28 CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 



DEVELOPMENT OF OUR FOREST INDUSTRIES. 



Since 1897 some 30 odd new industries have been established at the 

 mouths of the different rivers tributary to the St. Lawrence. Over $15,000,- 

 000 has been invested in saw mills, pulp mills, etc., which are employing 

 over 9,000 heads of families. These figures demonstrate that the Province 

 of Quebec has gone ahead very rapidly in the development of her forest 

 industry. The eyes of the world are upon us. From the point of view of those 

 interested in these enterprises we must protect their capital in so far as 

 investment is concerned, by protecting the source of revenue to us and to 

 them. The Province must afford protection to both the settler and to the 

 financial men who have large investments in our wood-working industries'. 



CREATION OF FOREST RESERVES. 



Lately immense Forest Reserves have been created in our Province (viz : 

 The Saguenay, Labrador, Lake Saint John, Saint Maurice, Maskinonge, 

 Ottawa, Chaudiere, River Ouelle, Temiscouta, Rimouski), which with the 

 Gaspe and Laurentides Parks, comprise a total area of 107,821,653 acres, one 

 of the largest Forest Reserves in North America. This has all been done within 

 the past few years, and we must congratulate the Province for its efforts in 

 that direction. Let us hope that our Province will also deem it wise to evolve 

 a scheme for the protection of the fish and game as well as for the protection 

 of the forest. 



"We must not forget that besides what I have already mentioned we 

 have also the James Bay Basin and the Hamilton River Valley representing 

 an area of about 93,000,000 acres, of which about 40 per cent, is timbered. 



INSUFFICIENT STAFF. 



With this vast territory of forest lands in our Province, I am sorry to 

 say that we have not a sufficient number of forest officers, and very few fire 

 wardens; and in many cases the men who hold these positions are unable to 

 discharge the duties to which they are assigned. 



In my opinion when a man is appointed to be either a game or a fire 

 warden, practically placed in charge of a vast wealth belonging to the 

 Province, there should be a system by which he will be trained to realize the 

 importance of his duties. His compensation should be made commensurate 

 with the work that he performs. Since the preservation of the forest means 

 also the conservation of fish and game, I would like to suggest that the forest 

 wardens and fire rangers be also made fish and game wardens. 



