CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 81 



prospect of a return to conditions that will permit of the former methods. In the 

 forests of the far north, in the forests of the West and North-west and in British 

 Columbia and even in those Eastern Provinces, it would be impossible for any person 

 or company to successfully carry on the manufacture of lumber in the small way 

 in which it was conducted years ago; and in the matter of pulp manufacture, for 

 which no country in the world offers such a field as Canada, it is still more impossible 

 to work successfully on a small scale. 



If these primitive methods were revived to-day, the result would simply be that 

 the cost of production would be so increased that the consuming public would have 

 to pay double or treble what they now do under present conditions. Again, the 

 large outlay in the way of plant which is necessary in order that the lumbering 

 business may be profitably conducted, makes it necessary that before capital is 

 invested in such enterprises, the owners must have some assurance of their being 

 able to obtain for a lengthened period, a supply for their use. This in most cases 

 can only be obtained by their having acquired certain rights of timber for a number 

 of years. In Canada this has been done by the granting leases or licenses guaran- 

 teeing them this right. 



I think it will be seen from the foregoing that the system adopted in Canada of 

 granting these rights to individuals or corporations who are engaged in the manu- 

 facture of lumber, is in the line of modern development and the question that we 

 have now to consider is as to the best system to follow in granting these privileges. 

 In the first place the greater part of the merchantable timber of Canada to-day is 

 growing on land which is not well adapted for agricultural pursuits, and in the vast 

 majority of cases it would be more valuable if left permanently for the production of 

 timber than for any other purpose. One of the first things that should be done 

 in this connection is the exploration of these unoccupied timber districts, in order 

 that those areas that are better adapted for the growth of timber than for agricul- 

 tural purposes should be permanently set aside for timber. They should be carefully 

 guarded from destruction by fire or otherwise. When conditions warrant the 

 cutting of timber on any portions of these they should be granted for that purpose , 

 the Government exercising at the same time the right to prohibit the cutting below 

 a certain diameter limit and to compel the operator to guard his district against fire. 



I am not anxious to affirm that the license system is per se, perfect in character, 

 or that as the country grows older and becomes more thickly settled, that we 

 may not be able to approximate in some degree to the systems adopted in several 

 of the countries of Europe, but I do say that to adopt the intensive systems of 

 Germany or France to-day would be entirely impracticable herei 



It has been my privilege to visit forests of those countries and observe their 

 management and I have made it my business to see as much as possible of our own 

 wooded regions and I have concluded that the Governments in dealing with this 

 question should have constantly in view the following ideas: 



1st. To retain the control of their forests. 

 2nd. To preserve them from utter destruction. 



3rd. To grant privileges under certain conditions for the use 

 of the mature timber crop. 



4th. To preserve for the future the growing crop, and 



Lastly To exact a reasonable royalty from those who may profit 

 by any privileges that may be granted them. 



