1986 



Canadian Forestry Journal, December, 1918 



Nova Scotia Getting Ready! 



Campaign for Provincial Forester Strength- 

 ened by Recent Conference at Halifax. 



A public conference on Nova Sco- 

 tia's forest problems and the need 

 of a Provincial Forester was held at 

 the Parliament Buildings, Halifax, 

 on December 10th under the auspices 

 of the Canadian Forestry Association. 

 There were present about forty re- 

 presentatives of various provincial 

 interests, including the Dominion 

 Coal Company, the Nova Scotia 

 Steel and Coal Company, the Davison 

 Lumber and Manufacturing Com- 

 pany, S. H. Dunfield and Company, 

 the Fraser Companies Limited, the 

 Dominion Atlantic Railway, Mr. Mc- 

 Keen, Mr. Musgrave, S. M. Brook- 

 field, Dr. Howard Murray, President 

 of Dalhousie University, Prof. Blair, 

 F. C. Whitman, and many others 

 delegated by lumber companies, or 

 concerned as private citizens. There 

 were also present Mr. Clyde Leavitt, 

 Chief Forester of the Commission 

 of Conservation, Mr. EUwood Wilson, 

 Chief Forester of the Laurentide 

 Company, Mr. G. H. Prince, Chief 

 P'orester of New Brunswick, and Mr. 

 Robson Black, Secretary of the Can- 

 adian Forestry Association. Mr. 

 Whitman acted as Chairman of the 

 meeting and both sessions were favor- 

 ed by the presence and active parti- 

 cipation of Hon. O. T. Daniels, 

 Attorney General and Commissioner 

 of Lands. 



The Financial Question. 



The immediate consequence of the 

 meeting was that Mr. Whitman was 

 asked to select a committee so as to 

 further the objects of the meeting 

 and place before the Provincial Gov- 

 ernment a concrete proposal express- 

 mg not only the reasons for the 

 appointment of a Provincial Forester 

 but outlining a plan whereby the 

 financial cost of such a new office 

 could be met. 



Various speakers gave the meeting 

 I heir opinions as to the precarious 

 state of Nova Scotia's timber supply. 



For example, Mr. J. W. Revere, 

 buyer of pit props for the Dominion 

 Coal Company, during the past 25 j 

 years, and Mr. A. M. Seeley, acting 

 in a similar capacity for the Nova 

 Scotia Steel and Coal Company, gave 

 a detailed and, at the same time, 

 alarming resume of the difficulties 

 besetting the coal companies in se- 

 curing timbers within reasonable dis- 

 tances of the mines. Lumber buyers, 

 as Mr. Musgrave and Mr. McKeen, 

 declared that difficulties were now 

 almost insurmountable in obtaining 

 the sizes called for in orders. Other 

 speakers, drawing upon practical ex- 

 perience in wood using industries, 

 strongly advocated the appointment 

 of a Provincial Forester and an or- 

 ganized fight against timber waste 

 through fire and unwise cutting. 

 Emphasis was given to the service 

 that a Provincial officer could render 

 to the small woodlot owners. 



Hon. Mr. DanieVs Reply. 



After hearing the views of the 

 conference, Hon. Mr. Daniels, spoke 

 of the comprehensive nature of the 

 present Nova Scotia Forest Fires 

 Act and declared that the appoint- 

 ment of rangers had been kept 

 entirely free from political influence. 

 He did not directly question the value 

 of a Provincial Forester but said that 

 such an appointment depended upon 

 the Government's ability to pay the 

 upkeep of a new office. With an 

 annual deficit and all avenues of 

 taxation occupied, he did not see how 

 the Treasury was to pay the pro- 

 posed Provincial Forester. Mr. Dan- 

 iels made it plain that he welcomed 

 the propaganda to arouse public 

 sentiment to the need of forest con- 

 servation. 



Discussing the working of the 

 present system of County fire war- 

 dens, the Attorney-General remarked 

 that the forest fire loss in 1918 



