284 IIEPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52 



would appear not only to be a source of strategical weakness from the 

 point of view of efficient adaninistration, but, judging from the evidence 

 of the park superintendent, the actual cause of a very great portion of 

 the troubles experienced by himself and staff. 



In dealing with the subject of provincial park preserves, your Com- 

 missioner desires to cail to Your Honour's attention the great increase 

 of beaver within them. From the evidence collected by him on this point 

 he feelK assured that these animals have now attained to snch numbers 

 that to remove the normal increase would be proper and advantageous 

 to the parks. Such a system, in the matter of game, is worked by the 

 authorities in Germany; and, were it adopted in Ontario, would provide 

 a very considerable revenue, sufficient, in all probability, to at least bear 

 all the expense of the maintenance of the parks. As accurate as possible 

 a census of the beaver should be taken annually, the numbers to be taken 

 decided upon, and the localities for the taking carefully selected by the 

 responsible authority, arrangements made for the proper treating and 

 preparing of the pelts; on each pelt should be branded a Government 

 mark, and when the pelts are ready for the market they should be adver- 

 tised for tender or sold by auction. The killing of beaver should only be 

 entrusted to thoroughly competent and reliable officials, as it would, in 

 the opinion of your Commissioner, be dangerous and unprofitable to 

 undertake it with officials whose probity, at all events, was not abso- 

 lutely beyond question. In fact, it would seem that the supervision of 

 this work should be one of the duties of the Chief Ranger referred to in 

 a preceding paragraph. 



As the population in Ontario grows and its tourist traffic develops, 

 the number of visitors to the public parks will inevitably be greater, and 

 the demand for guides will steadily increase. The science of forestry 

 has made rapid progress, and undoubtedly will play an important part 

 in the future economics of the Province. Already, indeed, much atten- 

 tion is being paid to the prevention and extinction of forest fires, and 

 the Depar'tment of Lands, Forests and Mines employ's quite a consider- 

 able number of fire rangers at certain periods of the year. In the Uni- 

 versity of Toronto a special forestry class is held, under the supervision 

 of Professor B. E. Fernow, and it has been brought to the attention of 

 your Commissioner that anything that can be done to assist these young 

 men to a practical knowledge of the woods is a step in the direction of 

 the future prosperity of the Province. Practical knowledge of the woods 

 can only be obtained by personally visiting and living in them. The 

 expenses of education bear pretty hardly on the pockets of many of the 

 ambitious young men of to-day. Employment as guide or forest fire 

 ranger would appear to offer these young men not only a practical road 

 to knowledge of the woods, but also an opportunity of making a little 

 money with which to carry on their education. Young men, attested by 

 Dr. Fernow to be proficient canoemen and swimmers, to have a reason- 

 able knowledge of cookery and the theoretical side of woodcraft, and to 



