130 CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 



represents the people; he should hear their views and weigh them carefully, 

 accepting what he believes to be correct, and in this instance I take it that 

 the Canadian people are speaking through this Association to the Govern- 

 ments of the various Provinces. Now, in my letter addressed to the Pre- 

 mier I spoke of our taking stock of our Dominion supply of timber, and the 

 supply of the various Provinces. Every one may not approve of that, but 

 I don't believe it is a good thing to continue living in a Fool's Paradise. 

 (Hear, hear.) I made the statement to my friend Mr. White a while ago 

 he thanked me for doing it but I could give him some information. I 

 am a very large explorer of the resources of Canada, in so far as her timber 

 supply is concerned. I have explored all Labrador; have explored every 

 river in the Province of Quebec from Labrador to the head of Anticosti. 

 I have explored this Western country r ; ght through to Hudson's Bay; and 

 I want to tell Mr. White that the reports given by the explorers who went 

 out under the former Government to explore the timber of that region gave 

 a most desperately wrong report as to the timber supply that exists there. 

 (Hear, hear.) 



Mr. WHITE : May I ask if we have not as much right to put confidence 

 in the reports of our men as you have to put in the reports of yours? 



SENATOR EDWARDS : Certainly. 

 Mr. WHITE : Thank you. 



SENATOR EDWARDS : I am sorry if I offended my friend. 

 Mr. WHITE : No, you don't offend me at all. 



SENATOR EDWARDS : But there are explorers and explorers. I am going 

 to make another statement; it is going to hit somebody else, but I can't 

 help it. A great many people read the reports of the Geological Survey 

 Department, which often refer to the timber. Some of the statements are 

 the most exaggerated and most unreliable statements that were ever made 

 in any document (laughter) and are not worth the paper they are printed 

 upon. (Laughter.) In a district of country where on one side of a river 

 the Geological Survey represents on the Dominion ground fabulous quantities 

 of timber, and where on the other side the Ontario Government explorers 

 represent fabulous quantities of timber, I myself sent explorers right through 

 to Hudson's Bay, and for 10 miles, and I think 20 miles out from the 

 river on each side, without finding timber for a bird to perch upon. (Laugh- 

 ter and applause.) 



Mr. WHITE: Isn't that drawing it just a little too strong? 

 9a F 



