3 g CANADIAN FOXESTEY ASSOCIATION. 



I may say, Mr. Chairman, at the outset, that I am going to disagree 

 with something that you have said. In speaking with the officers of the 

 Canadian Forestry Association, I find that they are very modest in speak- 

 ing of what the Association has done. But I would not be disposed to 

 agree with you that the Association had done very little during the years it 

 has been in existence. Perhaps the gentlemen who are members of the 

 Association may not themselves see all that has been accomplished, never- 

 theless if you look back at what has been done in the last ten years in Can- 

 ada on the subject of Forestry, I think my friend, Senator Edwards, will 

 agree there has been a great deal accomplished. I remember about ten 

 years ago when I came to the conclusion then being at the head of the 

 Department of the Interior that we should have a Forestry Branch at- 

 tached to that Department, and I got my courage up sufficiently to ask Par- 

 liament for an appropriation of $15,000. It was very much opposed, very 

 violently opposed, and not only was it opposed by the members of the Op- 

 position (who naturally might be expected to oppose it, as I was speaking 

 from the Government side of the House that being generally the way of 

 Oppositions) ; but there were many on my own side of the House who were 

 far from enthusiastic and thought I was spending money on a fad which 

 might be harmless, but certainly a useless way of spending money. And, 

 moreover, when I came to enquire as to the organization of that Branch, 

 I was told there was not in Canada at that time a man who could be recom- 

 mended as a thoroughly qualified forester. Now, I do not mean to say 

 there were not men who were thoroughly well qualified in the ways of the 

 wods; but as to foresters, whose primary business is the preservation of 

 the forest, rather than the destruction of it, I was told there were none 

 in Canada. At the present time we find that the Province of British Colum- 

 bia has lately had a Forestry Commission appointed, and they have gone 

 thoroughly and carefully into the questions of their forest problems. Under 

 the authority of the Federal Department of the Interior there are a large 

 number of reserves, which have been formed for the purpose of conserv- 

 ing the timber wealth of the Western Provinces and the Government lands. 

 We find that the Federal Department of the Interior, in addition to that, 

 a considerable staff of skilled and competent men; it has a good fire ran- 

 service, not as effective by any means as it ought to be, but still a vast 

 improvement upon that which went before. If you go to the Province of 

 Ontario, what will you find has been done there? Ontario has a fire 

 ; service vastly better than it was a few years ago, and it has a sys- 

 or reserves which is assisting very materially in conserving the supply 

 The Province of Quebec has not been behind; it is pursuing a 



? Cy< hey g ne S tar as to 



C 



rso urn 



Bru n T 7 C SpCCial Studies for the Government. In New 



you have shown you are not behind the times, but, rather, in 



uch laS e< nf T C K, An u aS beC mes a Province whic h possesses 

 onservTt LfoTthrm N '" " ' ^ ^ givlng Spedal attenti tO the 



Last yea the \nv?S ^ Y r Sc tm ' t0 ' is movin S in th ^ same direction. 



to L y e a P C tia Government thought it was important enough 



