50 CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



estation, as is possible in the pulpwood business, the percentage must neces- 

 sarily grow less and less, until it will become necessary to give the forests 

 a rest for a long period years before it will be safe for the deal mills to 

 resume business. What will supply Provincial revenue, meanwhile, and 

 what is equally important, how is the large population at present depending 

 on the lumber business to be supported? It is useless to talk about miracles 

 in these modern wicked times, and yet it would be a miracle if they did not 

 all leave the country in search of the necessities of life. Thus the Prov- 

 ince would suffer a double loss decrease of revenue and loss of population. 

 Who would purchase the homes and property of these people obliged to 

 emigrate? I cannot answer the question, or even guess. It would seem as 

 though their property would all have to be sacrificed. 



Other objections furnishing strong argument against the suggested 

 adoption of this policy of prohibition might be offered, but perhaps enough 

 has been said to make the argument convincing, that while it is an easy 

 matter to tear down, it is much harder to build up. The preponents of the 

 measure urge tearing down, apparently hoping for a miracle to take place. 

 They must candidly admit, however, that there is a deep chasm in the 

 route they propose for us to follow, which divides the old way from the 

 new. This chasm they have spanned with a theory. This theory may be 

 strong enough to carry us across one way, but please remember that when 

 once across, it is very difficult to get back. If we entirely commit ourselves 

 to the proposed policy and legislation results, it will only be after a series 

 of years that we can retrace our course. 



DISCUSSION ON THE EXPORT OF PULP WOOD. 



MR. W. B. SNOWBALL: When I attempt to reply to Mr. Oak's very 

 able paper, why we should let one of the greatest assets of this Province 

 be exported for the upkeep of mills in a foreign country, I cannot see any 

 argument that he has brought forth at all convincing to this intelligent 

 audience, showing why we should allow such a procedure to take place. 

 Mr. Oak has stated that he has severed his connection with the Interna- 

 tional Paper Company and the Miramichi Lumber Company, of which he 

 was manager, and I am willing to admit, and, indeed, I believe Mr. Oak, in 

 speaking,, stated his honest convictions and ideas. We must, however, 

 make allowance for people, for their early surroundings, and when we 

 consider that this gentleman was born across the border, we can hardly 

 think a few years' residence in New Brunswick could transform him so 

 rapidly into a good Canadian citizen. They state much can be done with 

 a Scotchman if you get him early enough (laughter), and I think that 

 might be true as far as American citizens also are concerned; and I trust 

 we have secured Mr. Oak quite early enough in life, so that we may be 

 able to make of him, within the next few years, one of our most loyal 

 advocates of the prohibition of the export of pulp wood. I am glad 

 to know that a gentleman of his intelligence has been secured to manage 

 the lands of the New Brunswick Land Company, and I hope, when he takes 



