CANADIAN FOEESTBY ASSOCIATION. 53 



the later lumbermen have been obliged to take logs somewhat inferior, be- 

 cause the cream of the growth had been removed by their predecessors. 

 Notwithstanding this fact, there still remains standing in the territory al- 

 ready operated, a vast number of trees that although of sufficient size, 

 hardly warranted the saw mill people cutting and hauling on account of 

 their being either crooked or defective. 



The agitation of the subject of forestry by speakers and writers, as well 

 as the establishment of forestry schools, has led the average person to be- 

 lieve that we are on the verge of a lumber famine, and, like a drowning 

 man, such people are willing to grasp at straws, and favor any proposition 

 or scheme that may be offered with a plea of improvement. There is an- 

 other class who believe that fhe lumber famine is only a dream of the fu- 

 ture, and are not particularly favorable to any material change from the 

 methods at present in vogue. There seems to be a consensus of opinion, 

 however, that there should be some radical changes in the methods of con- 

 ducting lumbering operations in this Province, as well as elsewhere. I 

 assume that the majority of the people are uncertain in their own minds as 

 to what general course to recommend, yet there are many who are very 

 positive that certain ideas should be adopted. 



We have thus arrived at what may be termed the parting of the ways, 

 and the vital question is which road to follow. The importance of making 

 a right decision is so very great, it seems to me almost criminal, from a 

 patriotic standpoint, for any citizen to commit himself completely and irre- 

 vocably to any policy without weighing most carefully the future welfare of 

 the Province. To jump at conclusions and act without careful study, in- 

 vestigation and discussion in a matter so important, would seem to be the 

 action of the foolish man, only. Every wise man, even if possessed of very 

 positive, pre-conceived ideas, is always ready to change his mind when 

 indisputable evidence is produced, showing the error of his former reason- 

 ing. I assume that many in this audience may be of this latter class, and 

 therefore trust that should any of you have convictions more or less strong, 

 either for or against the policy of allowing pulpwood to be cut and handled, 

 you will each be willing to reason the matter more fully in order to avoid 

 the serious mistake of lending your assistance to some policy that later may 

 prove disastrous. 



During the past few years there has been more or less active discussion 

 with reference to prohibiting the exportation of pulpwood. The active par- 

 tisans of such prohibition may or may not be financially interested in a way 

 that the policy adopted might affect them, but whatever their motive, their 

 earnestness has been such that many have been honestly led to believe that 

 it would be a very wise policy particularly for this Province to adopt. 

 They have embraced these ideas, as it seems to me, without fully under- 

 standing even the premises of the situation, and perhaps have utterly failed 

 to realize what it means for a government like that of New Brunswick to 

 commit itself irrevocably to such a radical policy. If such there are, it is 

 fair to assume that they are drifting without chart or compass towards what 

 may be very dangerous ground. Should the proposed law for prohibition 

 prevail, and after a series of years the dreams of the preponents prove true, 



