NEW BRUNSWICK FORESTRY CONVENTION 117 



farmer as my friend, and my sympathy for him has continued. That used 

 to be a very common way of padding out a subject, by saying a word on 

 behalf of the farmer. 



It is not my purpose at this hour or this time to champion anyone's 

 cause. I did come with two messages. I will content myself with delivering 

 one, and I will leave you to imagine as to how I might have delivered the 

 other. 



You will have observed in your program that it had been stated therein 

 that I was to speak on " Opportunity and Outlook, " and as I sat here and 

 saw the opportunity receding and I was not very sorry I began to 

 realise that the outlook was a much brighter one for me than it might other- 

 wise have been. 



In the first place, Mr. Premier, I want to say that I have an especial 

 pleasure in being here with a message from Sir Wilfrid Laurier, who, as 

 everyone knows, has taken a very deep interest in forestry. He it was who 

 first called together a convention in this Dominion to discuss this subject, a 

 convention which was a very great success and which had attendants from 

 every province in the Dominion, and a convention which I am bound to be- 

 lieve was fraught with very much good to the whole Dominion. 



I think 'that it might fairly be said that the very fact that there has 

 been since a Provincial Convention is due to the fact that Sir Wilfrid 

 Laurier, taking the deep interest he did, took the initiative and convened 

 those who were interested in the matter at the centre of Canada, at Ottawa. 



I am glad that New Brunswick is taking a deep interest in this matter, 

 and that those of every political faith, without regard to party discussions, 

 have become interested in a matter so vital to the best interests of the 

 Province of New Brunswick. 



When invited to come here I was not certain that it would be possible 

 for me to come, owing to the fact of your Convention being held at a time 

 when, as you can understand, I would have other engagements elsewhere, 

 but when I went to my leader and spoke of the Convention and of my de 

 .sire to attend it he gave his consent at once, and said that if it could be 

 possibly arranged I should come, and as I came away yesterday afternoon 

 he wished me to convey to this Convention his greetings, and 

 -warmest wishes that it might prove a very great success and prove 



