VALUE OF WILD LIFE TO THE NATION 11 



ply? In view of the fact that the fur-bearing animals of 

 the north furnish not only luxuries but also necessities, what 

 greater opportunity could we have of establishing the fur- 

 bearing industry on a sound, practical basis? It was not 

 without reason that furs constituted the first lure that at- 

 tracted the outside world to Canada. This country con- 

 tained the greatest variety of valuable fur-bearing animals, 

 for the possession of which men risked everything, includ- 

 ing their own lives. Now our agricultural lands constitute 

 that lure, but the remnant of those fur-bearing animals is 

 still with us. Conservation of our natural resources is 

 taking the place of exploitation. We should apply the doc- 

 trine to the fur-bearing animals and thus secure their full 

 value to the conrnniunity. And it cannot be stated too often 

 that conservation means the protection of natural resources 

 from injudicious exploitation and their provident utiliza- 

 tion. Our northern territories, under proper administra- 

 tion, could become not only a valuable source of food supply, 

 but also one of the chief fur-producing areas of the world. 



The mineral wealth in our northern territories constitutes 

 a valuable natural resource awaiting development, and it 

 should be remembered that such development will be ren- 

 dered more possible by the presence of an adequate food 

 supply such as I have mentioned, which fact indicates an- 

 other economic aspect of this problem. 



Barren-ground Caribou as Source of Meat and Clothing. — 

 The development of a ''wild" food supply, by which I mean 

 the caribou in our northern territories from the Labrador 

 coast to the Yukon, would fulfil three objects: First, it 

 would supplement the meat supply from domesticated 

 animals and add to the area of productive land in the coun- 

 try. Caribou furnishes one of the finest of meats, and under 

 proper protection and adequate supervision there is no 

 reason why we should not in the future develop a caribou 

 meat industry, and export frozen caribou from the north. 



