Canadian Forest rii Journal, Februarij, J 917 



963 



FORESTERS ON ACTIVE 

 SERVICE. 



4 



Lieut. E. W. Conant (formerly 

 Forest Ranger on the Nicola Forest 

 Reserve, R.C.) has been promoted 

 and is now Staff Captain, 6th Aloimt- 

 ed Rrigade, E.E.F. 



Major Lyndon, (formerly Forest 

 Ranger on the Crowsnest) wrote on 

 the 6th January from the Canadian 

 Garrison Duty Depot, Hastings, Sus- 

 sex, stating that he returned there 

 from France the end of October and 

 has been doing garrison duty, but 

 expects to go back to the front the 

 end of February or early in Alarch, 



Mr. H. C. B. Smith, who was clerk 

 in the British Columbia Inspection 

 office, and is now with the Canadian 

 Cavalry Brigade in France, writes 

 that he had ten days' leave at Christ- 

 mas so was able to spend it in Eng- 

 land. He says: "The Old Country 

 looks pretty good to one after four- 

 teen months in the Somme country." 



Mr. C. H. Morse, formerly Assist- 

 ant to the District Inspector for 

 Alberta, who is with the Canadian 

 Forestry Corps in England, writes: 

 from Virginia Water, England: 



"The work of the Forestry Corps 

 seems to be extending all the time. 

 At present there are only three bat- 

 taUons, the 224th, the 238th and the 

 242nd, but more are evidently on 

 the way as a large base camp is being 

 prepared in Windsor Park about two 

 miles from Virginia Water. Yester- 

 day a Medical Board came along to 

 re-grade all our men and. officers. 

 To-day General Turner was here and 

 told us that all the physically fit men 

 were to go to the trenches. My 

 work here as officer in. charge of the 

 woods operation is rather a good ex- 

 perience but the work is simply log- 

 ging. The name Forestry Corps is 

 a misnomer. We even leave slash 

 in as bad shape as I have ever seen 

 in Canada. Everything is utilized 

 however. Stumps are cut very low 

 and tops are used for firewood and 

 pit props. We have done some burn- 

 ing but not with bushmen. Their 

 skill is valuable and they must be 



kept on production. We have used 

 mechanics from the R.F.C. but it 

 takes ten of them to do a good Can- 

 adian day's work for one man." 



! RAILWAY FIRES ? 



On all lines subject to the juris- 

 diction of the Dominion Railway 

 Commission throughout Canada, the 

 fires in forest sections definitely at- 

 tributable to railway agencies did 

 damage amounting to only $35,567 — - 

 a remarkably good showing, consider- 

 ing the unfavorable weather condi- 

 tions. 



Of all fires reported, the causes 

 were as follows: Locomotives, 61 

 per cent. ; railway employees, 8 per 

 cent.; campers and travellers, 7 per 

 cent.; settlers, 8 per cent.; other 

 known causes, 3 per cent.; unknown 

 causes, 13 per cent." 



M. A. GRAINGER, CHIEF 



FORESTER OF B. C. 



The appointment of M. A. Grainger 

 as chief Forester of British Columbia, 

 in succession to H. R. MacMillan, 

 now Assistant Manager of the Vic- 

 toria Lumber and Manufacturing 

 Company, Chemainus, B.C. has been 

 gratifying to all concerned in the wel^ 

 fare of that province. In advancing 

 Mr. Grainger, Premier Brewster has 

 carried out to the letter his pre- 

 election pledges for the abolition of 

 the "Patronage" plan in Civil Ser- 

 vice appointments. Mr. Grainger's 

 appointment is most popular with 

 members of the British Columbia 

 Forest Branch and his administra- 

 tion of the complex duties of his new 

 office will undoubtedly reflect the 

 same public devotion as has dis- 

 tinguished his previous career. 



When Mr. MacMillan, two years 

 ago, was selected to act as special 

 trade Commissioner for the Federal 

 Government, a task which took him 

 about the world with the object of 

 studying world market conditions 



