of 315 

 fish and game rangers, to whom we paid $20,000 in salaries. For the same year, 1903, 

 the receipts from woods and forests brought to the provincial treasury $1,241,814. 

 For the protection of this, our largest source of revenue, we employed a staff of 99 

 fire rangers to whom we paid $17,000 for salaries and expenses, to which the limit- 

 holders contributed their fair share. 



-.\; when we spend $50,000 to protect public buildings worth $3,000,000, when 

 we spend $20,000 to protect a source of revenue which yields $63,119 and which can 

 be very easily and promptly renovated if temporarily destroyed, are we justified in 

 spending only the meagre and inadequate bagatelle of $17,000 to protect against irre- 

 trievable destruction a forest estate constituting the best, the most valuable and avail- 

 able asset of the province, an asset worth -billions of dollars, capable of bringing to 

 the provincial treasury a yearly revenue of $2,000,000 and procuring to our farmers 

 and woodmen over $10,000,000 a year in wages and the sale of farm products ? 



The classification of public lands, such as authorized by a law passed by our 

 legislature last year, will do much to lessen the danger from fire, if it is faithfully 

 and energetically enforced. Colonization will be concentrated and it will be much 

 easier to protect the green forests against the fire started for clearing purposes. With 

 a good staff of active and intelligent fire rangers at hand, the danger will be mini- 

 mized, and it is reasonable to hope that this legislation will produce the most desir- 

 able results, if political influence does not interpose to block the accomplishment of 

 this important reform. This law, if fairly but rigidly enforced, will also hit the death 

 blow on the nefarious brood of speculators on lots and timber pirates that constitute 

 one of the greatest dangers for the forests. 



Fires started by Indians are the most difficult part of the problem. Indians are 

 under exclusive control of the Dominion government, who should be induced to take the 

 steps required to prevent them from causing in the forests of the north-eastern section 

 of the province damages which already amount to millions of dollars. In case the 

 federal authorities would fail to accomplish this, the provincial government will per- 

 haps come to the determination of applying to Indians that disposition of our law 

 which forbids any one to go into the forest without a permit, during the dry season. 

 And if this disposition is not in our statutes, it should be enacted. As regards action 

 on the part of the Dominion government, the collaboration of the Canadian Forestry 

 Association would be a great help, and I hope we will have the benefit of this col- 

 laboration. 



The CHAIRMAN. I really cannot allow such a paper as this to go by without say- 

 ing a few words in commendation of the great care and attention which Mr. Lange- 

 lier must have devoted to the preparation of it. I think it is one of the most exhaus- 

 tive papers, and one of the most interesting papers, and one of the best papers in 

 every respect that has ever been read before the association. 



Any man hearing a paper of that nature read, or reading it from a report, must 

 be seized with all the information necessary to enable him to realize what a great 

 wealth the province of Quebec has in its forests, and how it can best be conserved, 

 it ought to be protected. I do not think it is possible that anybody could 

 have written a better paper upon such a subject than the paper we have just had the 

 pleasure of listening to. 



I would like to show why we have such difficulty In protecting our 

 'orests. Our forests are more liable to loss by fire than any other forests in the world. 

 )ject is one of the greatest importance I have taken the tremble to prepare 

 a short paper, which with your kind permission I .will read. 



