'The Two Maskti of Destruction 



09 



ANOTHER BRAND OF DESTRUCTION. 



This is not the result of shell fire but of forest conflagration. The scene is in 

 Muskoka. Repeated burning, mostly preventible, has killed off the 

 timber, burned up the soil and left in their place an area of worthless 

 rock. As it takes 300 years to build up an inch of soil to give scant 

 nourishment to a new forest, these burned areas of Muskoka can for 

 practical purposes be wiped off the ledger of Canadian assets. 



A' AH' BKUXSniCK'S STAND. 



The X. V. Paper Trade Joiirnal. referring 

 to re<ent Xew Brunswick legislation, says: 



■•We will not say that the reg ilation pro- 

 viiling that no timber be cut below a certain 

 size is not a wise ami necessary nieasiire. 

 There ha.s been altogether too much pro- 

 'ligality in the cutting of the forests as 

 Americans have fouml to their cost, and 

 conservation has V)ecome a watchword on 

 both sides of the line. But a country can 

 sufiFer just as readily from a hoarding of 

 its resources as it can by a wasteful policy. 

 If this wa.s a time when <apitalists were 

 seeking investments in Canadian properties 

 for the purpose of paper manufacture, as 

 they were doing when Ontario and Quebec 



Hrst began to impose exj)ort restrictions on 

 wood, it wouM be possible to understand 

 the present attitude of the Xew Brunswick 

 government. But when there is no pros- 

 pect for additional mill construction in the 

 Dominion except at some remote and inde- 

 finite period, and when it nas been found 

 that the prohibition of l>ulp wood shipments 

 to this side has not been productive of a 

 single paper mill within the province, is it 

 not poor business policy to withhold the raw 

 material when it might he soM to advan- 

 tage and profit f 



'Ontario has the right idea. Her restric- 

 tions have been elastic. She raises and 

 lowers the bars as circum.stances dictate, 

 with the consequence that she has at all 

 times a revenue from her resources.' 



