1988 



Canadian Forestiij Journal, Ddcember, 1918 



amounted to 392,975, of which S60,- 

 545 was due to Government railway 

 fires; $3,750 was spent on fire fighting 

 and 57,558 acres were burned over. 

 The meeting gathered from the 

 remarks of Hoii. Air. Daniels that if 

 the special committee of the confer- 

 ence could suggest a plan whereby 

 the salary and expenses of the Pro- 

 vincial Forester could be paid, the 

 co-operation of the Government could 

 be counted upon to give effect to this 

 new branch of administration. 



Nova Scotia's Real Task. 



Mr. Whitman, in opening the 

 meeting, reviewed the excellent spade 

 work' done by the Western Nova 

 Scotia Lumebrmen's Association in 

 developing the present Fire Act and 

 securing the appointment of County 

 Wardens. On the forest lands where 

 fifteen years ago an export trade of 

 150 million feet a year w^as built, very 

 little mature timber was now growing. 

 Taking Western Nova Scotia as a 

 whole, the task had become one of 

 growing timber before operations 

 could be resumed. Coincident with 

 the decline of timber production on 

 the non-agricultural areas of the 

 province there had been a marked 

 increase in the price of lumber, 

 therein doubly emphasizing Nova 

 Scotia's loss. The increase in value 

 of timber was so great that investors 

 were now buying cut-over lands to 

 hold for speculative profit. One man 

 in the Annapolis Valley held 155,000 

 acres, said Mr. Whitman. 



The Chairman gave an outline 

 of the dependence of numerous Nova 

 Scotia towns upon contiguous timber 

 areas inasmuch as they had very 

 little agricultural land from which 

 to draw sustenance. He then des- 

 cribed the Provincial Forester's possi- 

 bilities of service to practically every 

 commercial activity. Not only could 

 he supervise and direct the fire patrol 

 work of the county rangers but he 

 could work up fire prevention senti- 

 ment through education. For the 

 latter highly important duty in forest 

 protection. Nova Scotia now had 

 almost no provision. The Forester 

 could also advise the Government 

 in the most efficient handling of the 



remaining Crown Lands and would be 

 at the service of all limit holders and 

 woodlot owners in improving the 

 productiveness of their holdings. 



Mr. Robson Black, Secretary of 

 the Canadian Forestry Association 

 reviewed the efforts of the Associa- 

 tion to awaken public sentiment on 

 the need for a forward Provincial 

 policy in timber conservation. Hun- 

 dreds of private citizens, lumber 

 companies, coal companies, ship- 

 builders, etc. ,had addressed appeals 

 to the Government to appoint a 

 Forester and give him adequate 

 support. Ten public meetings had 

 been held in October by the Associa- 

 tion. Many Boards of Trade had 

 considered the question and notified 

 the Government of their favorable 

 opinion. 



Mr. S. M. Brookfield, a well- 

 known builder, expressed the belief 

 that enough time had elapsed already 

 without meeting the timber situa- 

 tion squarely. He was strongly 

 in favor of the immediate appoint- 

 ment of a Forester. 



Dr. Howard Murray, President 

 of Dalhousie University, added his 

 support to the objects of the conferen- 

 ence. 



Mr. G. H. Prince, Chief Forester of 

 New Brunswick, who was invited to 

 be present, gave a comprehensive 

 description of the excellent work 

 accomplished by the new Forest 

 Service organized last year. He 

 stressed particularly the value of the 

 Forest Survey in order to give the 

 Government an intelligent working 

 plan for fire protection, timber sales, 

 and land settlement. Ranger ap- 

 pointments had been held strictly 

 free from political influence by a 

 Forestry Advisory Board. Mr. 

 Prince placed great importance upon 

 the proper organization of the fire 

 protection service and the use of 

 educational means for prevention of 

 loss. 



Mr. FUwood Wilson, Chief For- 

 ester of the Laurentide Company, 

 told of the world-wide and rapidly 

 growing interest in proper forest 

 management. Forest protection had 

 now become a specialist's job, de- 

 manding the keenest standards of 



