CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 13 



the way of water transportation which is the measure of the cheapness of 

 the carriage of cargoes to and from our ports is in danger and will be much 

 more greatly endangered if we do not preserve our forests, which regulate 

 the head waters of the streams and maintain the even flow and constant 

 depth of our great rivers. (Applause). 



There are dangers to our forests. I say frankly in the presence of the 

 lumbermen present that certain lumbermen constitute one of these dangers. 

 (Hear, hear). I believe that to-day the lumbermen to a very considerable 

 extent are trying their best to cease to be a danger (Hear, hear) and are 

 doing a great deal to encourage the conservation of our forest wealth. But 

 at the same time, even yet there is a danger from the operations of the 

 lumbermen. The Provincial authorities, or those who have the control of 

 the sales of the timber limits to the lumbermen, can make regulations, 

 and have to a very considerable extent made regulations which tend to the 

 conservation of our forests when they are being operated and cut over by 

 the lumbermen. This control rests largely with the Provinces and the 

 Dominion Department of the Interior in the Dominion Forest Lands. 

 There is another danger which is also to some extent within the control of 

 legislation, and of the Crown Lands Departments in the various Govern- 

 ments of Canada. I allude to the danger from the prospector the man 

 who wanders about, especially in those sections of the country where there 

 is said to be mineral wealth, and who travels here and there at his own 

 sweet will, often unknown to anybody else. There is no doubt whatever 

 in my mind that in the forest regions of the older Provinces, where minerals 

 have been found, and are expected to be found, a great deal of the destruc- 

 tion of our forest wealth by burning is due to the carelessness of th^ pros- 

 pector. (Hear, hear). This also could be regulated and to a large extent 

 avoided by legislation on the part of those who control Crown Lands. 

 Again there is the danger of pure carelessness and ignorance on the part 

 of the settler, and on the part of almost everyone who goes abour in our 

 forests. The work of the Forestry Association is probably the best l>elp 

 against that danger. One of the most important functions of this 

 Association is such education of our people as will tend to make 

 them careful in the public interest, by showing them that the pub- 

 lic interest is their individual interest, and elevating them, and making 

 them better and more public-spirited citizens, and by impressing 

 especially upon the young people of the land their duties as citizens to care 

 for the public good first and all the time (Head, hear) for I regret to say 

 that many of our young people in all walks of life are growing up careless 

 of the public interest. The dangers I have pointed out are at work in the 

 land, but the counter influences of your Association and of all lovers of 

 Forestry are also at work and, I am glad to know, gathering volume and 

 Rtrength as the movement goes on. The effort of the American people to- 

 day towards the conservation of their natural resources will no doubt be a 

 stimulus to us. I am very happy to say that the Governor-General has 



