150 Canadian Forestry Journal. 



came practical suggestions on this question. The most complete 

 statement was made by Mr. Peter White, M.P., of Pembroke, 

 and may be quoted, as one of the most important results from 

 this Convention was the raising of and the suggestion of a means 

 of solving the problem of protection of flic tiniljcr frrmi fire. His 

 statement was as follows: — 



Experience showed that the forest nres along ihe l pper 

 Ottawa occur between May and August, those months inclusive, 

 and his suggestion was to prohibit the starting of fires for clear- 

 ing or other purposes within these four months. He would also 

 suggest the division of the timber lands into districts each under 

 the guardianship of a policeman resident within it; one duty 

 of such functionary being to visit every settler towards the close 

 of winter, say some time in March, to give him all necessary in- 

 formation and caution as to the requirements of the law in 

 regard to this matter. He believed that there was very little 

 incendiarism in the lumbering regions and that the bulk of the 

 fires that occurred originated in ignorance and carelessness. 

 Officials, such as he had suggested the appointment of, ought 

 to keep a careful watch at all the principal avenues of districts 

 liable to be laid waste by fire. He thought that the estimate 

 offered of the loss by this cause, as compared with the product 

 the lumbermen secured, was far too moderate; he believed it 

 would be nearer the mark to say it was ten to one, than to re- 

 present the two as approximately equal. As to precautions 

 it might be urged that as the lumbermen had so large an in- 

 terest at stake they might be looked to to provide the necessar}?- 

 precautions. That was true in a sense, and he had no doubt that 

 those concerned would willingly submit to the imposition of a 

 small tax, if necessary, for the purpose of securing the required 

 protection. The firm with which he himself w^as associated 

 had for years looked after their own interests in this matter, 

 but it was obvious to every one that it was out of the power 

 of private individuals or business firms to act with the authority 

 and force which the Government could command. 



The discussion was continued by Hon. Geo. Bryson, Mr. 

 Thistle, of Ottawa, Hon. J. K.Ward and others who supported Mr. 

 White's statements, and on motion of Hon. Mr. Joly a committee 

 was appointed to formulate recommendations to the Govern- 

 ments on the subject. 



To complete this phase of the Convention's work it may be 

 added that the resolutions submitted by this committee were 

 as follows: — 



(i) The reservation of all pine and spruce lands unfit for 

 settlement for lumbering purposes exclusiveh^ 



(2) The prohibition of burning brush by settlers in the vic- 

 inity of fir trees during Ma}^ June, September and October. 



