CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 83 



Association for the preparation and dissemination of such, information. I 

 should therefore be glad to make a motion, if it is in order, in line with what 

 Dr. Fernow said that this Association undertake the preparation of such 

 literature, and the distribution of such literature, and also the preparation 

 of maps which will graphically bring before the people what has been done, 

 what is now being done, and what is needed for the future. 



ME. CAMPBELL : I would like to say a few words regarding this ques- 

 tion, because I have been connected with the work of the Forestry Associa- 

 tion from the beginning, and therefore know fairly well the work that it has 

 been doing. I wish to point out one or two things in connection with its work 

 which are perhaps not known to all of those present. I think, considering 

 the time that the Association has been in active operation, and considering 

 the condition of public opinion when it did begin operations, that it has been 

 able to accomplish a good deal in the way of arousing public opinion. 

 (Applause). I may mention one particular case. A few years ago when there 

 was to be a meeting of the Forestry Association in the city of Ottawa, I hap- 

 pened to meet a gentleman somewhat prominent in public life, and who is 

 still prominent in public life, and I spoke to him about the meeting of the 

 Forestry Association, said it was going to take place very shortly, and invited 

 him to attend. Well, he did not respond very heartily to the invitation, and 

 after we talked a little while he confessed to me that he considered that 

 forestry was a fad entirely. As he happened to be a newspaper man I was 

 a little surprised that he could not see farther, because as a general rule the 

 journalist is very intelligent; but it may be explained by the fact that he 

 was not only a literary man but also a politician which sometimes shortens 

 a man's views exceedingly. (Laughter). Two years later I was very much 

 pleased to hear that same gentleman, at a Forestry Convention, laboring to 

 prove to the people his deep and abiding interest in the forestry question, 

 and the great importance of it to this Dominion. (Applause). So that things) 

 do move a little. At the same time there is a large area of ignorance to be 

 wakened up. I will mention one instance. Quite recently I was speak- 

 ing to a gentleman who is very prominent in public life in the West about 

 the question of fire protection and he said to me, "Oh, there's no need of 

 getting excited about the fire question : why not have fires ? They clear the 

 land, anyway; they get it ready for cultivation." Now, if I were to tell you 

 the name of that gentleman it would surprise you that a man of his promi- 

 nence in public life should hold such a view. With one of their prominent 

 men holding such a view as that, you will read^y understand why the opin- 

 ion of the people of the West is what it is. Regarding the educative work 

 of this Association, I may say that the first work is the publication of a 

 Quarterly Journal which is intended for our own members rather than the 

 general public ; except in so far as the newspapers may pay attention to the 

 special articles appearing in it. We have not done very much in the way 

 of lectures except at the Annual Meetings, and a little bit outside of that, 

 generally incidentally, and not on any regular plan. Regarding the reach- 



