128 CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 



comparatively a new thing to me. I don't know that I can say very much 

 upon it. In Canada we have large areas of agricultural lands which are 

 suitable for that purpose, but we have also ^vast areas suitable for growing 

 timber, and for no other purpose. Those areas should be set apart and set- 

 tlement should never be allowed to encroach upon them. (Hear, hear.) But 

 unfortunately settlement is encroaching everywhere that I know of, where 

 there is timber. Now, if I say a word about the various Governments of 

 the Provinces, there is no animus, and it is not because the Provincial 

 Governments are to-day rather adverse politically to my political view ; not 

 at all. My friends were just as bad when they were in power as the men 

 of to-day- just exactly. (Hear, hear.) 



Mr. LITTLE : Pretty bad. (Laughter.) 



SENATOR EDWARDS : I am sorry to make this statement but I hold that 

 the system under which the forests of Ontario were sold offers a premium 

 for the destruction of the forests. (Hear, hear and applause.) There is a 

 limitation to the period in which the timber must be cut; that is the case. 

 You have ten years to cut the timber, and then that ends it. What does 

 the lumberman do? Does he cut with regard to the best interests of that 

 area? There is no condition so safe as the condition of perpetuity, wrongful 

 though it may be wrongful, as I explained before: I don't think he should 

 ever own them but if he ever obtains them he should be offered a premium 

 of perpetuity, and perpetuity for all time of that timber supply. 



Mr. WHITE : Would it not be better to cut that out and start over again ? 



SENATOR EDWARDS : I don't think so. I don't think so at all. I think 

 the best and cheapest means of reforestation is the careful cutting and 

 letting the timber seed itself and come along. (Applause.) The Province 

 of New Brunswick has also a suicidal policy, in so far as its timber areas 

 are concerned. There, again, there is a limitation as to the tenure of the 

 license again offering a premium for the destruction of the forests. 

 (Applause.) In my humble opinion a very bad system. Now, whatever 

 the sins of the Province of Quebec may be, and they are many, that Pro- 

 vince has the best system, in so far as the perpetuity of the forests is con- 

 cerned. Their limits have never been sold under any other condition, up 

 to to-day, but that under which the tenure is perpetual, offering to the 

 lumbermen every inducement for the conservation of the forests; and if 

 they will just shoot about half of their Provincial members, and another 

 class of member that I will not name here (Laughter) there will be every 

 opportunity for perpetuating those forests. But unforunately we have that 

 enemy, and it is the greatest enemy of the lumber trade. 



DELEGATE: How about shooting the Senators? (Laughter.) 



SENATOR EDWARDS : If he is not a worthy preserver of the forests, shoot 

 him, for heaven's sake. (Laughter.) Perhaps I have taken up too much 



