CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 7 



The reason for my appearance in your midst at this moment is therefore to do 

 homage to your Society and to express my high appreciation of the patriotic and 

 national work which you have been performing for some years past. 



This approval of your labours and the thought which has inspired them, I 

 offer you gentlemen in accordance with the feeling awakened by the precious ex- 

 ample of those who devote themselves to a grand and noble cause. 



Gentlemen, the great future is now open to us ; is at the same time full of prom- 

 ises and laden with responsibilities. I am glad to say that you form part of those* 

 since you tried to preserve for your country the rich forests which will always be 

 a most powerful element of our prosperity if they are properly managed and pro- 

 tected. 



It is to ensure this protection and preservation of our forests that you have 

 formed the society which is now entertaining us. I cannot give you too much praise 

 for having founded this society. In these times associations have become the 

 most powerful agents of man's power. Nothing can resist that solidarity of an 

 association which replaces the inefficiency of individual efforts with the powerful 

 influence of a number of people- banded together to serve the same ideal and reach 

 the same end. 



Your labours and researches, with the help of publicity, will prepare and form 

 public opinion and will soon obtain the attention of the authorities; thus facilitating 

 the fulfilment of their duty. It will thus be your triumph and your reward, your 

 only object being the true interests of our common country. 



Gentlemen, I have now the honour to declare this conference open. 



The PRESIDENT. I will now call upon the Secretary to read the minutes of 

 our last meeting. I presume it is not necessary to go into the resolutions which are 

 lengthy, and have been printed, so that I think the mere reading will be sufficient. 



The Secretary, Mr. R. H. Campbell, then read the minutes of the last meeting, 

 which were received and adopted. 



PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



First of all I wish to congratulate our Association on the fact that this Annual 

 Meeting is being held in Montreal, as it is now some twenty-six years since the last 

 (and at that time the first) meeting was held here by the American Forestry Asso- 

 ciation. This City is capable, with its great influence, of being almost a determin- 

 ing factor in movements in this Province tending towards the good of our 

 forests and water powers. I should mention that the desire of the Directors of the 

 Association to come into closer touch with, and secure the interest of our French 



