Canadian Forest rij Journal, April, 1!)17 



1053 



Lecture Campaign In Western Canada 



Mr. Black's Meetings in Western Cities and Investigations of 

 Provincial Problems Gain Hearty Public Response. 



\ 



This number of the Canadian 

 Forestry Journal is issued in the 

 absence of the editor, Mr. Robson 

 Black, who as Secretary of the Cana- 

 dian Forestry Association is on a 

 lecture tour through Western Canada 

 in the interests of forest conservation. 



Mr. Black has delivered addresses 

 before several of the Canadian Clubs, 

 Boards of Trade, the larger church 

 organizations, etc. and by the generous 

 co-operation of Western editors in 

 the use of intervie-ws, reports, and 

 editorial comment, the sentiment of 

 the prairie provinces would seem to 

 have been stirred along progressive 

 lines. 



One of the most successful meetings 

 was the luncheon of the Board of 

 Trade of Edmonton where not only 

 was an excellent audience present but 

 the members authorized the Council 

 to appoint a special committee to deal 

 with the problems of forest conserva- 

 tion in Alberta. 



Of the address, the Edmonton 

 Bulletin said: 



A picture of the desolation in the 

 forests of Canada wrought by fires, 

 was sketched most strikingly and 

 effectively before the Board of Trade 

 luncheon today by Robson Black, of 

 the Canadian Forestry Association. 

 Above all it was made clear how 

 national caution and foresight can 

 curtail and eventually wipe out this 

 huge devastation to the enrichment 

 of the nation. 



Board Will Co-operate 



A largely attended meeting of the 

 board listened to the excellent address 

 and, through the president, J. E. 

 Brown, the assistance of the members 

 was pledged to a campaign of first aid 

 in the work of conservation. Not only 

 was a committee of the board provid- 

 ed to deal with the question of forest 



fire prevention, but another com- 

 mittee will likewise be named by the 

 president to report on the matter of 

 municipal fire losses, a topic which 

 was ably presented by Mr. White, of 

 the Conservation Com., Ottawa, one 

 week ago. Mr. Black said in part: 



"In these times no subject is worth 

 discussing that has not its main root 

 in public service. No apologies need 

 be made, therefore, for talking over 

 with you the case of forest conserva- 

 tion as related to this province and 

 the rest of the Dominion. Conserva- 

 tion of any sort is just 'good citizen- 

 ship', but the question of perpetuat- 

 ing the forest resources past the day 

 of our own immediate need makes 

 particular demands upon an unselfish 

 point of view. 



"The title to more than ninety-sev- 

 en per cent, of the forest lands of Can- 

 ada rests in the name of the Canadian 

 people. By that I mean the Govern- 

 ments of Canada while leasing a very 

 large part of the timber to support 

 industries and spread wealth, have 

 kept control of the land on which the 

 timber grows. The object of this has 

 been to secure for the state its share 

 of the increment and to enforce such 

 conservation laws as the situation 

 might demand. The State, therefore, 

 is the steward of the forest lands, and 

 their management and protection 

 from fire constitute one of the biggest 

 issues before the people of Canada. 



The Poor Relation 



"Eliminate for the moment the 

 front-row brethren of grain growing 

 and stock raising in your family of 

 activities and look over this Forest 

 Giant. He has been the poor rela- 

 tion of all public issues. One would 

 think that he constituted a hability on 

 the land, that he did not answer to 

 cultivation, like a cow or a cornstalk. 



