1538 



Canadian Forestry Journal, February, 1918 



The meeting decided Ihat the com- 

 mittee should continue its elToiis in 

 1918. 



An interesting discussion took place 

 as to the possibility ot obtaining more 

 detailed information as to the amount 

 of timber destroyed. Mr. Ellwood 

 Wilson thought that the ordinary 

 rangers were not competent to gather 

 such information. The lack of maps 

 was also a great hindrance. Mr. 

 Clyde Leavitt thought that the 

 question should not be looked at 

 wholly from the view point of Lhe 

 private owner. No one would sug- 

 gest that detailed information of 

 fire losses should be made public with 

 obvious consequences to the limit 

 holder. The Provincial Government, 

 however, Mr. Leavitt thought ought 

 to be in a position to know more 

 definitely what quantities of timber 

 had gone by fire in a given period. 

 The forest protective associations 

 w^re semi-public bodies. Their 



rangers presumably were as compe- 

 tent to estimate timber damage as 

 those of Ontario, British Columbia or 

 in the employ of the Dominion 

 Forestry Branch. 



Mr. W. G. J. Hall believed. that the 

 Province of Quebec was able to pre- 

 sent statistics as complete as British 

 Columbia. The question of damage 

 value was not yet a matter of general 

 agreement. Mr. Kernan agreed with 

 Mr. Wilson that the reports as now 

 given by the Quebec Associations 

 were as complete as practicable. 

 Anything more detailed at present 

 would he guess work. The only w^ay 

 to better the situation would he by 

 much expenditure for maps and 

 scientific estimates. Mr. Leavitt 

 strongly contended that an intelligent 

 inspector could be trusted to give an 

 eye estimate, that would prove much 

 more useful than the present dis- 

 regard for timber damage, evidenced 

 by the report forms. Mr. R. H. 

 Campbell emphasized the necessity 

 of statistics in making any progress. 

 There were a good many uncertain- 

 ties in estimating quantity or value 

 of areas burned. At present the only 

 way of reaching any conclusion on 

 this point was through careful de- 



duction by technical men in the head 

 office. A man on the ground, how- 

 ever, ought to be in better position to 

 make a reasonably accurate guess. 

 Mr. Arthur Graham, Manager of the 

 Ottawa River Forest Protective As- 

 sociation, said that an attempt was 

 now being made to get' more complete 

 reports. The most accurate informa- 

 tion now^ available was through the 

 members of the Association and their 

 cruisers and foresters. Mr. Wm. 

 Power, (temporarily vacating the 

 chair), urged that the Association 

 ought not at the present time to ex- 

 press an opinion on the matter. In 

 this Mr. W. F. V. Atkinson concurred. 

 It w^as agreed on Mr. Leavitt 's sug- 

 gestion that the committee should 

 continue its efforts towards stand- 

 ardization of fire report forms 



The afternoon of Wednesday was 

 devoted to two addresses. The first 

 by R. A. Pringle, K.C. Dominion 

 Paper Controller, on "Some Aspects 

 of Canada's Forestry Problem." The 

 second by Prof. F. F. Moon, Acting 

 Dean New York State College of 

 Forestry, Syracuse, N.Y. on "The 

 Responsibility of the State in Forest 

 Management." The attendance was 

 ..most satisfactory and the addresses 

 were listened to with keen attention. 

 An address on "Forest Products in 

 Canada" by Dr. John S. Bates of the 

 Forest Products Laboratories, was 

 postponed until the following morning 

 when it w^as heard with deep interest. 



Thursday morning, February 7th, 

 The Wood Fuel Symposium was 

 opened by the chairman, Mr. Wm. 

 Power. Mr. Clyde Leavitt, Chief 

 Forester, Commission of Conservation 

 summarized the Canadian wood fuel 

 situation along the lines made familiar 

 to readers of the Forestry Journal 

 through Mr. Leavitt's excellent article 

 in the January issue. 



Uncle Sam and His Wood Supply 



Mr. A. F. Hawes of Washington, 

 D.C., whose paper appears elsew^here 

 in this issue , spoke with striking effect 

 on the subject, "How^ the United 

 States has Attacked the Wood Fuel 

 Problem." Brief addresses were con- 

 tributed by Mr. G. C. Piche, Chief 



